The Ghost of Christmas Present đź”’ Members
Dickens. From A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (1843). The Ghost of Christmas Present is a jolly, generous giant spirit who embodies the joy and abundance of Christmas Day and teaches Scrooge through witnessing scenes of celebration and human kindness.
Age and build
described as a jolly Giant
“there sat a jolly Giant, glorious to see” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
has capacious breast
“its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
grows visibly older as the night progresses
“while Scrooge remained unaltered in his outward form, the Ghost grew older, clearly older” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Face and hair
dark brown curls, long and free
“Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
sparkling eye and clear, kind eyes
“though the Spirit's eyes were clear and kind” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
hair turns grey by end of night
“looking at the Spirit as they stood together in an open place, he noticed that its hair was grey” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Dress
wears one simple green robe or mantle bordered with white fur
“It was clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
garment hangs loosely, exposing bare breast
“This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
bare feet visible beneath garment
“Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
wears holly wreath on head set with shining icicles
“on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
wears antique scabbard girded round middle, but no sword, sheath eaten with rust
“Girded round its middle was an antique scabbard; but no sword was in it, and the ancient sheath was eaten up with rust” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Voice and speech
cheery voice
“its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
speaks with exclamation and directness
“Come in!" exclaimed the Ghost. "Come in! and know me better, man” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
speaks with authority and moral weight
“Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Signature words
uses 'I' emphatically when defending himself
“I!" cried the Spirit” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
addresses Scrooge as 'Man'
“Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
uses 'Spirit' when Scrooge addresses him
“I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," said the Spirit” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
speaks of his torch's blessing
“There is. My own” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Gait and mannerisms
rises and stands with dignity
“The Ghost of Christmas Present rose” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
accommodates himself to any space with ease despite gigantic size
“notwithstanding his gigantic size, he could accommodate himself to any place with ease; and that he stood beneath a low roof quite as gracefully and like a supernatural creature” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
bares breast and opens palm in generous gesture
“How it bared its breadth of breast, and opened its capacious palm, and floated on, outpouring, with a generous hand, its bright and harmless mirth” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
smiles and blesses dwellings with torch
“on the threshold of the door the Spirit smiled, and stopped to bless Bob Cratchit's dwelling with the sprinkling of his torch” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Strengths
possesses magical torch that spreads blessing and restores good humour
“taking off the covers as their bearers passed, sprinkled incense on their dinners from his torch. And it was a very uncommon kind of torch, for once or twice when there were angry words between some dinner-carriers who had jostled each other, he shed a few drops of water on them from it, and their good humour was restored directly” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
can travel instantly to any place and time
“And now, without a word of warning from the Ghost, they stood upon a bleak and desert moor” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
teaches through moral rebuke and revelation
“Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
exults in spreading mirth and joy
“Blessings on it, how the Ghost exulted! How it bared its breadth of breast, and opened its capacious palm, and floated on, outpouring, with a generous hand, its bright and harmless mirth on everything within its reach” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Flaws
life is very brief, ending at midnight
“My life upon this globe, is very brief," replied the Ghost. "It ends to-night” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
harbours two wretched children of ignorance and want beneath his robe
“From the foldings of its robe, it brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
cannot prevent the future or alter shadows that remain unaltered
“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Traits
genial and joyful in demeanour
“free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
generous and sympathetic to poor men
“it was his own kind, generous, hearty nature, and his sympathy with all poor men, that led him straight to Scrooge's clerk's” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
takes great pleasure in showing his power and nature
“And perhaps it was the pleasure the good Spirit had in showing off this power of his” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
morally righteous and condemns hypocrisy
“There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Lines in their own words
greeting Scrooge warmly
“Come in!" exclaimed the Ghost. "Come in! and know me better, man” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
identifying himself
“I am the Ghost of Christmas Present," said the Spirit. "Look upon me” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
rebuking Scrooge's hypocrisy
“Man," said the Ghost, "if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked cant until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
revealing the hidden children
“Oh, Man! look here. Look, look, down here!" exclaimed the Ghost” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
turning Scrooge's own words against him
“Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses” (A Christmas Carol, part 3)
Reference sheet
Film looks we will not copy
- Any film or television Christmas Carol design
- Any Disney or Muppet design
- Father Christmas or Santa styling
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.
