Which Ghost had the biggest effect on Scrooge?

[Vanyel]

In Christmas Carol, which of three Christmas Ghost had the biggest effect on Scrooge? The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present or the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come? We'll ignore the Ghost of Marley as he's not a Christmas ghost. However, if you want to, you can chose him.

I know each one plays off the other, but one had to have a bigger effect on him.

The Ghost of Christmas Past showed him what he was like and what led him to become the man he is in the present.

The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him what affect his actions have on Bob Cratchit. The Crachits have enough to get by, but not enough to help Tim and feed his whole family. The Ghost also uses Scrooges own words against him. "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." and "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

Then there is the silent Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. He shows how no one will miss him once he is gone. And some will celebrate his death.

So of the three Christmas Ghost, which had the biggest effect on Scrooge?

As you might be able to guess, I chose the Ghost of Christmas Present. I think the one major thing he showed Scrooge, the one I left off above, was the two children "Ignorance" and "Want". To me, that's the most powerful image in the book, and the one that hit Scrooge the hardest.

Which do you think had the biggest effect, and please say why.

 

[Trekker4747]

The Ghost of Christmas Present, obvviously had the biggest impact on Scrooge. The Ghost of Christmas Past piqued Scrooge's interests in the process and brought him back some nice memories, but when the experience was over he was still some-what dismissive to The Ghost of Christmas Present, after that ghost's experiences Scrooge's spirits seemed to have mostly changed from the combined trips and all The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come did was scare Scrooge into loading-up his turn-of-the-century Depends.

Christmas Present obviously had the biggest impact, a bigger question would be what paticular event changed Scrooge's heart? Tiny Tim? Bob Cratchet's family's ill-speakings towards Scrooge? The experiences at/with his Nephew and other family members?

 

[Kibbin]

I would say that The Ghost of Crimbo yet to come had the most impact, though I always believed that they built on each other and that any one ghost alone would have been pointless. Yet that was what scared him and made him finally break.
And to follow DrummerBoy it was either Tiny Tim, the ghost of present showed him the young boy but it was the empty chair that got to him, or the tombstone. Scrooge was even at the end a selfish man (you can't change over night) and when he saw what would happen to him he seemed to finally give IMO.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I say Marley because Scrooge knew him personally.

 

[auntiehill]

In Christmas Carol, which of three Christmas Ghost had the biggest effect on Scrooge? The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present or the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come? We'll ignore the Ghost of Marley as he's not a Christmas ghost. However, if you want to, you can chose him.

I know each one plays off the other, but one had to have a bigger effect on him.

The Ghost of Christmas Past showed him what he was like and what led him to become the man he is in the present.

The Ghost of Christmas Present shows him what affect his actions have on Bob Cratchit. The Crachits have enough to get by, but not enough to help Tim and feed his whole family. The Ghost also uses Scrooges own words against him. "If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population." and "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

Then there is the silent Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. He shows how no one will miss him once he is gone. And some will celebrate his death.

So of the three Christmas Ghost, which had the biggest effect on Scrooge?

As you might be able to guess, I chose the Ghost of Christmas Present. I think the one major thing he showed Scrooge, the one I left off above, was the two children "Ignorance" and "Want". To me, that's the most powerful image in the book, and the one that hit Scrooge the hardest.

Which do you think had the biggest effect, and please say why.

vv Check my sig line. vv

I just saw this play at the Alley Theater a few weeks ago. I think the Ghost of Christmas Present had the biggest effect, as well.

Not only does he see all the warmth and affection his nephew has for him (his beloved late-sister's child, no less) despite Scrooge's outright hostility and rudeness, and then witnessing the suffering of the Crachet family and Bob not allowing an unkind work said about Scrooge, but when faced with the horror of Ignorance and Want, Scrooge's own words are thrown back at him:
"Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?"

Pretty powerful stuff.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

It depends greatly upon which version you're talking about, IMO. In some versions, I'd say the biggest turning point is the Tiny Tim saga, first introduced by Present and then taken to its unacceptable conclusion by Future.

However, in the best stage version I've ever seen of the show, I'd say it was the Ghost of Christmas Past that had the biggest effect on him. Having to relive that failed romance really seemed to decimate him psychologically. Without that reopened trauma, I don't think any of the subsequent sob stories would have been able to penetrate his defenses.

 

[RyanKCR]

I believe it was the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Tiny Tim Saga. After throwing Scrooge's words back at him at how Scrooge looked upon other people and their worth to him, it was this statement by the Ghost that was the trigger:

It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man's child.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I picked the ghost of christmas present, I don't think Scrooge liked what people thought of him. I think the other thing that effected him was the fact that Bob Cratchet still was thankfull to Scrooge, despite how Scrooge treated Cratchet. The ghost of christmas present puts a huge guilt trip on Scrooge and makes him look in the mirror.

 

[Trekker4747]

I picked the ghost of christmas present, I don't think Scrooge liked what people thought of him. I think the other thing that effected him was the fact that Bob Cratchet still was thankfull to Scrooge, despite how Scrooge treated Cratchet. The ghost of christmas present puts a huge guilt trip on Scrooge and makes him look in the mirror.

Yeah, Christmas Present really worked Scrooge over pretty well. But I don't think Scrooge cared too much on what people "thought of him", since he didn't care how the solicitors/charitors thought of him. But Cratchet's "love" for Scrooge in spite of everything likely made Scrooge's heart grow a couple sizes, as well as the plight of Tiny Tim, then, perhaps, following that how others looked at him -especially after his death- got to him.

But, far and away, Christmas Present got the furthest with Scrooge. And I want to say again how much I enjoyed the Disney Jim Carrey 3D film which is -IMHO- one of the better takes (and most faithful) to the story.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

 

[Nowhere Man]

I picked the ghost of christmas present, I don't think Scrooge liked what people thought of him. I think the other thing that effected him was the fact that Bob Cratchet still was thankfull to Scrooge, despite how Scrooge treated Cratchet. The ghost of christmas present puts a huge guilt trip on Scrooge and makes him look in the mirror.

Yeah, Christmas Present really worked Scrooge over pretty well. But I don't think Scrooge cared too much on what people "thought of him", since he didn't care how the solicitors/charitors thought of him. But Cratchet's "love" for Scrooge in spite of everything likely made Scrooge's heart grow a couple sizes, as well as the plight of Tiny Tim, then, perhaps, following that how others looked at him -especially after his death- got to him.

But, far and away, Christmas Present got the furthest with Scrooge. And I want to say again how much I enjoyed the Disney Jim Carrey 3D film which is -IMHO- one of the better takes (and most faithful) to the story.

It was a great movie, very faithfull to the original. I guess what I meant was Scrooge never cared what people thought, but a lot of people don't consider that, but Scrooge was able to see what was said when nobody thinks he's looking. In the past this story has focused on Tiny Tim, but it really is Bob Cratchet's love for Scrooge that changes his mind.