The ghostly chains.....
Do you think they are removed based on deeds done or were they removed when Scrooge realized the error of his ways?
shareWhen deeds are done. Just like the chains are formed when you do bad and selfish deeds.
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MovieChat Forums > A Christmas Carol (1984) Discussion > The ghostly chains.....
Well, it's what ever Dickens decided...
But, Scrooge remarked upon his awakening that he was, among other things, as "light as a feather". I always thought it was Dickens way of telling the readers than his chains were cast off. Too late to ask him though.
Just once, I'd like someone to call me sir without adding 'you're making a scene' ~H Simpson
What about poor Jacob Marley? Does he get some chains off for helping Scrooge?
I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time.
Have you ever heard of "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" by Tom Mula?
share@charley goose -
Good question and point - I noticed that during his meeting with Ebenezer, Marley says "as part of my penance, I have been sent to warn you". I wonder how much of his punishment is satisfied by this task, especially considering that it culminated in the successful reclamation of the spirit of what had been a rather bad man. Scrooge was fortunate that he got the opportunity to change before it was too late, something that Marley did not get.
I noticed that during his meeting with Ebenezer, Marley says "as part of my penance, I have been sent to warn you". I wonder how much of his punishment is satisfied by this task, especially considering that it culminated in the successful reclamation of the spirit of what had been a rather bad man.
That has always bothered me a bit. "Part of his penance" could simply mean it went along with the wandering and the observing he was forced to endure for eternity. I realize that this is fiction, but as written, Marley, when asked if Scrooge could do anything for him, he answered: "For me? Nay, it is too late...". I guess we could always say that Marley wasn't allowed to tell Scrooge that if he repented, it'd have helped him out.
And I also agree with you when you state that at least Scrooge had been given the opportunity to repent, something that the very similar in nature Marley wasn't afforded.
Just once, I'd like someone to call me sir without adding 'you're making a scene' ~H Simpson share
I didn't like Marley's visit as being "part of his penance." In the book, I was under the impression that Marley had arranged the whole thing for Scrooge because he didn't want his former partner to suffer his fate.
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House. My room. Can't walk. My medal. My father. Father, don't!
I was wondering about this myself when I watched it yesterday. My bigger question is did Jacob Marley's load get lightened because his spirit did something good and it ended up helping someone.
Life ain't easy when you're a Froot Loop in a world full of Cheerios.
I'm pretty sure some productions of the story show Marley's chains being removed at the end. But none of this was in the mind of Dickens, who saw Marley as a plot device rather than a developed character. I like it when ACC productions flesh out Marley (so to speak) and add backstory and character development.
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Because I admit of my modern Christian view, I thought Marley was going back to Hell after Scrooge's death cause I believe that's what happens when you die without accepting Jesus and his teachings. Though Marley coming back at all sort of goes against that as does the Christmas ghosts.
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I don't want to start a holy war here, but Jesus' teachings have only been known for a tiny fraction of the history of humanity. Are we to assume that every human born prior to year 1 was consigned to hell? For discussion's sake, I'll leave out whether Jesus was sent from God or just a really swell dude in sandals with great ideas.
If we add a sub-rule that says "well, no, only those who have actually heard the teachings of Jesus and not followed them get roasted", that doesn't help the millions of good, pious peoples that have been taught a different religion by those they love and trusted.
Though Marley coming back at all sort of goes against that as does the Christmas ghosts.
Correct, so we leave this as Dicken's fiction and his story. Unfortunately, he was a bit ambiguous and I believe (getting off topic a bit here) that had Charles Dickens realized that A Christmas Carol would be one of the most beloved stories in all of human history, he might have spent a bit more time with it and fleshed it out a little bit more.
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