A Christmas Carol: Character List | SparkNotes (2024)

Ebenezer Scrooge

The miserly owner of a London counting-house, a nineteenth century term for an accountant's office. The three spirits of Christmas visit the stodgy bean-counter in hopes of reversing Scrooge's greedy, cold-hearted approach to life.

Bob Cratchit

Scrooge's clerk, a kind, mild, and very poor man with a large family. Though treated harshly by his boss, Cratchit remains a humble and dedicated employee.

Tiny Tim

Bob Cratchit's young son, crippled from birth. Tiny Tim is a highly sentimentalized character who Dickens uses to highlight the tribulations of England's poor and to elicit sympathy from his middle and upper class readership.

Jacob Marley

In the living world, Ebenezer Scrooge's equally greedy partner. Marley died seven years before the narrative opens. He appears to Scrooge as a ghost condemned to wander the world bound in heavy chains. Marley hopes to save his old partner from suff ering a similar fate.

The Ghost of Christmas Past

The first spirit to visit Scrooge, a curiously childlike apparition with a glowing head. He takes Scrooge on a tour of Christmases in his past. The spirit uses a cap to dampen the light emanating from his head.

The Ghost of Christmas Present

The second spirit to visit Scrooge, a majestic giant clad in a green robe. His lifespan is restricted to Christmas Day. He escorts Scrooge on a tour of his contemporaries' Holiday celebrations.

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

The third and final spirit to visit Scrooge, a silent phantom clad in a hooded black robe. He presents Scrooge with an ominous view of his lonely death.

Fred

Scrooge's nephew, a genial man who loves Christmas. He invites Scrooge to his Christmas party each and every year, only to be refused by his grumpy uncle.

Fezziwig

The jovial merchant with whom the young Scrooge apprenticed. Fezziwig was renowned for his wonderful Christmas parties.

Belle

A beautiful woman who Scrooge loved deeply when he was a young man. Belle broke off their engagement after Scrooge became consumed with greed and the lust for wealth. She later married another man.

Peter Cratchit

Bob's oldest son, who inherits his father's stiff-collared shirt for Christmas.

Martha Cratchit

Bob's oldest daughter, who works in a milliner's shop. (A milliner is a person who designs, produces, and sells hats.)

Fan

Scrooge's sister; Fred's mother. In Scrooge's vision of Christmases past, he remembers Fan picking him up from school and walking him home.

The Portly Gentlemen

Two gentlemen who visit Scrooge at the beginning of the tale seeking charitable contributions. Scrooge promptly throws them out of his office. Upon meeting one of them on the street after his visitations, he promises to make lavish donations to help the poor.

Mrs. Cratchit

Bob's wife, a kind and loving woman.

A Christmas Carol: Character List | SparkNotes (2024)

FAQs

Who are all the characters in A Christmas Carol? ›

A Christmas Carol

Who are the 3 main characters in A Christmas Carol? ›

The Cratchit Family:

TINY TIM: Male. Tiny Tim is Cratchit's son who, despite his physical challenges, still believes in everything around him. MARTHA CRATCHIT: Female, late teens or older. Bob Cratchit's oldest child who has moved out but who makes it home for Christmas, knowing how important it is to the family.

What was Scrooge's girlfriends name? ›

He fell in love with a young woman named Belle and proposed marriage, but gradually his love for Belle was overwhelmed by his love for money. Belle realised this and, saddened by his greed, left him one Christmas, eventually marrying another man.

What do each of the characters in A Christmas Carol represent? ›

The Ghost of Christmas Past, with his glowing head symbolizing the mind, represents memory; the Ghost of Christmas Present represents generosity, empathy, and the Chri stmas spirit; and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come represents the fear of death and moral reckoning.

Is Fan Scrooge's sister? ›

Fan Scrooge is a minor character in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. She is the late little sister of Ebenezer Scrooge and the mother of Fred.

Who was the very first Scrooge? ›

Hicks appears as Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser who hates Christmas. It was the first sound version of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, not counting a 1928 short subject that now appears to be lost.
...
Scrooge (1935 film)
Scrooge
LanguageEnglish
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Who was Scrooge's only friend? ›

Jacob Marley is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, having been the business partner of the miser Ebenezer Scrooge.

What was Scrooge full name? ›

Ebenezer Scrooge, fictional character, the miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). Despite his transformation at the end of the story, the character is remembered as the embittered miser and not as the reformed sinner, and “Scrooge” has entered the English language as a synonym for a miser.

Who is the best character in Christmas carol? ›

Ebenezer Scrooge is the leading character in the novel, 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens.

Who was Scrooge's true love? ›

You see, when he was young and poor, Scrooge was deeply in love with a beautiful woman, Belle. Sadly, she broke off their engagement when she felt Scrooge loved money more than he loved her.

Why did Scrooge's wife leave him? ›

Belle breaks their engagement because she says Scrooge loves money more than he loves her. The Ghost shows Scrooge that Belle has married someone else and has a loving family and a happy life. Scrooge is upset by seeing this and presses the cap down on the Ghost's head to hide its light.

Is Belle fezziwigs daughter? ›

However, Belle eventually breaks off their engagement after Scrooge's obsession with money eclipses his love for her. Fezziwig is mentioned as having three daughters; although their names are not revealed, it is possible that Belle is one of his daughters.

What happened Scrooge's wife? ›

Belle broke off their engagement after Scrooge became consumed with greed and the lust for wealth. She later married another man.

What do Peter and Martha Cratchit represent? ›

Peter and Martha Cratchit represent a generation of lost youth. They have had to sacrifice their childhoods to go to work in order to help their families survive. Dickens uses the motif of light to comment on Scrooge's hope and redemption.

Did Scrooge ever marry? ›

Personal Data: Ebenezer Scrooge is an approximately 50-year-old Caucasian male. He is single and has never been married.

Does Scrooge have a daughter? ›

Esmerelda Scrooge is the adopted daughter of Ebenezer Scrooge, the main protagonist and antagonist of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

Who married Scrooge? ›

In Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas past shows us the young Ebenezer engaged to be married to Belle. Troubled over the cost of the wedding, he repeatedly delays it, which leads Belle eventually to call off the engagement and marry another. The older Scrooge grievingly rues his mistake.

Who is Scrooge father? ›

Franklin Scrooge is the posthumous main antagonist of the 2019 British television miniseries A Christmas Carol, which is based on the 1843 novella of the same name by the late Charles Dickens. He is Ebenezer and Lottie Scrooge's abusive father, who is responsible for much of the former's cruelty and misanthropy.

What is the oldest known Christmas carol? ›

What was the first Christmas carol? It's generally accepted that one of the first Christmas carols ever to be recorded was the 129 AD 'Angels Hymn', according to The New Daily. Around this time, Christianity-themed hymns started taking over the previous pagan songs celebrating Winter Solstice.

Is the Scrooge a true story? ›

But in A Christmas Carol the great English novelist did invent the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, based — as with almost every character he created — on a real person. Yet Dickens also did this man an injustice: the original Scrooge was rich and frugal but he was remarkably generous and built large parts of Georgian London.

What was Scrooge's old boss name? ›

Fezziwig, fictional character, the generous employer of the young Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (1843) by Charles Dickens. Fezziwig appears early in the story, during Scrooge's encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past.

What killed Jacob Marley? ›

It is possible that Marley died because of some injury or illness related to his head. It is likely that some sickness or infection could not be treated and worsened, ultimately, causing his death.

What is Scrooge's middle name? ›

Ebenezer Scrooge (born February 7, 1786) is the main character in Charles Dickens' tale, A Christmas Carol.

How old is Mr Scrooge? ›

His 'future tombstone' states he was born in 1786. That means Scrooge was 57 years old during most of the film, and was 50 years old when Marley died in 1836.

What nationality is Scrooge? ›

Scrooge McDuck is a cartoon character created in 1947 by Carl Barks for The Walt Disney Company. Appearing in Disney comics, Scrooge is a Scottish-American anthropomorphic Pekin duck. Like his nephew Donald Duck, he has a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet.

Is Scrooge Irish or Scottish? ›

Scrooge McDuck or Uncle Scrooge is a fictional Scottish character created by Carl Barks who first appeared in Dell Comics Four Colour Comics #178 Christmas on Bear Mountain in December 1947.

Who was meaner Scrooge or Grinch? ›

The worst offender: "I would go with the Grinch because he went into town and broke into houses and stole everybody's stuff. Scrooge is just a mean person who doesn't happen to care. He's not going to help you, but the Grinch went out of his way to ruin everyone's Christmas."

Who is the villain in Scrooge? ›

In a christmas carol, Scrooge is seen as a villain due to his unsociable behaviour.

Who are the 3 ghosts in Scrooged? ›

The supporting cast makes for a memorable and funny cast of characters, especially the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

How many Dickens characters are there? ›

Although Dickens invented 989 named characters, his works are said to include 13,000 individuals: equivalent to the populations of, say, Chatteris and Catterick shoved together.

What is Scrooge's full name? ›

Ebenezer Scrooge, fictional character, the miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol (1843). Despite his transformation at the end of the story, the character is remembered as the embittered miser and not as the reformed sinner, and “Scrooge” has entered the English language as a synonym for a miser.

Who is the father of Scrooge? ›

Franklin Scrooge is the posthumous main antagonist of the 2019 British television miniseries A Christmas Carol, which is based on the 1843 novella of the same name by the late Charles Dickens. He is Ebenezer and Lottie Scrooge's abusive father, who is responsible for much of the former's cruelty and misanthropy.

Who is Dickens most famous character? ›

Charles Dickens

What is the most popular story by Dickens? ›

A Christmas Carol

Published on December 19, 1843, the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. By Christmas of 1844, thirteen editions had been released and the book still has never been out of print. It is Dickens' most popular book in the United States.

What is Miss Havisham's name? ›

Miss Havisham
Full nameMiss Havisham
GenderFemale
OccupationHeiress Recluse
FamilyArthur Havisham (half brother)
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What is Scrooge's dog name? ›

Scrooge has a dog named "Debit" in this animated musical movie. In other movie versions, he does not have a dog, because it was not one of the characters in Charles Dickens' original novel.

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