Ghost of Christmas Past
Encyclopedia
The Ghost
of Christmas
Past is a character in the well-known work of the English novelist Charles Dickens
, A Christmas Carol
.
The Ghost of Christmas Past was the first of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley
) that haunted the miser. Ebenezer Scrooge
in order to prompt him to repent. He showed him scenes from his past that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways, as well as to show the reader how Scrooge came to be the person he was and his particular dislike for Christmas – most of the events which negatively affected Scrooge occurred around the Christmas holiday season.
According to Dickens' novel, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge as a white-robed, androgynous
figure of indeterminate age. He had on his head a blazing light, reminiscent of a candle
flame. He carried with him a metal cap, made in the shape of a candle extinguisher. While the ghost is often portrayed as a woman in most dramatic adaptations, Dickens describes the Ghost of Christmas Past only as “it”.
The Ghost of Christmas Past first showed Scrooge his old boarding school where he stayed (alone but for his books) while his schoolmate returned home for the Christmas holidays. Then he was shown the day when his beloved, younger sister Fan picked him up from there after repeatedly asking for his return. He was shown an episode from his time as an apprentice to Mr. Fezziwig
. The spirit also showed Scrooge the day when, as a young man, his fiancée, Belle, chose to end their relationship as his increasing obsession with his money caused him to alienate her. Scrooge never asked Belle to break off their engagement, but he did not protest against her decision. Finally, the Ghost showed him how she married and found true happiness with another man. After this vision, Scrooge, out of anger, extinguished the Ghost of Christmas Past with his cap and found himself back in his bedroom.
Various adaptations have added to the history shown by the Ghost. For example, in the 1984 film version of A Christmas Carol
, Scrooge's encounter with his father is shown, and his father tells him that Scrooge has had an apprenticeship arranged for him, and that his longed-for homecoming will last only three days. Similarly, it is often suggested (e.g. in the same version) that the reason for his father's coldness to him (and de facto abandonment) is that Scrooge's mother died in his childbirth; the conflict between this and the existence of a younger (half?-)sister is not always resolved.
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
of Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Past is a character in the well-known work of the English novelist Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
.
The Ghost of Christmas Past was the first of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley
Jacob Marley is a fictional character who appears in Charles Dickens' 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.- Relationship with Scrooge:In life, Marley was the business partner of Ebenezer Scrooge. As teenagers, both men had been apprenticed in business and met as clerks in another business...
) that haunted the miser. Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge is the principal character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which give people happiness...
in order to prompt him to repent. He showed him scenes from his past that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways, as well as to show the reader how Scrooge came to be the person he was and his particular dislike for Christmas – most of the events which negatively affected Scrooge occurred around the Christmas holiday season.
According to Dickens' novel, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears to Scrooge as a white-robed, androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
figure of indeterminate age. He had on his head a blazing light, reminiscent of a candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
flame. He carried with him a metal cap, made in the shape of a candle extinguisher. While the ghost is often portrayed as a woman in most dramatic adaptations, Dickens describes the Ghost of Christmas Past only as “it”.
The Ghost of Christmas Past first showed Scrooge his old boarding school where he stayed (alone but for his books) while his schoolmate returned home for the Christmas holidays. Then he was shown the day when his beloved, younger sister Fan picked him up from there after repeatedly asking for his return. He was shown an episode from his time as an apprentice to Mr. Fezziwig
Fezziwig
Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig are characters featured in the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas Carol. Mr. Fezziwig is the owner of a warehouse business; Ebenezer Scrooge and Dick Wilkins worked as apprentices for him. Mr. Fezziwig is a happy, foppish man with a large Welsh wig. In Stave 2 of A...
. The spirit also showed Scrooge the day when, as a young man, his fiancée, Belle, chose to end their relationship as his increasing obsession with his money caused him to alienate her. Scrooge never asked Belle to break off their engagement, but he did not protest against her decision. Finally, the Ghost showed him how she married and found true happiness with another man. After this vision, Scrooge, out of anger, extinguished the Ghost of Christmas Past with his cap and found himself back in his bedroom.
Various adaptations have added to the history shown by the Ghost. For example, in the 1984 film version of A Christmas Carol
Scrooge (1951 film)
Scrooge, released as A Christmas Carol in the United States, is a 1951 film adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It starred Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge and was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley.The film also features Kathleen Harrison in an...
, Scrooge's encounter with his father is shown, and his father tells him that Scrooge has had an apprenticeship arranged for him, and that his longed-for homecoming will last only three days. Similarly, it is often suggested (e.g. in the same version) that the reason for his father's coldness to him (and de facto abandonment) is that Scrooge's mother died in his childbirth; the conflict between this and the existence of a younger (half?-)sister is not always resolved.
Appearance in various film adaptations
- In the 1938 Alan Hart version of A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1938 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1938 American film adaptation of Charles Dickens's novelette.-Cast:*Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge*Gene Lockhart as Bob Cratchit*Kathleen Lockhart as Mrs. Cratchit*Terry Kilburn as Tiny Tim*Barry MacKay as Fred...
, the Ghost is portrayed as a sweet-faced young woman looking somewhat like an angel. - In the 1951 film A Christmas CarolScrooge (1951 film)Scrooge, released as A Christmas Carol in the United States, is a 1951 film adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. It starred Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge and was directed by Brian Desmond Hurst, with a screenplay by Noel Langley.The film also features Kathleen Harrison in an...
, the Ghost is an elderly man. In this version, story is changed so that Fran is older than Ebenezer and the ghost shows him his sister’s death through childbirth. This echoes Scrooge's own birth, since his mother died during his childbirth, which was shown as the reason for his father's bitterness towards him. - In the TV special Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol, a 1962 animated version, the Ghost is portrayed as a young, slight, androgynous figure (voiced by a female voice actor) with a flame above his/her head, a sprig of holly and an orange glow.
- In the 1970 version titled Scrooge, the Ghost is portrayed as an elderly but elegant lady with a red dress and a black hat.
- In a 1982 version of A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1982 film)A Christmas Carol is an Australian 70-minute made-for-television animated film from Burbank Films Australia; a part of the studio's series of adaptations of Charles Dickens' works made from 1982 through 1985. It was originally broadcast in 1982 through the Australian Nine Network Australia...
, the Ghost of Christmas Past is a CupidCupidIn Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
-like young man - In Disney'sThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
1983 animated adaptation titled Mickey's Christmas CarolMickey's Christmas CarolMickey's Christmas Carol is a 1983 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution Company. It was directed and produced by Burny Mattinson...
, Jiminy CricketJiminy CricketJiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
(Eddie CarrollEddie CarrollEddie Carroll was a Canadian voice actor who moved to Hollywood in the 1950s to become an actor. He took over the role of Jiminy Cricket in 1973 after the death of original voice Cliff Edwards in 1971.-Filmography:...
) takes the role of the Ghost. - In the 1984 made-for-television version of A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1984 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1984 made-for-television film adaptation of Charles Dickens' famous 1843 novella of the same name. The film is directed by Clive Donner who had been an editor of the 1951 film Scrooge and stars George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge...
, the Ghost is portrayed as a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and a white robe rather than a childlike, long white haired figure as described in the novel written in 1843. - In the 1988 comedy film ScroogedScroogedScrooged is a 1988 American comedy film, a modernization of Charles Dickens' novella, A Christmas Carol. The film was produced and directed by Richard Donner, and the cinematography was by Michael Chapman. The screenplay was written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue...
, the Ghost of Christmas Past is portrayed (by David JohansenDavid JohansenDavid Roger Johansen is an American rock, protopunk, blues, and pop singer, as well as a songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal protopunk band The New York Dolls and also achieved commercial success under the pseudonym Buster Poindexter.-Early life:Johansen was born in...
) as a New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
cab driver with a BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
accent. - The 1992 film The Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppet Christmas CarolThe Muppet Christmas Carol is a 1992 musical comedy film adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge, directed by Brian Henson, produced by The Jim Henson Company, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
did not use a Muppet character to portray the spirit, but re-imagined it; this version appeared as a tiny, ghostly child of ambiguous gender, dressed in white and floating as if immersed in water. The voice was provided by Jessica FoxJessica FoxJessica Fox is an English actress. She is most notable for playing young witch Enid Nightshade in the CITV show The Worst Witch, whom she began playing in the late 1990s...
. - In the TV special A Flintstones Christmas CarolA Flintstones Christmas CarolA Flintstones Christmas Carol is an animated made-for-TV movie based on the original 1960s series classic, The Flintstones and on the holiday novel of the same name by Charles Dickens. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, it premiered in syndication on November 21, 1994...
, a 1994 animated version, the Ghost, originally to be played by a female actress, wound up being portrayed by Wilma (the actress suddenly came down with the Bedrock Bug). - In the 1995 made-for-television film EbbieEbbieEbbie or Miracle at Christmas: Ebbie's Story is a 1995 TV movie directed by George Kaczender, written by Ed Redlich, and starring Susan Lucci in the title role.-Plot:The story follows a scrooge-like woman, Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge...
, the Ghost is portrayed as two spirits with but a single thought, played by Jennifer ClementJennifer ClementJennifer Clement studied English Literature and Anthropology at New York University and also studied French literature in Paris, France. She is currently the President of PEN Mexico....
and Nicole ParkerNicole ParkerNicole Frances Parker is an Emmy Award-winning actress and singer best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show MADtv. In July 2009, she concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked...
. - In the 1997 animated version of A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1997 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1997 animated film version of the book of the same name by Charles Dickens. It features eight new songs and an all-star voice line-up including Tim Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, Ed Asner and Michael York.-Cast:...
, the Spirit is portrayed as a mischievous young boy in a messenger boy's outfit. - In the 1999 made-for-television version of A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1999 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1999 television film adaptation of Charles Dickens's famous novel A Christmas Carol. It was directed by David Hugh Jones and stars Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge and Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit...
, the Ghost is portrayed as a being of indeterminate age, as described in the 1843 novel. - In the 1999 made-for-television for-television film A Diva's Christmas Carol, Kathy GriffinKathy GriffinKathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedienne, television personality, New York Times best-selling author and an LGBT rights advocate. Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom...
plays the Ghost. - In the 2003 made-for-television film A Carol ChristmasA Carol ChristmasA Carol Christmas is a TV movie starring Tori Spelling, Dinah Manoff, William Shatner and Gary Coleman. It premiered on the Hallmark Channel in 2003. The film is an adaptation of the Charles Dickens story of a similar name...
, Gary ColemanGary ColemanGary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
plays the Ghost. - In the 2004 made-for-television film A Christmas Carol: The Musical, the Ghost first appears in the real world as a lamplighter.
- In the 2006 CGIComputer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
film A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (2006 film)A Christmas Carol is a 2006 computer-animated film adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale, produced by BKN Home Entertainment...
, the Ghost is portrayed as an anthropomorphicAnthropomorphismAnthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
storkStorkStorks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family Ciconiidae. They are the only family in the biological order Ciconiiformes, which was once much larger and held a number of families....
. - In Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes ChristmasBah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes ChristmasBah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas is a 2006 animated direct-to-video film starring the Looney Tunes and directed by Charles Visser and produced by Warner Bros. Animation...
, GrannyGranny (Looney Tunes)Granny is a co-star of many Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird animated shorts throughout the 1950s and 1960s, is a Looney Tunes character that was created by Tex Avery. She is the owner of Tweety . Granny's voice was first provided by Bea Benaderet from 1937 through 1953...
and Tweety take on the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past (June ForayJune ForayJune Foray is an American voice actress, best known as the voice of many animated characters...
and Bob BergenBob BergenRobert "Bob" Bergen is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Porky Pig , and formerly hosted Jep!, a kids' version of the popular game show Jeopardy!Bergen was born in St. Louis, Missouri...
, respectively). - In the animated series Aqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger ForceAqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
, the Ghost is parodied as the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, a robot with a penchant of making houses run with elfElfAn elf is a being of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of divine beings endowed with magical powers, which they use both for the benefit and the injury of mankind...
blood and telling long-winded, incomprehensible stories about the origins of Christmas. - In the 2009 performance captured film Disney's A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (2009 film)A Christmas Carol is a 2009 film written and directed by Robert Zemeckis...
, the voice and acting of the Ghost of Christmas Past is provided by actor Jim CarreyJim CarreyJames Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
. Similar to the original novel, the spirit appears as a candle-like being with an occasionally flickering flame for his head. - In the animated Internet series Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon ComedySeth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon ComedySeth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy is an American cartoon web series created by Seth MacFarlane.-Background:The series, which consists of comic cartoon shorts unrelated to each other, is released on YouTube. The series, which aired several episodes a month, was originally sponsored by...
segment "Ted NugentTed NugentTheodore Anthony "Ted" Nugent is an American guitarist, musician, singer, author, reserve police officer, and activist. From Detroit, Michigan, he originally gained fame as the lead guitarist of The Amboy Dukes, before embarking on a lengthy solo career...
is visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past" singer Ted Nugent shoots and kills the Ghost of Christmas Past believing he was a robberHome invasionHome invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally burgling or entering a private and occupied dwelling for the purpose of committing a crime Home invasion is the act of illegally...
, In the next scene Nugent is seen serving the ghost's cooked carcass to party guests and offering to make some Ghost Jerky. - In the 2010 Christmas special of the BBC sci-fi series Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, which will be based loosely on A Christmas CarolA Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, The DoctorDoctor (Doctor Who)The Doctor is the central character in the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who, and has also featured in two cinema feature films, a vast range of spin-off novels, audio dramas and comic strips connected to the series....
uses his time machine to play the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past to Michael GambonMichael GambonSir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
's ScroogeEbenezer ScroogeEbenezer Scrooge is the principal character in Charles Dickens's 1843 novel, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the novel, Scrooge is a cold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man, who despises Christmas and all things which give people happiness...
figure. - In a 2010 episode of The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
, "Victor's Christmas Carol," the Ghost of Christmas Past is portrayed by Hope Wilson (Signy ColemanSigny ColemanSigny Coleman , sometimes credited asSigney Coleman, is an American actress.-Background:Coleman grew up in Bolinas, California and attended Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley...
), Victor NewmanVictor NewmanVictor Newman is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless played by actor Eric Braeden from February 1980 through November 2, 2009 and again from January 15, 2010 to present. The character briefly appeared on The Bold and the Beautiful in 1999...
's wife who died of cancer. In this form, she has light wavy hair and a white dress.