A Christmas Carol Study Guide.indd - Goodman Theatre

P rose fit for a Ghost
Exploring Dickens’ writing
The respective ghosts of Jacob
Marley and Christmas Past. Courtesy
of Goodman Theatre.
“It is required of every man…that the spirit within him should walk
abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that
spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It
is doomed to wander through the world...and witness what it cannot
share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness.
[…]
I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by
yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore
it. Is its pattern strange to you? […] Or would you know the weight of
the chain you bear yourself? It was full as heavy and as long as this,
seven Christmas Eves ago. And you have laboured on it, since.”
- Ghost of Jacob Marley, A Christmas Carol
What sort of mood does the text above evoke? Is it happy? Sad? Angry? What about the text
makes you feel that way about it? Are there specific word choices or phrases that Dickens uses to
build that mood?
Dickens writes that “the spirit within [a man] should walk abroad his fellowmen.” What does this
mean? Are there other parts of the text above that give you clues?
Try reading the speech out loud. Does it read differently out loud than it does silently? Why do you
think that is? What do you notice about the sounds of the words, rhythm and repetition? Why might
a writer make specific choices for text and rhythm?
Can you think of another author or song writer that uses word choices and/or rhythms that directly
affect the story s/he is telling? How does s/he do this?
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