ENGLISH ( A CHRISTMAS CAROL)

PLOT SUMMARY The carol is about Scrooge, an Old man (well known for his miserly ways) miserly- someone who stores wealth and spends as little money as possible On Christmas Eve, Scrooge gets visited by series of ghosts  First his business partner, Jacob Marley Three other spirits: Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come, show Scrooge how his mean behaviour has affected those around him End of the story, he discovers there is enough time for him to change and he transforms into a generous kind- hearted person.

KEY PLOT DETAILS On Christmas Eve, Scrooge makes employee, Bob Cratchit, work in the cold  Refuses an invitation to Fred's Christmas Party ( Scrooge's nephew)and won't give money to the charity collectors  At home, He is visited by the ghost of his old business partner, Marley. Ghost of past Christmas wakes Scrooge up and shows him moments from his childhood, his apprenticeships and his failed engagement. The Ghost of Christmas Present takes him to the Cratchit's home, where he is saddened by the ill, but kind, Tiny Tim. He is also shown how Fred celebrates Christmas with friends and how others celebrate Christmas together. Ghost of Christmas yet to come terrifies Scrooge with visions of his death Scrooge wakes up on Christmas day and is delighted to find out that he has a chance to repent of his miserly ways. He buys turkey for the Cratchits and attends his nephew's party Scrooge becomes like a second father to Tiny Tim and gains a reputation for knowing how to celebrate Christmas. A CHRISTMAS CAROL IS A MORE TALE ABOUT THE SPIRIT OF GIVING ND BEING KIND TO ONE ANOTHER

DETAILED PLOT SUMMARY Scrooge makes his clerk work in the cold    The novella begins on Christmas Eve with Scrooge working in his counting-house. His employee Bob is working hard and trying to warm himself over a candle as Scrooge refuses to give him more coal He refuses Fred's invitation Scrooge's cheerful nephew, Fred, arrives at Scrooge's office to wish him a Merry Christmas and to invite Scrooge to a Christmas dinner. Scrooge responds with a grumpy 'Bah!' followed by 'Humbug!' Scrooge dismisses the charity collectors  Two gentlemen enter the office as scrooge's nephew leaves. They're collecting for the poor and homeless. Scrooge refuses to give them a donation, claiming that prisons/workhouses should provide.  He declares that if they cannot go to prison or the workhouses the poor should die 'and decrease the surplus population'. Scrooge is visited by Marley At home, Scrooge has strange visions of the doorknockers and tile bearings the face of Marley. He refuses to believe his eyes but Marley's ghost appears and frightens Scrooge by rattling his chains. He tells Scrooge he will be haunted by 3 spirits 

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST Ghost of Christmas past visits Scrooge at one o'clock.  The apparition is 'a strange figure' seeming to be both an old man and child. The ghost shows Scrooge scenes from his childhood and a lively scene with his cheerful old boss, Fezziwig. Next he takes Scrooge to a time where his younger self is with his fiancée, Belle. She is telling the younger Scrooge how she must leave him because he has changed and seems to love money more than her. Then they see the girl become a woman, with her happy family. Scrooge is upset and the ghost returns him to his bed.  

THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT The ssecond spirit takes Scrooge to the Cratchit family where he sees the humility wth which the family tolerates its poverty. The sight of Tiny Tim, who is sick and weak, saddens him. spirit shows Scrooge his nephew and friends as they celebrate and joke about how Scrooge is a 'ridiculous fellow'. Lastly, the ghost shows Scrooge two poor children, Ignorance and Want. The ghost disappears and a dark hooded phantom comes towards Scrooge.

THE FINAL SPIRIT  The final spirit is the Ghost of Christmas yet to come who shows Scrooge scenes relating to a man's death.  He shows him the Crachits whose son, Tiny Tim, has also died. Finally, the ghost shows the gravestone of the man the people have been talking about. It bears the name scrooge  

Scrooge awakes on Christmas Day Scrooge wakes up full of a zest for life. He presses the bed to check it is real and then laughing, proclaims himself as 'giddy as a drunken man'. He calls out of the window to a boy who tells him it is Christmas Day and Scrooge is delighted to find the spirits have done all their work in one night. He gives the boy half a crown to buy the prize turkey from the butchers and have it delivered to the Cratchits. Then he dresses and goes out into the street where he meets one of the charity collectors from the previous day. Scrooge whispers his donation to the man, who is very grateful. Then Scrooge goes to church and at last to his nephew Fred's for Christmas dinner.

Scrooge knows how to celebrate Christmas The next day, Scrooge offers Bob Cratchit a pay-rise and promises to help look after his family. He learns how to laugh at himself and eventually becomes known as a man who knows how to celebrate Christmas.