An excellent tale with high values and excellent characters.
Plot
It is Christmas Eve, the season of rejoicing, for all but Mr. Ebenezeer Scrooge. His one and only joy is money and the making of money, and he views Christmas as a waste of both time and expenses.
On this particular Christmas Eve, however, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley, who tells him that he will be visited by three ghosts in succession: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. With these spectres to guide him, Scrooge's life is turned upside down.
Morality
Such charitable deeds as giving money to the poor are emphasized, and the fact that Scrooge never does any good deeds with his money is frowned upon. Good is heavily emphasized, and though "evil" never really comes into the spotlight, greed and mean-spiritedness are shown as vices.
Spiritual Content
The ghost of Jacob Marley is the first real "spiritual" being to appear in the tale, followed by the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Talk of the afterlife is present when Marley and Scrooge have their talk at the beginning of the story.
Violence
None.
Drug and Alcohol Content
Wine may be mentioned in one or two spots, but not in a worrisome context.
Sexual Content
None.
Crude or Profane Language or Content
"Good God" and such exclamations occur in some places.
Conclusion
"A Christmas Carol" is a classic amongst Christmas stories. Written while Dickens was in great debt and needed a way to earn money, it is today one of his most popular and beloved books. Even though the story is not specifically Christian in its foundation, the values are undoubtedly extremely good and rich.
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