ABSTRACT
Dickensian melodrama can be breathtaking. A case in point is Scrooge’s encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Past in Stave Two of A Christmas Carol.1 ‘Long past?’, ventures Scrooge defensively. ‘No. Your past.’ To this rejoinder, which so acutely personalizes the issue, Scrooge reacts by wanting to cover up the ‘light’ that emanates from the Spirit. Rebuked, he then inquires what ‘business’ has led the Spirit to him. ‘Your welfare!’ Scrooge thinks to himself that this end would be better served if he were allowed a good night’s rest; but he doesn’t know what’s really good for him: a great deal more than physical and mental refreshment is at stake, and deeper objectives are at once indicated by the Ghost’s stunning adjustment of terms – ‘Your reclamation, then’.
