Ebenezer Scrooge
Arc
The manuscript captures the beginning of his transformation, moving from absolute denial of the supernatural and charitable duty to a state of trembling humility and 'desperate curiosity' after being confronted by Marley's Ghost.
Role
The central protagonist, a misanthropic businessman who undergoes a spiritual visitation and moral reckoning.
Dialogue
Caustic, cold, and cynical. He frequently uses the exclamation 'Bah! Humbug!' and speaks with a grating, shrewd tone. His speech is formal but sharp, often dismissing sentimentality as 'nonsense'.
Appearance
An old man with a pointed nose, shrivelled cheeks, and a stiffened gait. He has red eyes, thin blue lips, and a grating voice. A frosty rime covers his head, eyebrows, and wiry chin. He wears a great-coat, cravat, dressing-gown, slippers, and a nightcap.
Motivations
Primarily driven by business, profit, and the balancing of his books; currently motivated by a desperate curiosity and fear regarding the supernatural visitations.
Personality
Tight-fisted, grasping, covetous, and solitary. He is described as hard and sharp as flint, secret, and self-contained as an oyster. He is misanthropic, cynical toward Christmas, and prefers to keep his distance from human sympathy.
Competencies
Expertise in business, accounting, and legal administration (executor, administrator, legatee). He demonstrates a 'facetious temper' when debating and possesses the mental fortitude to attempt to rationalize supernatural events.
Moral Alignment
Initially a 'sinner' characterized by greed and lack of charity, currently positioned at the start of a potential redemption arc following a supernatural warning.
Social Standing
A wealthy, middle-class businessman and money-changer; he is a partner in the firm Scrooge and Marley and a man of business on the 'Change.
Metaphysical State
Mortal; however, he possesses a unique internal 'low temperature' that external weather cannot influence and is capable of perceiving the invisible world of phantoms.
Supernatural Burden
He bears an invisible, ponderous chain of his own forging, which was already as heavy and long as Marley's seven years ago and has been labored upon since.