A Christmas Carol Summary
Description
Here you will find a A Christmas Carol summary (Charles Dickens's book).
We begin with a summary of the entire book, and then you can read each individual chapter's summary by visiting the links on the "Chapters" section.
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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024
Chapters A Christmas Carol Summary Overview
On a frost-bitten Christmas Eve, a grumpy and stingy elderly man named Ebenezer Scrooge is working in his accounting office. He declines to heat the workspace for his underpaid employee, Bob Cratchit, and rejects the holiday cheer brought by his nephew Fred and two charity workers, greeting them with a scathing "Bah! Humbug!" That night, in his freezing flat, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, burdened with heavy chains as punishment for his life of greed, warns Scrooge he will receive visits from three spirits over the following nights, aiming to prevent Scrooge from suffering the same fate. The first apparition, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge on a tour of his early Christmases. Scrooge witnesses his own past, full of missed opportunities for happiness and love, leading to profound regret. The Ghost of Christmas Present guides Scrooge around modern London, revealing an underwhelming Christmas feast at the Cratchit house and the valiant spirit of Bob's disabled son, Tiny Tim. The ghost also takes Scrooge to Fred's Christmas party, which Scrooge finds surprisingly enjoyable. The final ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, presents a series of enigmatic scenes related to an anonymous man's recent passing. Scrooge is horrified to discover that he is the deceased man when he sees his own name on a tombstone. He pleads with the ghost to change his destiny, promising to embrace Christmas and abandon his selfish ways. Waking up in his own bed, Scrooge is ecstatic to realize he has a second chance. Embracing his opportunity for redemption, Scrooge starts spreading Christmas cheer. He surprises the Cratchits with a large Christmas turkey and pleasantly shocks the guests at Fred's party with his unexpected attendance. Over time, Scrooge lives up to his promise, treating Tiny Tim as a surrogate son, generously assisting the needy, and extending kindness and warmth towards his fellow citizens.
stave 1
In the icy, foggy grip of a London Christmas Eve, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is hard at work in his counting-house. A sign outside reads "Scrooge and Marley," a reminder of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, who passed away seven years ago. Inside, Scrooge monitors his clerk, the impoverished Bob Cratchit, who struggles to keep warm in his small room with the scant heat from the barely smoldering fireplace. Scrooge, however, refuses to spend on extra coal despite the freezing weather. Suddenly, a cheerful young man, Scrooge's nephew Fred, barges in with a hearty "Merry Christmas!" and an invitation to Christmas dinner. Scrooge dismisses him with a curt "Bah! Humbug!" and refuses to partake in the festive spirit. Following Fred's exit, two men enter seeking donations for the needy, but Scrooge rudely refuses, insisting prisons and workhouses are the charities he supports. He then berates Bob for wanting Christmas Day off, but reluctantly agrees, demanding that Bob come in early the next day. Following his usual routine, Scrooge dines at his usual tavern and heads home through the dreary, foggy streets. The door-knocker on his front door startles him; it bears an eerie resemblance to Jacob Marley's face. Dismissing it as a trick of the light, he grumbles "Pooh-pooh," and enters his gloomy home, appreciative of the darkness since "darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it." To his surprise, he sees a phantom hearse ascending the stairs beside him. Once in his room, he locks the door and dons his nightgown. As he eats his gruel, the mantelpiece carvings morph into images of Marley's face. Dismissing the odd visions as "Humbug!" the room's bells start ringing and he hears footsteps. Jacob Marley's ghost, transparent and in chains, floats through the closed door. Despite his shock, Scrooge refuses to believe in Marley's ghost, attributing the vision to indigestion. Marley's ghost reveals that it has been wandering earth in chains for seven years as punishment for its sins. Scrooge sees that the chains are made of cashboxes, padlocks, ledgers, and steel purses. Marley warns Scrooge about a similar fate, telling him three spirits will visit him in the upcoming nights. Marley then disappears through the window, which opens by itself. Scrooge sees a sea of chained spirits wailing about their regret of not leading compassionate lives. Overwhelmed, Scrooge collapses into bed and falls asleep immediately.
stave 2
Scrooge wakes up at midnight, confused because he recalls going to bed well past two in the morning. He wonders if he slept the whole day, or if it's midday but unusually dark. Then he remembers Marley's ghost's prediction about the arrival of a spirit at one. Fearful, he decides to stay awake and await the apparition. The clock strikes one, and a peculiar, youthful ghost with an aura of wisdom appears, blowing aside the curtains of Scrooge's bed. The ghost, who is the Ghost of Christmas Past, tells Scrooge to accompany him and touches his heart, enabling him to fly. They exit through the window. The spirit takes Scrooge back to the rural area where he spent his childhood. Overwhelmed by nostalgia, Scrooge starts weeping. The ghost shows him his lonely self spending Christmas at school. The tour continues with the vision of Scrooge's younger sister, Fan, coming to take him home. Scrooge, touched by the memory, tells the spirit that Fan, Fred's mother, is long dead. Scrooge is then shown more past Christmases, including a festive party by Fezziwig, Scrooge's former employer. He also sees himself as a young man talking to Belle, his former fiancée who ended their relationship due to Scrooge's growing avarice. Another glimpse shows a grown-up Belle recalling Scrooge to her husband, stating he's now alone. The painful memories become unbearable for Scrooge. He pleads with the ghost to take him back home. In his despair, he covers the ghost's glowing head with its cap, dimming the light. Suddenly, he finds himself back in his room and falls fast asleep.
stave 3
Scrooge awakens to the sound of the church bell striking one. Expecting the second spirit, he is surprised when it does not immediately appear. After waiting for some time, a bright light illuminates the room and he finds the second spirit in the adjacent room. This immense figure dressed in green, sitting on a throne of food, introduces himself as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Claiming to have over 1800 brothers and a lifespan of one day, he instructs Scrooge to touch his robe. As soon as Scrooge complies, the room and feast disappear and they find themselves in the vibrant city on Christmas morning where they witness the joy and merriment of the citizens. The spirit takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit's humble home, where the family is celebrating with what little they have. Scrooge is moved by the sight of Tiny Tim, Bob's crippled son, and anxiously asks the spirit about the boy's fate. The spirit grimly suggests that Tiny Tim may not survive another year. They visit various other Christmas celebrations, including a party at Scrooge's nephew Fred's house, where Scrooge enjoys himself despite being invisible to the other guests. As the night progresses, the ghost ages noticeably. Finally, they arrive at a desolate place where Scrooge sees two malnourished children, Ignorance and Want, under the ghost's robe. When Scrooge expresses concern, the spirit taunts him with his own words, "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?" As the clock strikes midnight, the spirit vanishes, leaving Scrooge gazing at a cloaked figure approaching him.
stave 4
A threatening figure in a dark hooded robe, identified by Scrooge as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, approaches him. Frightened and already shaken from his past encounters, Scrooge kneels and implores the spirit to teach him his lesson, hoping to escape the same fate as his late partner. The spirit guides Scrooge on an uncanny journey: first to the London Stock Exchange where businessmen converse about a wealthy man's death; then to a grimy pawn shop in a London slum, where stolen items from a dead man's possession are being sold by suspicious characters; subsequently to a poverty-stricken family's dining table, where they express relief at the demise of their merciless creditor; and finally to the Cratchit's home, where they're coping with Tiny Tim's death. Frustrated at not knowing who the deceased man is, Scrooge begs the ghost for answers. He is then led to a cemetery where he reads his own name on a new tombstone: EBENEZER SCROOGE. Horrified, Scrooge pleads with the spirit to reverse the horrifying vision. He vows to honour Christmas wholeheartedly and abide by the teachings of Past, Present, and Future. As his pleas for forgiveness intensify, the spirit's robe shrinks and collapses. Scrooge finds himself back in the familiar surroundings of his own bed.
stave 5
Delighted to have been given a fresh start, Scrooge appreciates the spirits and Jacob Marley. Discovering it's Christmas morning, he joyfully shouts "Merry Christmas!" to the world. Full of exhilaration, Scrooge rushes to get dressed, even dancing as he shaves. He urgently instructs a boy he meets to deliver a large turkey to Bob Cratchit's house, generously rewarding the boy. Making up for his past rudeness, he pledges a big donation to the charity-seeking gentlemen he'd previously dismissed. He joins Fred's Christmas party, shocking the guests with his newfound happiness. The next day, Scrooge arrives at work before anyone else, putting on a stern face when Bob Cratchit walks in late. Pretending to be angry, Scrooge surprises Bob by presenting him with a raise and offering assistance to his struggling family. Bob is taken aback, but Scrooge assures him he's sincere. In the subsequent period, Scrooge lives up to his promise: He supports the Cratchits, and becomes a second father to the health-challenged Tiny Tim, who, contrary to the spirit's prediction, survives. While Scrooge's transformation confuses many Londoners, he dismisses their doubts with a chuckle. He keeps the essence of Christmas alive daily, embodying its lessons more than anybody else. The story ends with the narrator stating how we all should echo Scrooge's sentiments... "and so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless us, Every one!"
