In the story the christmas carol, what does the cap and the holly stand for that the ghostofxmas past standfor?
The cap extinguishes the light coming from the spirit's head. One of the things it could represent would be the ignorance of men who prefer to hide from the truth and live in the darkness. As the Ghost of Christmas Past says to Scrooge in Stave 2 when Scrooge asks the spirit to put the cap on his head: " 'What.' exclaimed the Ghost, 'would you so soon put out, with worldly hands, the light I give. Is it not enough that you are one of those whose passions made this cap, and force me through whole trains of years to wear it low upon my brow.' " You could say it represents the divine light from which sinful man hides, because it shows his deeds for what they are. The holly is different. Remember the spirit looks both young and old. Holly could represent the winter, or age. "It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers." That sentence shows how the spirit is both new and aged. So, the things this spirit has to teach and show are fresh and new as well as timeless and containing age-old wisdom. They are also a part of the past (age) but new to the person being taught (in this case, Scrooge...who is about to see his past with new eyes). The holly could also be representing death (as winter does) which must occur before rebirth (spring). In effect, that's what the entire story is about: the death of the old Scrooge and the rebirth of the new and redeemed Scrooge. You may want to check the following sites for more help: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/christmasc... http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2005/dec... http://www.enotes.com/christmas-carol/q-... These are merely my thoughts on the subject, but I hope it helps a bit. You can read that chapter (Stave 2) online - and the entire book - at http://www.online-literature.com/dickens/christmascarol/2/ The Literature Network. I hope, at least, it helps get the mental juices flowing.
How does the novel A Christmas Carol by Dickens relate to the Industrial Revolution?
The whole book is an indictment of the abuses of the Industrial Revolution. Workers with no security, massive unemployment, hunger and lack of other necessities (remember the men asking Scrooge for a donation to help the poor, his answers were how the rich factory owners and the nobility responded to the situation). Scrooge's conversion from a hard hearted "owner" to a philanthropic business man, was Dickens plea to England's rich to take care of the workers... It was also a subtle warning of revolution if the situation were ignored.
What was christmas like in victorian times?
They sent boys named Tim to fetch a goose for dinner. And everyone had candles. It was much simpler back then.
In "A Christmas Carol" what did Scrooge learn from each spirit?
Spirit of Christmas Past - He learned that he didn't have to be miserly to be well off...Fezziwig (his former employer) was a wealthy man and also very kind. He also learned that he missed out a lot by not loving (having been hurt by the deaths of his mother and sister, and then not marrying his fiancee) Spirit of Christmas Present - He learned that he's missing out by not loving and caring now. He could be enjoying time with his nephew and their family. He could be contributing to the well being of Bob Cratchett's family, instead he is alone with his money and nothing else. Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come - He learned that he can't take it with him. All the money in the world and he'll still die and no one will be sorry for the loss. He realises that money is not what makes a fullfilling life. People, love, relationships, contributions, that's what matters most.
I need to write an essay on A christmas Carol, By charles Dickens.?
you could make the point that scrooge was actually what todays society admires most in a person , hard working careful with his money , he leans on no man for help so does not expect others to lean on him . So perhaps the story of scrooge is floored in todays economic climate lol
Why did Scrooge died in the future in "A Christmas Carol"?
He's not so much being shown that he's GOING to die - for we all must die, eventually. The lesson the Spirit of Christmas Yet-To-Come was trying to teach Scrooge was that, when he did eventually die, if he did not change his ways, he would die unmourned and unloved. His charlady and the undertaker both stole from his funeral bed, even took the clothes off of his corpse. They had no respect for him. His poor tenants were happy and relieved that he was dead because he was unkind and unforgiving of their poor financial status. And then he is shown Bob Cratchet's family, who are grieving for Tiny Tim. He sees that, though this child was poor and crippled, he was loved by all, and mourned by all, unlike himself. I think more than anything that he realized most of all that if he did not change his ways, Tim would be more likely to die - and he learned that he did not want that to happen. In the end, he realized that he cared about someone other than himself after all. By changing his ways, Scrooge didn't ensure that he himself wouldn't die - again, we all must die eventually - but he did ensure that Tiny Tim would live a long and healthy life, and that the remainder of Scrooge's own life would be happy and fulfilling.