The Ghost of Christmas Past đź”’ Members

Dickens. From A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (1843). A supernatural spirit of childlike yet ancient form who visits Scrooge to show him scenes from his own past.

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The Ghost of Christmas Past, drawn from the book

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Age and build

Paradoxical age: child-like yet ancient

“like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child's proportions” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Exceptionally strong despite small stature

“The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Delicate lower limbs

“Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Face and hair

Youthful skin without wrinkles

“the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

White hair like age

“Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Face composed of fragments of all faces shown

“a face, in which in some strange way there were fragments of all the faces it had shown him” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Dress

Pure white tunic

“It wore a tunic of the purest white” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Lustrous belt with sheen

“round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Dress trimmed with summer flowers

“had its dress trimmed with summer flowers” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Carries holly branch and extinguisher cap

“It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Voice and speech

Soft and gentle voice

“The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Speaks with mild, observant tone

“The Spirit gazed upon him mildly” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Can hear thoughts unspoken

“The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Signature words

Your past

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Your welfare / Your reclamation

“Your welfare!" said the Ghost” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Take heed

“Your reclamation, then. Take heed” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Rise and walk with me

“Rise! and walk with me” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

My time grows short

“My time grows short," observed the Spirit. "Quick” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Gait and mannerisms

Draws bed curtains with a hand

“The curtains of his bed were drawn aside, I tell you, by a hand” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Touches Scrooge gently on the arm

“The Spirit touched him on the arm, and pointed to his younger self, intent upon his reading” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Clasps gently but with uncommon strength

“It put out its strong hand as it spoke, and clasped him gently by the arm” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Waves hand to transition scenes

“The Ghost smiled thoughtfully, and waved its hand: saying as it did so, "Let us see another Christmas” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Pinions Scrooge in both arms to force observation

“the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Strengths

Supernatural power to show past scenes

“These are but shadows of the things that have been," said the Ghost. "They have no consciousness of us” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Can transport Scrooge through walls and time

“As the words were spoken, they passed through the wall, and stood upon an open country road, with fields on either hand” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Grants protection and strength to Scrooge

“Bear but a touch of my hand there," said the Spirit, laying it upon his heart, "and you shall be upheld in more than this” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Physically irresistible despite gentleness

“The grasp, though gentle as a woman's hand, was not to be resisted” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Flaws

Relentless in forcing painful memories upon Scrooge

“the relentless Ghost pinioned him in both his arms, and forced him to observe what happened next” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Refuses Scrooge's pleas to stop the visions

“One shadow more!" exclaimed the Ghost” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Dismisses Scrooge's suffering as deserved

“That they are what they are, do not blame me” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Traits

Mild and gentle in demeanour

“The Spirit gazed upon him mildly” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Thoughtful and observant

“The Ghost smiled thoughtfully, and waved its hand” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Physically unstable and fluctuating

“the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Compassionate toward Scrooge's emotional pain

“Your lip is trembling," said the Ghost. "And what is that upon your cheek” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Lines in their own words

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

“Your reclamation, then. Take heed” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

“Rise! and walk with me” (A Christmas Carol, part 2)

Reference sheet

Front, side and back views

Film looks we will not copy

Always book accurate. Every quote above was checked word for word against our stored copy of the text. Pictures are made with AI from the book's own description and checked by hand for film looks.