A Christmas Carol is a novel by Charles Dickens that was first published in 1843. The story tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley. Marley warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts who will attempt to change his ways.
On Christmas Eve, the first ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge on a journey through his past. The second ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Present, shows Scrooge what is happening in the present. Finally, the third ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, reveals to Scrooge what will happen if he does not change his ways.
One character that appears in A Christmas Carol is Fezziwig. Fezziwig is a former business partner of Scrooge’s who was known for his generosity and good nature. Fezziwig appears in the story when the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to revisit a Christmas party that he attended as a young man. At the party, Scrooge is shown how happy he was when he was working for Fezziwig. The experience makes Scrooge realize how unhappy he has become in his current state.
While Fezziwig is not a major character in A Christmas Carol, he plays an important role in the story. He represents everything that Scrooge has lost by becoming a greedy and selfish man.
Dickens employs Fezziwig to represent views and values that were once a common way of life for individuals, but which were fading away in the 19th Century economic changeshown to Scrooge by the Ghost of Christmas Past, was old happy and energetic Fezziwig, who he was once apprenticed to when he was young, who taught Scrooge to be sharp witted, cunning moneylender like himself.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold, heartless, miserable man who cares for nothing but money. He is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future who show him the error of his ways. One of the ghosts is that of Fezziwig, Scrooge’s old employer.
Fezziwig represents all that is good about the past. He is kind, generous, and merry. He loves to dance and celebrate. He loves his family and friends. He treats his employees well. In short, he embodies the Christmas spirit.
When Scrooge sees Fezziwig again, he is filled with regret for all the years he has wasted being greedy and selfish.
The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge back to his younger years, when he was learning the essential life lessons imparted by Fezziwig about wealth and avarice should never come before generosity and those dear to you.
Mr. Fezziwig was a role model to Scrooge in his youth, and his teachings come back to him full circle during A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is taken back to his days as an apprentice, under the guidance of Mr. Fezziwig. It is clear that Fezziwig was highly regarded by young Scrooge, as he often speaks fondly of the man while conversing with the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Mr. Fezziwig was known for being a jolly man, always hosting grand parties and being very generous to those around him, including his employees like Scrooge. He taught them valuable lessons about life and how wealth should never come before generosity.
Fezziwig, the commercial entrepreneur, had a lot of money, but he was willing to share it with everyone in his Christmas parties, which were frequently large. Scrooge regards his workers as members of his family; comparison to Scrooge, who wants nothing to do with his own nephew, not even one of his employees like Bob Crachit.
In fact, Fezziwig’s parties were so large and expensive that he had to borrow money from Scrooge to afford them. However, even though Fezziwig was very generous with his money, he was still a good businessman. When he caught an employee stealing, he immediately fired him.
While Fezziwig may have been too lenient with his employees and didn’t always get the most work out of them, he ran his business with a kind heart. He is the complete opposite of Scrooge who is stingy with both his money and his emotions.
Fezziwig truly cares for other people and wants everyone around him to be happy, something that Scrooge cannot say. In A Christmas Carol, Fezziwig serves as a shining example of what kind of person Scrooge could have been if he had not let money consume him.
The Gatherum and her husband, the Fezziwigs, were fantastic hosts. Despite their advanced age, they got involved in every dance, demonstrating that they were a “top couple…a nice hard piece of work for them.”
In comparison to Scrooge, who is described as sickly and stiff, Fezziwig was characterized as being old yet lively, sporting a huge Welsh wig, and having the strength to stay active as an old man. When you isolate yourself from others, your spirit dies out; when you connect with others, it keeps your spirit alive and vibrant.
When Scrooge asked to be made a full partner of the business, Fezziwig not only agreed but was overjoyed at the prospect. He then took it upon himself to teach Scrooge the importance of being generous to those less fortunate than him, something that Scrooge would later come to embody after his transformation.
This is shown when he hands out money to the people in his employ, as well as giving them a half-holiday with pay so they can enjoy Christmas with their families.
In doing so, he not only endears himself to his employees but also helps ensure that they are able to provide for their loved ones, something that Scrooge himself was never able to do.
While Fezziwig may have been a bit too generous with his money, he was still a good man who cared about others and wanted to make sure that they were happy.
In contrast, Scrooge was a miser who only cared about himself and his own wealth. Fezziwig represents the true meaning of Christmas, which is giving without expecting anything in return. He is proof that even old men can change and that it’s never too late to start being kind and generous.
