The Ghost of Christmas past was both young and old. As I said, it seemed to be an indication of how the past was once new, but is now old to us. The Ghost of Christmas Present, however, is a young, bearded man, bare-chested and joyful. There is no age mingled into his appearance, indicating that time has not yet had any effect on him. I think he is portrayed as the most jolly of the spirits because he is indicative of how we feel in the present. In the present, there is all the hope that none of the sorrows of the past will effect us again, while at the same time there is the ignorance of anything tragic in the future. The present is about as happy as we can possibly be, which is why this particular ghost is so youthful and why his entourage consists of festive foods, drink, warmth, fire, and greenery. There is also the obvious reflection that Christmas Present is a newborn holiday full of potential and the promise of new life. Christmas Present makes us feel young. Something that is extraordinarily poignant about this spirit, however, is that, with all the pomp and circumstance with which it appears to Scrooge, in reality it is not primarily the reflection of the outward festivity of Christmas. The visions that the spirit shows to Scrooge are not all of the wealthy enjoying the rich food and drink of the holiday. Truly, the spirit shows to Scrooge visions of even the poorest of the poor gorging themselves on the joy and festive spirit of Christmas. Thusly, this spirit is symbolic of how Christmas makes us feel, rather than the gifts, food, drink, singing, and celebration that ensue. The spirit is merely significant of a generosity of soul, and while merely is a far from accurate description of his connotations, it is as simply beautiful as Dickens could have made it.Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Ghost of Christmas Present
Something I noticed while reading Stave III was the difference between the Ghost of Christmas Past and Ghost of Christmas Present.
The Ghost of Christmas past was both young and old. As I said, it seemed to be an indication of how the past was once new, but is now old to us. The Ghost of Christmas Present, however, is a young, bearded man, bare-chested and joyful. There is no age mingled into his appearance, indicating that time has not yet had any effect on him. I think he is portrayed as the most jolly of the spirits because he is indicative of how we feel in the present. In the present, there is all the hope that none of the sorrows of the past will effect us again, while at the same time there is the ignorance of anything tragic in the future. The present is about as happy as we can possibly be, which is why this particular ghost is so youthful and why his entourage consists of festive foods, drink, warmth, fire, and greenery. There is also the obvious reflection that Christmas Present is a newborn holiday full of potential and the promise of new life. Christmas Present makes us feel young. Something that is extraordinarily poignant about this spirit, however, is that, with all the pomp and circumstance with which it appears to Scrooge, in reality it is not primarily the reflection of the outward festivity of Christmas. The visions that the spirit shows to Scrooge are not all of the wealthy enjoying the rich food and drink of the holiday. Truly, the spirit shows to Scrooge visions of even the poorest of the poor gorging themselves on the joy and festive spirit of Christmas. Thusly, this spirit is symbolic of how Christmas makes us feel, rather than the gifts, food, drink, singing, and celebration that ensue. The spirit is merely significant of a generosity of soul, and while merely is a far from accurate description of his connotations, it is as simply beautiful as Dickens could have made it.
The Ghost of Christmas past was both young and old. As I said, it seemed to be an indication of how the past was once new, but is now old to us. The Ghost of Christmas Present, however, is a young, bearded man, bare-chested and joyful. There is no age mingled into his appearance, indicating that time has not yet had any effect on him. I think he is portrayed as the most jolly of the spirits because he is indicative of how we feel in the present. In the present, there is all the hope that none of the sorrows of the past will effect us again, while at the same time there is the ignorance of anything tragic in the future. The present is about as happy as we can possibly be, which is why this particular ghost is so youthful and why his entourage consists of festive foods, drink, warmth, fire, and greenery. There is also the obvious reflection that Christmas Present is a newborn holiday full of potential and the promise of new life. Christmas Present makes us feel young. Something that is extraordinarily poignant about this spirit, however, is that, with all the pomp and circumstance with which it appears to Scrooge, in reality it is not primarily the reflection of the outward festivity of Christmas. The visions that the spirit shows to Scrooge are not all of the wealthy enjoying the rich food and drink of the holiday. Truly, the spirit shows to Scrooge visions of even the poorest of the poor gorging themselves on the joy and festive spirit of Christmas. Thusly, this spirit is symbolic of how Christmas makes us feel, rather than the gifts, food, drink, singing, and celebration that ensue. The spirit is merely significant of a generosity of soul, and while merely is a far from accurate description of his connotations, it is as simply beautiful as Dickens could have made it.
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