A Christmas Carol

Originally published in 1843, A Christmas Carol is Charles Dickens' most well-known work. Written in a few weeks, this short tale takes place on Christmas Eve when the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits. Scrooge cares only for money and has become synonymous with greed and a hatred of Christmas cheer. His business partner Jacob Marley died years earlier, and his closest relationship is with his employee Bob Cratchit. When his nephew invites him to Christmas dinner, Scrooge refuses, preferring solitude. That night, Marley's ghost warns Scrooge that three spirits will visit him. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him through his childhood Christmases, reminding him of the joy he once experienced. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him his nephew's and Bob Cratchit's holiday celebrations, revealing that Bob's son Tiny Tim is sickly and the family lives in near poverty due to Scrooge's meager wages. When the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come arrives, Scrooge is shown a bleak vision of his own lonely and miserable death. Witnessing this, Scrooge changes his ways and becomes a charitable person.