The Ghost of Christmas Past is the first of the three spirits that haunt Ebenezer Scrooge in the live-action adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel, A Christmas Carol.
Background[]
Personality[]
In most adaptations, the Ghost of Christmas Past is depicted as being very soft-spoken and honest. While not as boastful or frightening as their two ghostly compatriots, the Ghost is not afraid to hit Scrooge with the harsh truth about his past and make him realize his fall from grace. The Ghost appears to have a subdued playful side, most likely representing one's youth, but is full of aged wisdom, representing those in their autumn years. Overall, the Ghost is trying to be helpful, even if it means being severe with the truth.
Physical appearance[]
In the original Charles Dickens novel, the Ghost of Christmas Past is described as thus:
- “It was a strange figure—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. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare... 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.
Even this, though, when Scrooge looked at it with increasing steadiness, was not its strangest quality. For as its belt sparkled and glittered now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so 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: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away. And in the very wonder of this, it would be itself again; distinct and clear as ever.” - ―A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Most versions retain the appearance of a being with light and candle motif, but is usually the only ghost to have the most radically diverse depictions. The 2009 version has been the most direct about their appearance. They appear as a literal floating candle person with the bottom half disappearing into nothingness and their head essentially floating above their body as a lit flame. Their candle wax body produces two arms that resemble long sleeved robes and, just like the original novel, carries an extinguisher that is only slightly as big as them.
Role in the film[]
The Ghost of Christmas Past appears modeled like a candle to symbolize the light that people shine on their past, in order to know themselves better. In this version, the ghost has a light Irish accent. He takes Scrooge on a journey throughout his past in order to show Scrooge how he became the miserly moneylender he is. During this journey, Scrooge discovered the following things:
- His father neglected him and his sister as a child.
- His kind sister Fan brought him back home from boarding school one Christmas when he was a child and their father was in a good mood.
- Fan died giving birth to Fred.
- Fezziwig was a kind Christmas loving boss to him.
- Scrooge started a successful business in money-lending and finances.
- He first met Belle during Fezziwig's Christmas party.
- He then broke up with Belle by the time Scrooge started his obsession with finances.
After which, Scrooge wants to leave but the ghost uses then his face to show all the people the old man knew in his kindness. Scared, Scrooge quickly extinguishes the ghost with his own extinguisher. However, Scrooge is then shot up into the sky, toward the moon, and falls about 50,000 feet toward the ground back to his house. It is possible that the ghost is not permanently gone.
Gallery[]
See also[]
Original[]
- The Ghost of Christmas Past from The Muppet Christmas Carol
- The Ghost of Christmas Past from DuckTales (2017)
Disney characters portraying Christmas Past[]
- Jiminy Cricket (Eddie Carroll) - Portrayed the role in Mickey's Christmas Carol.
- Merlin (Alan Young) - Portrayed the role in An Adaptation of Dickens' Christmas Carol, Performed by The Walt Disney Players
- Cadpig (Kath Soucie) - Portrayed the role in the 101 Dalmatians: The Series episode, "A Christmas Cruella"
- Tigger (Jim Cummings) - Portrayed the role in Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo.
External links[]
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