Back to: Dickens A Christmas Carol and the Bible
Scene 4. Fezziwig’s shop in the evening
Although they had but that moment left the school behind them, they were now in the busy
thoroughfares of a city, where shadowy passengers passed and repassed; where shadowy carts and coaches battle for the way, and all the strife and tumult of a real city were. It was made plain enough, by the dressing of the shops, that here too it was Christmas time again; but it was evening, and the streets were lighted up.
The Ghost stopped at a certain warehouse door, and asked Scrooge if he knew it.
‘Know it.’ said Scrooge. ‘I was apprenticed here.’
They went in. At sight of an old gentleman in a Welsh wig, sitting behind such a high desk, that if he had been two inches taller he must have knocked his head against the ceiling, Scrooge cried in great excitement:
‘Why, it’s old Fezziwig. Bless his heart; it’s Fezziwig alive again.’
Old Fezziwig laid down his pen, and looked up at the clock, which pointed to the hour of seven. He rubbed his hands; adjusted his capacious waistcoat; laughed all over himself, from his shows to his organ of benevolence; and called out in a comfortable, oily, rich, fat, jovial voice:
‘Yo ho, there. Ebenezer. Dick.’
Scrooge’s former self, now grown a young man, came briskly in, accompanied by his fellow-prentice.
‘Dick Wilkins, to be sure.’ said Scrooge to the Ghost. ‘Bless me, yes. There he is. He was very much attached to me, was Dick. Poor Dick. Dear, dear.’
‘Yo ho, my boys.’ said Fezziwig. ‘No more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer. Let’s have the shutters up,’ cried old Fezziwig, with a sharp clap of his hands,’ before a man can say Jack Robinson.’
[expand title=”1. Fezziwigs party” trigclass=”specialclass1″]]
– Scrooge’s begrudging words to his clerk about getting time off at Christmas are contrasted with old Fezziwig’s cheerful orders that work be set aside to make room for Christmas festivities.
The normal closing time of business was 9 PM, but Fezziwig is closing two hours early in an act of Christmas Eve charity. Compare this to how Scrooge worked his clerk to the last minute on Christmas Eve—and would’ve liked to work him Christmas Day!
Young apprentice Scrooge and his co-worker exuberantly join the preparations and participate in the festivities. Old Fezziwig is jolly Englishness personified. His cheer and generosity draw together what sounds and looks like the entire population of the town. Everyone should have neighbors like the Fezziwigs: Mr. Fezziwig is so ebullient he “[laughs] all over himself,” and a glow emanates from his body when he dances. Mrs. Fezziwig is “one vast substantial smile,” and the three Miss Fezziwigs are “beaming and lovely.” Under the influence of this joyful family, a workplace is transformed into a ballroom, labor into play, gainful work into communal celebration The chance to relive this scene in all its delightful and generous details makes Scrooge “[act] like a man out of his wits.”
[/expand]
You wouldn’t believe how those two fellows went at it. They charged into the street with the shutters — one, two, three — had them up in their places — four, five, six — barred them and pinned then — seven, eight, nine — and came back before you could have got to twelve, panting like race-horses.
‘Hilli-ho!’ cried old Fezziwig, skipping down from the high desk, with wonderful agility. ‘Clear away, my lads, and let’s have lots of room here. Hilli-ho, Dick. Chirrup, Ebenezer.’
Clear away. There was nothing they wouldn’t have cleared away, or couldn’t have cleared away, with old Fezziwig looking on. It was done in a minute. Every movable was packed off, as if it were dismissed from public life for evermore; the floor was swept and watered, the lamps were trimmed, fuel was heaped upon the fire; and the warehouse was as snug, and warm, and dry, and bright a ball-room, as you would desire to see upon a winter’s night.
[expand title=”2. Scrooges feelings for Fezziwig” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
Note the warm respect, loyalty, and dedication that Scrooge felt toward Fezziwig—three qualities Scrooge has failed miserably to inspire in his own employee
[/expand]
In came a fiddler with a music-book, and went up to the lofty desk, and made an orchestra of it, and tuned like fifty stomach-aches. In came Mrs Fezziwig, one vast substantial smile. In came the three Miss Fezziwigs, beaming and lovable. In came the six young followers whose hearts they broke. In came all the young men and women employed in the business. In came the housemaid, with her cousin, the baker. In came the cook, with her brother’s particular friend, the milkman. In came the boy from over the way, who was suspected of not having board enough from his master; trying to hide himself behind the girl from next door but one, who was proved to have had her ears pulled by her mistress. In they all came, one after another; some shyly, some boldly, some gracefully, some awkwardly, some pushing, some pulling; in they all came, anyhow and everyhow. Away they all went, twenty couples at once; hands half round and back again the other way; down the middle and up again; round and round in various stages of affectionate grouping; old top couple always turning up in the wrong place; new top couple starting off again, as soon as they got there; all top couples at last, and not a bottom one to help them. When this result was brought about, old Fezziwig, clapping his hands to stop the dance, cried out,’ Well done.’ and the fiddler plunged his hot face into a pot of porter, especially provided for that purpose. But scorning rest, upon his reappearance, he instantly began again, though there were no dancers yet, as if the other fiddler had been carried home, exhausted, on a shutter, and he were a bran-new man resolved to beat him out of sight, or perish.
[expand title=”3. Description of the guests” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
Luke 14:12-14
This description of the guests coming from various backgrounds and classes of society brings to mind Jesus’ words of advice to his host in Luke 14. He advised him to not just invite his friends and family and wealthy neighbors to his banquets, but instead to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous” (verses 12-14).
[/expand]
There were more dances, and there were forfeits, and more dances, and there was cake, and there was negus, and there was a great piece of Cold Roast, and there was a great piece of Cold Boiled, and there were mince-pies, and plenty of beer. But the great effect of the evening came after the Roast and Boiled, when the fiddler (an artful dog, mind. The sort of man who knew his business better than you or I could have told it him.) struck up Sir Roger de Coverley.’ Then old Fezziwig stood out to dance with Mrs Fezziwig. Top couple, too; with a good stiff piece of work cut out for them; three or four and twenty pair of partners; people who were not to be trifled with; people who would dance, and had no notion of walking.
[expand title=”4. Forfeits” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
Forfeits were popular Christmastime games of the time that involved players having to pay some land of penalty for missing a turn (forfeiting). These penalties evolved from small coins to, by the early 1800s, lasses. [34] Negus is a kind of mulled wine with lemon juice that was a typical seasonal drink of the time and a favorite of Dickens
Mince pie, a spiced meat dish, is also called Christmas pie. Today these are usually small, round.pies made of mincemeat—a mixture of finely chopped raisins, apples, spices, suet, and other ingredients. Traditionally the pie must contain three spices (cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) to represent the three gifts of the Magi. In honor of Christ’s birth, the pie is oblong in shape to resemble the manger. On top is a flat place shaped like a star—like the one that led the wise men to the baby Jesus—on which to set a Christ-child figurine.
[/expand]
But if they had been twice as many — ah, four times — old Fezziwig would have been a match for them, and so would Mrs Fezziwig. As to her, she was worthy to be his partner in every sense of the term. If that’s not high praise, tell me higher, and I’ll use it. A positive light appeared to issue from Fezziwig’s calves. They shone in every part of the dance like moons. You couldn’t have predicted, at any given time, what would have become of them next. And when old Fezziwig and Mrs Fezziwig had gone all through the dance; advance and retire, both hands to your partner, bow and curtsey, corkscrew, thread-the-needle, and back again to your place; Fezziwig cut — cut so deftly, that he appeared to wink with his legs, and came upon his feet again without a stagger.
When the clock struck eleven, this domestic ball broke up. Mr and Mrs Fezziwig took their stations, one on either side of the door, and shaking hands with every person individually as he or she went out, wished him or her a Merry Christmas. When everybody had retired but the two prentices, they did the same to them; and thus the cheerful voices died away, and the lads were left to their beds; which were under a counter in the back-shop.
During the whole of this time, Scrooge had acted like a man out of his wits. His heart and soul were in the scene, and with his former self. He corroborated everything, remembered everything, enjoyed everything, and underwent the strangest agitation. It was not until now, when the bright faces of his former self and Dick were turned from them, that he remembered the Ghost, and became conscious that it was looking full upon him, while the light upon its head burnt very clear.
‘A small matter,’ said the Ghost, ‘to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.’
‘Small.’ echoed Scrooge.
The Spirit signed to him to listen to the two apprentices, who were pouring out their hearts in praise of Fezziwig: and when he had done so, said,
‘Why. Is it not. He has spent but a few pounds of your mortal money: three or four perhaps. Is that so much that he deserves this praise.’
[expand title=”5. Scrooge feels remorse for the second time” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
The Ghost of Christmas Past, watching Scrooge as he is absorbing the significance of the scene, provides the words for what Scrooge must be thinking: “A small matter to make these silly folks so full of gratitude.” After a brief calculation about how much of Fezziwig’s earned income was used to host such a celebration, Scrooge makes a very un-Scroogelike speech: “It isn’t [the money]. He [Fezziwig] has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is not possible to add and count ’em up: what then? The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”
->Scrooge thinks of his own clerk and feels remorse for the second time, and his circle of caring expands to include one more person.
Matthew 11:28
These attributes of kind Fezziwig, which Scrooge sees should also apply to himself, are an earthly reflection of the kindness of Christ, as in Matthew 11:28 (KJV): “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
“No,” said Scrooge, “No. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now! That’s all.” I38l His former self turned down the lamps as he gave utterance to the wish; and Scrooge and the Ghost again stood side by side in the open air.
Scrooge feels the second pang of regret for his selfishness. Before his time with this Spirit is done, he will regret his sins three times—as Dickens continues his strategic use of the biblically significant number
>Scrooge feels the second pang of regret for his selfishness. Before his time with this Spirit is done, he will regret his sins three times—as Dickens continues his strategic use of the biblically significant number
[/expand]
‘It isn’t that,’ said Scrooge, heated by the remark, and speaking unconsciously like his former, not his latter, self. ‘It isn’t that, Spirit. He has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count them up: what then. The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.’
[expand title=”6. Scrooges path” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
Scrooge is learning
[/expand]
He felt the Spirit’s glance, and stopped.
‘What is the matter.’ asked the Ghost.
‘Nothing in particular,’ said Scrooge.
‘Something, I think.’ the Ghost insisted.
‘No,’ said Scrooge,’ No. I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now. That’s all.’
His former self turned down the lamps as he gave utterance to the wish; and Scrooge and the Ghost again stood side by side in the open air.
‘My time grows short,’ observed the Spirit. ‘Quick.’
Scene 5. With Belle
In the next scene, Scrooge’s loss of innocence and preoccupation with wealth have begun to take hold. His one-time sweetheart tearfully breaks off their relationship.
This was not addressed to Scrooge, or to any one whom he could see, but it produced an immediate effect. For again Scrooge saw himself. He was older now; a man in the prime of life. His face had not the harsh and rigid lines of later years; but it had begun to wear the signs of care and avarice. There was an eager, greedy, restless motion in the eye, which showed the passion that had taken root, and where the shadow of the growing tree would fall.
[expand title=”7. Evil Eye” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
The superstition of the “evil eye” is used to show the sinfulness of greed
[/expand]
He was not alone, but sat by the side of a fair young girl in a mourning-dress: in whose eyes there were tears, which sparkled in the light that shone out of the Ghost of Christmas Past.
‘It matters little,’ she said, softly. ‘To you, very little. Another idol has displaced me; and if it can cheer and comfort you in time to come, as I would have tried to do, I have no just cause to grieve.’
‘What Idol has displaced you.’ he rejoined.
‘A golden one.’
[expand title=”8. Golden Calf” trigclass=”specialclass1″]
Exodus 32
Dickens references the biblical account of the golden calf from Exodus 32. Just as the Israelites had formed a false god of gold in the shape of a calf, the woman here criticizes Scrooge for trading his allegiance to a sacred love for a sacrilegious one
He has replaced her with a “golden” idol and exchanged hopeful love for desire for wealth. She challenges him: Would he with his “changed nature,” his “altered spirit” still choose her—a dowerless girl?
With her question, the young woman has bravely saved her own life; Scrooge’s passive consent seals his fate. He will later feel this choice as deprivation. Scrooge begins his torment only after watching himself lose life’s most desired gift.
[/expand]