Theme - Moral Responsibility

“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business”

• Marley regretted prioritizing profits over helping others

• Marley believed being a good businessman meant neglecting charity, mercy, and forbearance

• Marley realized his true business should have been assisting people

• The message is not against making money but emphasizes helping others in business

• One can be successful in business while still being a compassionate individual

“There are some on this earth of yours… who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us”

• The Ghost of Christmas Present refutes Scrooge's accusation

• Spirit declares the idea un-Christian

• Many people use religion to justify actions but don't understand Christianity

• Encourages judging morality by deeds, not labels

“They are Man’s….And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. The boy is Ignorance. The girl is Want”

• The Ghost of Christmas Present shelters two figures under his robe

• The figures represent Ignorance and Want

• Society is urged to take care of these issues

• The spirit of Christmas emphasizes caring for others

• Dickens encourages honoring Christmas at all times

“[I] f that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world—oh, woe is me!“

• Justice in the afterlife punishes sins of omission

• Endless revisiting of missed opportunities in death

• Caring for others is crucial

• Failure to help and share leads to eternal torment

• Life's value lies in proactive, positive morality