For all intents and purposes, it does not matter that the Ghost of Christmas Past has visited Scrooge; Scrooge may simply be reliving his life through his memory, and the Ghost is merely a convenient symbol for memory. He also shows that he can read Scrooge’s mind—a fact revealed over and over during the course of their time together. Enjoy eNotes ad-free and cancel anytime. Start your 48-hour free trial to unlock this answer and thousands more. • This is a juxtaposition. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. This ghost is generally quiet, thoughtful, and surprisingly compassionate for the bits of Scrooge's miserable … The Christmas ghosts have distinct personalities; they're not all just the same kind of phantom presence. In A Christmas Carol, what does the Ghost of Christmas Present represent? According to Dickens' novella, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge as a white-robed, androgynous figure of indeterminate age. read analysis of The Ghost of Christmas Past The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come The most ominous of all the spirits, he is a robed, silent figure and Scrooge fears his message most of all. Scrooge may try to ignore or forget the events of the past, but they cannot be denied. The Ghost of Christmas Past is a personification of memory. It appears in Scrooge's room, surrounded by a feast. How are the Ghost of Christmas Past and Present described in A Christmas Carol? The first of the three Spirit visits him the following night, as soon as he wakes up. Your IP: 52.45.101.226 Ghost of Christmas Past. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit Scrooge. Also, the Ghost represents the pasts of many people, not just Scrooge. It shows that he has the innocence of a child and the wisdom of an elderly person. It first shows Scrooge his old boarding school, where he stayed alone, but for his books, while his schoolmates returned to their homes for the Christmas holidays. the ghost is young yet old. Tes Global Ltd is The spirit is described as being dressed in all white, with white hair and a white light beaming from under its hat. This angelic and caring spirit shows Scrooge scenes from his past that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways, as well as to show the reader how Scrooge came to be a bitter, cold-hearted miser. Describe the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol. But the Ghost cannot be defeated. Cloudflare Ray ID: 5e5e90bb0c96c1ac Stone Cold, by Robert Swindells - bundle of resources, Of Mice and Men series of lessons covering the whole text. Visit BN.com to buy new and used textbooks, and check out our award-winning NOOK tablets and eReaders. That they are what they are, do not blame me! Another symbol of his innocence is his "tunic of the purest white" and it could also imply that he has no sins and isn't a dark or evil person/spirit. Sometimes certain events come to the fore distinctly, while at other times those thoughts fade and other details stand out as important. Romeo and Juliet Knowledge Organiser/ Revision Mat! Finally, the spirit shows him how she married and found true happiness with another man. Rather, it simply and gently presents the visions of the past that help Scrooge realize that he must change his ways. SparkNotes is brought to you by Barnes & Noble. (Indeed, the Ghost looks like both an old man and a child, underscoring the elderly Scrooge's flashback to his childhood.) Created: Jul 23, 2017| Updated: Feb 22, 2018. Languages / English language learning / Texts, Whole school / Behaviour and classroom management. Explain Ignorance and Want, who appear in Stave 3 of A Christmas Carol. eNotes.com will help you with any book or any question. starTop subjects are Literature, History, and Social Sciences. Please include quotes. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley, his former business partner) to haunt Ebenezer Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley, his former business partner) to haunt Ebenezer Scrooge. The ghost carries a metal cap that Scrooge uses to extinguish it when he can not bear to witness any more of his past after he revisits how he has turned into such an uncaring, greedy, and wealth-oriented man. In order for Scrooge to grow as a human being, he must remember his past and learn both positive and negative lessons from it. A blinding beam of light radiates from its head and it carries a cap like a candle extinguisher, which it tells Scrooge that his own passions made and forced the ghost to wear. The Ghost’s form constantly changes as if looking at the Spirit mimics reflecting on memories. An unsettling combination of a small child and an old man, this Ghost takes Scrooge on a tour of his past Christmases in order to reconnect him to his feelings. The narrator describes the Ghost of Christmas Past’s appearance. Macbeth Knowledge Organiser/ Revision Mat! Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. The Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge the errors of his ways, but the ghost is not unkind to him. Get an answer for 'Describe the appearance of the Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol' and find homework help for other A Christmas Carol questions at eNotes It arrives as the clock chimes one. After appearing in Scrooge's house, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes his hand and flies with him over London. This engaging and informative lesson students to make insightful and developed interpretations of The Ghost of Christmas Past in Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol.’ In particular, they explore the ghost’s physical appearance, actions, and mannerisms, and analyse the extent to which the ghost symbolises the power of memories. The ghost has long, white hair that hangs down its back, but the "tenderest bloom" on the skin. This ghost presents itself in an ethereal, shifting form, with an intense and bright light surrounding its head. "Secret, And Self-contained, And Solitary As An Oyster". The spirit also shows Scrooge the Christmas Eve when, as a handsome, young man, his beloved fiancée Belle ended their relationship upon realizing that he now cared more for money than he did for her. The spirit is festive and represents the joy of Christmas and the good of humanity. The narrator explains how Scrooge attempts to snuff out the Ghost of Christmas Past’s power. Dickens describes this ghost as clad in a black garment that conceals its face and body. The spirit then shows Scrooge the day when his beloved younger sister Fan picked him up from the school after repeatedly asking their cold, unloving father to allow his return, as she joyfully claims that he has changed and is now kinder than he was. Conditions. The Ghost of Christmas Past comes to Scrooge and rediscovers the past, bringing Scrooge first to his childhood, where he is still a carefree young man who loves and knows how to enjoy life, is able to love, has hopes, dreams, and good mood. How does Dickens present Scrooge's character in chapter 1? The Ghost of Christmas Past Character Analysis. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit Scrooge. Scrooge did not ask Belle to end their engagement, but he did not fight to keep her. Introducing himself as “The Ghost of Christmas Past“, this phantom has a childlike figure with a light on the crown of his head.This Spirit takes Scrooge to his past when he was a young boy who was neglected by his friends. registered in England (Company No 02017289) with its registered office at 26 Red Lion [2], It has been suggested that this article be, Fictional character in A Christmas Carol by Dickens, Scrooge "extinguishes" the Ghost of Christmas Past. A strange combination of young and old, he has the innocence of an infant, but is seen as if through a veil of time, as if he is very elderly. ", Angered, Scrooge extinguishes the spirit with its cap and finds himself back in his bedroom, where he very quickly fell asleep. After this vision, Scrooge pleads with the spirit to show him no more, to which the spirit replies: "These are the shadows of things that have been. The ghost is often portrayed as a woman in dramatic adaptations of the story:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, ...being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away.[1]. London WC1R 4HQ. The narrator describes the Ghost of Christmas Past’s appearance. The Three Spirits of Past, Present, and Future. The Ghost of Christmas Past. This angelic and caring spirit shows Scrooge scenes from his past that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways, as well as to show the reader how Scrooge came to be a bitter, cold-hearted miser. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. • The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first of the three spirits to haunt Scrooge on Christmas Eve. The Ghost’s form constantly changes as if looking at the Spirit mimics reflecting on memories. Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley, his former business partner) to haunt Ebenezer Scrooge. Next, the spirit shows Scrooge a Christmas Eve a few years later in which he enjoys a Christmas party hosted by his first boss, Mr. Fezziwig, a kind and loving man, who treated Scrooge like a son and was more compassionate to him than was his own father. In Charles Dickens's novella A Christmas Carol, three spirits visit Scrooge in order to help him change his miserly ways. This website and its content is subject to our Terms and The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit Scrooge after the ghost of Marley. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. In A Christmas Carol, where does Dickens portray poverty? The only body part visible to Scrooge is an outstretched hand. The Ghost of Christmas Past or the Spirit of Christmas Past is a fictional character in the 1843 work A Christmas Carol by the English novelist Charles Dickens. Ghost of Christmas Past. The Ghost takes Scrooge to the times, places, and situations that reveal how Scrooge became the man he is at that moment. Stave Two: The First of the Three Spirits, Stave Three: The Second of the Three Spirits. Scrooge fears this ghost who does not talk. © 2020 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. In this conversation, the Ghost of Christmas Past asserts that he plays a vitally important role. Original 1843 illustration by, Appearance in notable film and TV adaptations, Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ghost_of_Christmas_Past&oldid=982987864, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, In the 1998 animated musical television film, In the 1999 made-for-television version of, This page was last edited on 11 October 2020, at 15:52. The Ghost of Christmas Present is the second spirit to visit Scrooge. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. After this, the Spirit transfers Scrooge at a time when Scrooge has already parted ways with youthful dreams and focuses entirely on the accumulation of wealth.

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