A Christmas Carol Protagonist as an Epitome of Carpe Diem
A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens in 1843. The novella was centered in the nineteenth century. The nineteenth century was a particularly bleak time period with nothing really going on. Dickenson often wrote stories with meanings and themes, stories that would make others aware of situations that happen or could happen. One of the themes portrayed is Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem is represented through the character of Scrooge and we can see this with different events that he has been through, different people that impact him, and his overall experiences in his life.
In the novella, A Christmas Carol, the theme of Carpe Diem is shown through the different events in each stave. Dickens first illustrates this idea through Jacob Marley’s ghost, who was once Scrooge’s friend, appearing at Scrooge’s house. Even though Marley had been dead for seven years now. Marley’s Ghost comes with the normal attire that he would wear besides the fact that he is transparent and has a chain full of items weighing him down.“That is no light part of my penance,” pursued the Ghost. “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer”. Jacob Marley is warning Scrooge to not go about life the same way he did, or he will pay in the long run. He wants him to change his life around before it is too late. This event is when Scrooge first became aware of the fact that he himself needs to change, even though he is still in slight denial. The author further proposes the need for change when he shows Scrooge looking at his own grave. He realized that nobody cared that he was dead and some people were even filled with joy. Scrooge seeing his own grave caused him to completely want to turn his life around so he would not end up cold in a grave with nobody caring.“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach...”. This quote is Scrooge making an oath out of his own mouth that he will do better if he doesn’t have to end up in that cold grave. This had the biggest impact on Scrooge’s life because he finally realized that everything he did in his life will come back to haunt him once he dies. There are many more events that shape Scrooge into changing and trying to seize the time before it is too late. Another thing that really impacts his life is the characters that are in the story along with him.
Dickens continues focusing on how Scrooge changes through the characters in the novella that help affect his life in a variety of ways. Dickens first gives Tiny Tim’s character that helps to show change because, in contrast to Scrooge, he is full of life and joy. Tiny Tim's actions and words demonstrate that he is a genuinely decent boy, while Scrooge is the complete opposite.“I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves…”. Scrooge's transformation is aided by this reality because he feels that Tiny Tim has died and he gets to live. The author continues affecting Scrooge by introducing the Ghost of the Christmas Future who helps to affect Scrooge. The ghost of Christmas Future does not say anything at all, he just leads Scrooge to the places he needs to go, but he seems to have the most impact on Scrooge.“The finger pointed from the grave to him, and back again”. The power of this ghost to show Scrooge's name on his own gravestone as evidence that he will die and pay for his wrongdoing is the final step in Scrooge's ultimate transformation. There are many other people that also contributed to Scrooge’s transformation but those two had the biggest impact. Scrooge’s overall experience causes him to blossom into a new person making him the epitome of Carpe Diem. Dickens repeatedly emphasizes the importance of his theme, Carpe Diem, when Scrooge starts to accept that if he does not seize moments in his life before it’s too late, he will live a tragic afterlife. This is when the last of the ghost interact with Scrooge and he finally begins to understand the concept of Carpe Diem.“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive...'. Scrooge is finally taking heed to the advice given to him. He is seizing the moment so that his fate can be different. Not only did Scrooge keep his word but he also did much more than he said he would.“He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew...”. Scrooge realizes that unless he changes, he will end up as the lonely man in the coffin who no one likes or cares for. Due to this, he took the initiative and whirled his life around before it was too late. Throughout his whole lifetime, Scrooge has had experiences that molded him into the person that he was and the person that he changed to be for the better.
In this novella, the poet divulges in the stance of change and embracing Carpe Diem. Scrooge had already become an old grumpy man that has spirit interactions which show how fast time is moving. Along with that, Scrooge is impacted by several important people that show him that time can move quickly if you don’t take advantage of it, such as Tiny Tim. Carpe Diem is embodied in the character of Scrooge, and we can see it in the events he has seen, the people that have influenced him, and his overall life experiences.
