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1-Page Summary of A Christmas Carol
A mean old man named Ebenezer Scrooge sits in his office on a cold Christmas Eve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, is freezing because Scrooge refuses to spend any money on heat for the room. Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, stops by and invites him to his party that evening. Two men also drop by asking Scrooge if he’d like to donate some money for charity. He reacts with bitterness and venom when people wish him a Merry Christmas or ask him for donations; he yells “Bah! Humbug!” at them all.
Later that night, Scrooge returns to his dark and cold apartment. He is visited by the ghost of his dead partner Jacob Marley. The ghost relates his unfortunate story about how he ended up in this situation because of greed and self-interest. He hopes to save Scrooge from sharing the same fate. Three spirits will visit him during each of the next three nights in order for him to change his ways before it’s too late.
Scrooge wakes up moments before the arrival of a strange childlike ghost. This spirit escorts Scrooge on a journey to previous Christmases from his earlier years. He is invisible to everyone he watches, and he sees himself in school, at work with Fezziwig, and engaged to Belle. The spirit then returns him back to bed after Scrooge expresses regret for what he’s done in the past.
The Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to a poor family’s home. He watches them make a meager meal and sees Tiny Tim, the crippled son of Bob Cratchit. He also goes to his nephew’s house where he finds an entire party in progress. The spirit ages as the day progresses and shows Scrooge two children suffering from poverty under his robe. As soon as Scrooge notices this, another ghost appears before him.
The ghost of Christmas yet to come shows Scrooge a series of visions. He sees businessmen talking about the dead man’s wealth, some people trading his possessions for money, and a poor couple celebrating that their creditor is now dead. Scrooge wants to know who the man was and asks the ghost for help. The spirit takes him to a graveyard where he points out his own grave stone with his name on it. Scrooge begs the spirit to change this future but suddenly finds himself in bed as if nothing happened.
Scrooge is overjoyed at the chance to redeem himself and thankful that he has been given another chance. He rushes out into the streets with the hope of spreading his newfound Christmas spirit. Scrooge sends a giant turkey to Cratchit’s house, attends Fred’s party, and treats people with kindness; generosity; warmth and love for years after.
Stave One: Marley’s Ghost
It was a cold, foggy Christmas Eve in London. Ebenezer Scrooge worked diligently in his counting house while the little sign outside reading “Scrooge and Marley” creaked back and forth from the wind. Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner who had died seven years ago, used to work there too. Inside the office Bob Cratchit warmed himself by the fire as he waited for his boss to return so that they could go home for Christmas dinner together with their families. Despite how cold it was inside of Bob’s room due to lack of coal, Scrooge refused to pay extra money just so that Bob would be able to warm up properly before going on home for Christmas dinner with his family.
A man walks into a room and announces that it’s Christmas. The man is Scrooge’s nephew, Fred. He asks his uncle if he would like to come over for dinner. Scrooge replies with “Bah! Humbug!” meaning no, because he doesn’t want to celebrate the holiday. Two other men enter the room asking for money so they can help poor people on Christmas day. Scrooge tells them there are prisons and workhouses which are charities just as good as any others, but he won’t give them any money either way. Finally, Bob Cratchit comes in and wishes him a Merry Christmas before saying that he will be taking off work early because of the holiday (Christmas).
