PROSE:
Identify
the Plot, Conflict, and Characters of Story
A Christmas Carol
By: Charles Dickens
A mean-spirited,
miserly old man named Ebenezer Scrooge sat in his counting-house on a frigid
Christmas Eve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, shivered in the anteroom because
Scrooge refused to spend money on heating coals for a fire. Scrooge's nephew,
Fred, paid his uncle a visit and invited him to his annual Christmas party. Two
portly gentlemen also dropped by and asked Scrooge for a contribution to their
charity. Scrooge reacted to the holiday visitors with bitterness and venom,
spitting out an angry "Bah! Humbug!" in response to his nephew's
"Merry Christmas!"
Later that evening,
after returning to his dark, cold apartment, Scrooge received a chilling
visitation from the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, looking
haggard and pallid, related his unfortunate story. As punishment for his greedy
and self-serving life his spirit had been condemned to wander the Earth
weighted down with heavy chains. Marley hoped to save Scrooge from sharing the
same fate. Marley informed Scrooge that three spirits would visit him during
each of the next three nights. After the ghost disappeared, Scrooge collapsed
into a deep sleep.
He woke moments
before the arrival of the Spirit of Christmas Past, a strange childlike phantom
with a brightly glowing head. The spirit escorted Scrooge on a journey into the
past to previous Christmases from the curmudgeon's earlier years. Invisible to
those he watched, Scrooge revisited his childhood school days, his
apprenticeship with a jolly merchant named Fezziwig, and his engagement to
Belle, a woman who left Scrooge because his lust for money eclipsed his ability
to love another. Scrooge, deeply moved, shed tears of regret before the phantom
returned him to his bed.
On the second night, the Spirit of Christmas Present, a majestic giant
clad in a green fur robe, visited Scrooge. He took Scrooge through London to unveil Christmas
as it would happen that year. Scrooge watched the large, bustling Cratchit
family prepared a miniature feast in its meager home. He discovered Bob
Cratchit's crippled son, Tiny Tim, a courageous boy whose kindness and humility
warmed Scrooge's heart. The spirit then zipped Scrooge to his nephew's to
witness the Christmas party. Scrooge found the jovial gathering delightful and
pleaded with the spirit to stay until the very end of the festivities. As the
day passed, the spirit aged, becoming noticeably older. Toward the end of the
day, he showed Scrooge two starved children, Ignorance and Want, living under
his coat. They were a boy and girl.
Yellow, meager, ragged, scowling, wolfish, but prostrate too in their humility.
Where angels might have sat enthroned, devils lurked, and glared out menacing.
No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity in any grade, through all
the mysteries of wonderful creation, had monsters half so horrible and dread.
Scrooge started back, appalled. They were Man’s, not the Spirit’s; they clung
to The Spirit of Christmas Present, appealing from their fathers. The boy was Ignorance while the girl was
Want. The Spirit of Christmas Present told Scrooge to beware of them both and all of their degree,
but most of all beware the boy, for on his brow the Spirit saw that written
which is Doom, unless the writing was erased. The Spirit of Christmas
Present vanished instantly as Scrooge noticed a dark, hooded figure coming
toward him.
On the third night
visit, the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come led Scrooge through a sequence of
mysterious scenes relating to an unnamed man's recent death. Scrooge saw
businessmen discussing the dead man's riches, some vagabonds trading his
personal effects for cash, and a poor couple expressing relief at the death of
their unforgiving creditor. Scrooge, anxious to learn the lesson of his latest
visitor, begged to know the name of the dead man. After pleading with the spirit,
Scrooge found himself in a churchyard, the spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge
looked at the headstone and was shocked to read his own name. He desperately
implored the spirit to alter his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive,
avaricious ways and to honor Christmas with all his heart. Whoosh! He suddenly
found himself safely tucked in his bed.
Overwhelmed with joy
by the chance to redeem himself and grateful that he had been returned to
Christmas Day, Scrooge rushed out onto the street hoping to share his newfound
Christmas spirit. He sent a giant Christmas turkey to the Cratchit house and
attended Fred's party, to the stifled surprise of the other guests. As the
years went by, he held true to his promise and honors Christmas with all his
heart; he treated Tiny Tim as if he were his own child, provided lavish gifts
for the poor, and treated his fellow human beings with kindness, generosity,
and warmth.
PLOT
There are 5 phases of
plot in the story, those are:
1.
Exposition
Exposition
is the beginning of the story where the author introduces the setting,
characters, and other important information the readers needs to know.
2.
Rising action
Rising
action is a series of events that builds from the beginning of the story.
Rising action is where the author builds interest and tension in the story.
3.
Climax
Climax is the highest point of tension or action in the
story. The climax often leads the reader to wonder, “What will happen? How is
everything going to turn out?” The climax is an important turning point for the
characters or the story.
4.
Falling action
Falling action is the events of the story after the climax
or turning point that are leading to the end of the story and the resolution.
5.
Resolution
Resolution is the final outcome of the events of the story.
In resolution, there is final confrontation between the protagonist and
antagonist where one or other decisively wins.
Ø Five Phases of Plot in “A Christmas
Carol”
1.
Exposition
There was a mean, greedy, miserly
and insensitive old man named Ebenezer Scrooge who had an accountant office. Scrooge
had an employee named Bob Cratchit who was loyal and dedicated to his job
although scrooge treated him badly. The three spirits of Christmas visit
Scrooge in hopes of reversing Scrooge's greedy, cold-hearted approach to life.
2.
Rising action
Scrooge received a chilling visitation from the
ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, who was condemned to wander
the Earth weighted down with heavy chains, hoped to save Scrooge from sharing
the same fate. Marley informed Scrooge that three spirits would visit him
during each of the next three nights.
3.
Climax
Three spirits; the Spirit of Christmas Past,
Spirit of Christmas Present, and Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come; would visit
Scrooge during each of the next three nights after Marley visited him. The Spirit
of Christmas Past, a strange childlike phantom with a brightly glowing head,
guided Scrooge on a journey into the past to previous Christmases from the
misery's earlier years. The Spirit of Christmas Present, a majestic giant clad
in a green fur robe, took Scrooge through London
to unveil Christmas as it would happen that year and toward the end of the day,
he showed Scrooge two starved children, Ignorance and Want, living under his
coat. The last visit was by Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come led Scrooge through
a sequence of mysterious scenes relating to an unnamed man's recent death.
Scrooge was curious to know the name of the dead man. When Scrooge looked at
the headstone, he was shocked to read his own name on the headstone.
4.
Falling action
After realizing the dead man in the future was
himself, Scrooge begged to the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come to change his
fate and promised that he would be a better man and honor Christmas with all of
his heart.
5.
Resolution
The spirit agreed to Scrooge’s wish that
he would change his attitudes and be a good man. Scrooge celebrated his newfound
Christmas spirit Day and was grateful that he had been sent back to the world.
As the years went by, he held true to his promise and honors Christmas with all
his heart, provided lavish gifts for the poor, and treated his fellow human
beings with kindness, generosity, and warmth.
CONFLICT
There are four phases
of conflict, those are:
1. Latent conflict
Latent conflict is a conflict
that is under the surface, not expressed openly. It is waiting to happen.
2. Triggering
incident
A
triggering incident often brings the content into the open. It’s the moment
that the person says, “that’s it! I can’t take this anymore.”
3. Conflict
An
issue or issues are aired and defined. Sometimes many problems “explode” at
once.
4. New
equilibrium
New
equilibrium or new understanding of the relationship term is reached.
- CHARACTERS
There are five types of
characters, those are:
1. Protagonist
Protagonist is the
main character of the story. The action
of the story revolves around the protagonist and the conflict that he or she faces.
2. Antagonist
The antagonist of the story is the
opposition, set against the protagonist, which usually helps change the
protagonist into a dynamic character.
3. Static
Character
Static
character is minor character in a work of fiction who does not undergo
substantial change or growth in the course of a story. Static character plays a
supporting role to the main character and is the same at the end of a story as
they were in the beginning.
4. Flat
Character
A
flat character is that has not been fully developed in the story. Flat character has only one or two
character traits that can be described in a few words.
5. Round
Character
A round
character is a major character in a work of fiction who encounters conflict and
is changed by it. Round character tend to be more fully developed and described
than flat or static characters. A round character has many different character
traits that sometimes contradict each other.
Ø The characters in “A Christmas
Carol”
1.
Protagonist
The
protagonist in story “A Christmas Carol” is Ebenezer Scrooge. Ebenezer Scrooge is miserly owner
of a London
counting-house who is visited by the three spirits of Christmas in hopes of
reversing Scrooge's greedy and cold-hearted approach to life.
2.
Antagonist
There
are three antagonists in story “A Christmas Carol”, they are:
- The Spirit of Christmas Past
The Spirit of Christmas Past is the first spirit to visit
Scrooge and looks like a curiously childlike spirit with a glowing head. He
takes Scrooge on a tour of Christmases in his past.
The second spirit to visit Scrooge whose appearance like a
majestic giant clothed in a green robe. His lifetime is restricted to Christmas
Day. He escorts Scrooge on a tour of his contemporaries' Holiday
celebrations.
The third and final spirit to visit Scrooge whose appearance
like a silent phantom clad in a hooded black robe. He presents Scrooge with an
ominous view of his lonely death.
3.
Static character
Static
characters in this story “A Christmas Carol” are:
- Bob Cratchit
Bob Cratchit is Scrooge's clerk, a kind, mild, and very poor man with a
large family. Even though treated harshly by his boss, Cratchit remains a
humble and dedicated employee.
- Fred
Fred is Scrooge's nephew and a
genial man who loves Christmas. He invites Scrooge to his Christmas party each
every year; however, is always be refused by his grumpy uncle.
- Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley is Ebenezer Scrooge's equally greedy partner
who already passed away. Marley appears to Scrooge as a ghost condemned wandering
the world bound in heavy chains and he hopes to save his old partner from suffering
a similar fate.
4.
Flat character
Flat
characters in this story “A Christmas Carol” are same with the static
characters, they are:
- Bob Cratchit
Bob Cratchit is Scrooge's clerk, a kind, mild, and very poor man with a
large family. Even though treated harshly by his boss, Cratchit remains a
humble and dedicated employee.
- Fred
Fred is Scrooge's nephew and a
genial man who loves Christmas. He invites Scrooge to his Christmas party each
every year; however, is always be refused by his grumpy uncle.
- Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley is Ebenezer Scrooge's equally greedy partner
who already passed away. Marley appears to Scrooge as a ghost condemned
wandering the world bound in heavy chains and he hopes to save his old partner
from suffering a similar fate.
5.
Round character
Round character
in story “A Christmas Carol” is Ebenezer Scrooge.
Ebenezer Scrooge is miserly owner of a London
counting-house who is visited by the three spirits of Christmas in hopes of
reversing Scrooge's greedy and cold-hearted approach to life. The first spirit,
the Spirit of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge on a tour of Christmases in his
past. The second spirit, the Spirit of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge on a
tour of his contemporaries' Holiday
celebrations. The last spirit which is Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come shows
Scrooge his lonely death. After realizing the dead man in the future was
himself, Scrooge begs to the Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come to change his
fate. Scrooge promises that he will change his bad traits so he can be a better
man and honor Christmas with all of his heart.
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