A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens characters

Appears from the start

A wealthy London moneylender whose devotion to profit has left him isolated and contemptuous of Christmas, charity, and ordinary companionship. He gives his clerk little comfort, rejects his nephew's invitation, and treats poverty as a problem for institutions rather than for his conscience.

Appears from the start

Scrooge's former business partner, dead for seven years. His ghost appears burdened by the consequences of a selfish life and warns Scrooge that the same fate awaits him unless he changes. He announces that three spirits will visit.

Appears from the start

Scrooge's poorly paid clerk, a patient family man who works in a cold office and remains grateful for a holiday despite his employer's reluctance to grant it. His modest circumstances contrast with Scrooge's wealth and solitude.

Appears from the start

Scrooge's cheerful nephew, the son of Scrooge's late sister. He continues to invite his uncle to Christmas dinner even though Scrooge repeatedly rebuffs him, valuing affection and fellowship more than money.

Also known as The Ghost of Christmas Past

First appears in chapter 2

The first of the three promised visitors, a strange luminous spirit whose appearance suggests both youth and age. The spirit takes Scrooge back through scenes from his own earlier life so that he must confront the experiences and choices that formed him.

Also known as The Ghost of Christmas Present

First appears in chapter 3

A large, welcoming spirit surrounded by food and greenery. He shows Scrooge how Christmas is being observed in homes and communities beyond Scrooge's rooms, drawing attention to generosity, hardship, and human connection in the present day.

Also known as Tiny Tim

First appears in chapter 3

Bob Cratchit's young son, physically frail and dependent on a crutch. He joins the family's humble Christmas celebration with affection and hope, and his uncertain health makes the cost of the Cratchits' poverty immediate to Scrooge.

Also known as The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come

First appears in chapter 4

The last of the promised spirits, a silent, cloaked figure who answers Scrooge only by pointing. Its visions concern consequences still ahead, forcing Scrooge to infer how present conduct may shape the deaths, losses, and memories of the future.