The first significant alteration of Scrooge's character occurred when he was a young man, as he became increasingly involved in the occupation of business, where wealth and assets are subjects of great examination and often possessiveness. Described and portrayed as an avaricious, bitter, and solitary man, Scrooge is introduced as critically immoral, occupied constantly by business. Christmas, as the faithful celebrate it, is referred to by Scrooge as a humbug, or fraud. On the topic of a merry Christmas, as his nephew related to it, Scrooge declared that an individual as poor as Fred has little or nothing to be merry about. In one of the most disturbing quotations from Scrooge, he casually remarks to two gentlemen requesting donations for the poor, "if [idle people] would rather die [than attend prisons and workhouses], they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population" (11). Scrooge accuses Bob Cratchit of being greedy for requesting Christmas as a day to retreat from work t

From the experiences he has had with the spirits, Scrooge gradually ponders the possibility of a positive conversion. In a scene of the Present, Scrooge is taken by the spirit to a game where the contestants must figure out an answer based on the description provided by Fred. Fred describes the answer subject, who is later revealed to be Scrooge himself, as "a savage animal...that growled and grunted...and lived in London" (61). Scrooge's nephew ridiculed him and the group laughed at his expense; but Fred follows the laughter with a toast to his uncle's health. This gesture of commendation for someone so unpleasant helped Scrooge realize how forgiving people can be, and to many people, he owes genuine repentance. In the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Scrooge pledges that he sincerely hopes to change his ways. The trembling of the spirit's hand at the conclusion of Stave Four suggests that there truly is a chance for Scrooge to overthrow the prophecy he was just presented, and confidently he promises to "live in the Past, Present, and the Future," and, "the Spirits of all Three shall strive within me" (79). Because he has been granted the opportunity to see what his real priorities should be, Scrooge righteously transforms - this is the second significant alteration of Scrooge's character. Scrooge attends Bob Cratchit's home, wishes him a merry Christmas, informs him that his salary will be raised, and sits down with the Cratchits to eat the dinner for which he provided

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Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)