the matter?” asked the Spirit.

“Nothing,” said Scrooge. “Nothing. There was a boy singing a Christmas Carol at my door last night. I should like to have given him something: that’s all.”
(stave 2)

Scrooge is reminded to be tolerant of those who are less fortunate than he is who simply want to brighten the lives of others without hoping to profit from their good deeds.

Another Christmas finds Scrooge again sitting alone at the boarding school, but this time Scrooge's young sister, Fan, comes to rescue him and take him back home.

The spirit recalls for Scrooge that Fan was "a delicate creature" and that "she had a large heart!"

“She died a woman,” said the Ghost, “and had, as I think, children.”

“One child,” Scrooge returned.

“True,” said the Ghost. “Your nephew! "
(stave 2)

Fan's child and Scrooge's nephew is Fred, the young man whose invitation to Christmas dinner Scrooge rudely rejected and who Scrooge all but threw out of his countinghouse on Christmas Eve in stave 1.

Scrooge resents Fred for some unstated reason—perhaps for Fan's death—but Scrooge is beginning to learn to hold onto cherished memories of loved ones and about the importance of family.

The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge to the warehouse where Scrooge was apprenticed as a young man. Scrooge is reminded of the value of friendship and camaraderie and learns a lesson about being a kindly, generous employer, like Mr. Fezziwig. Scrooge observes, "The happiness he gives, is quite as great as if it cost a fortune" (stave 2).

Scrooge thinks about his own employee, Bob Cratchit.

I should like to be able to say a word or two to my clerk just now. That’s all.

The spirit shows Scrooge two scenes with Belle, a young woman who was Scrooge's one true love and with whom a young Ebenezer Scrooge was engaged to be married.

In the first scene with Belle, Scrooge sees how he's changed from a person happy and content with his life to a person obsessed with accumulating money, to the exclusion of everything else in his life, including Belle.

The second scene with Belle occurs when Belle is older, married, and with a family of her own, including a daughter who looks very much like Belle herself. The scene takes place just seven years ago when Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley, "lies at the point of death." Belle's husband remarks how he's just seen Scrooge sitting alone in his countinghouse, "quite alone in the world."

This scene is interesting because, unlike all the other scenes that the Ghost of Christmas Past shows Scrooge, this is the only scene from Scrooge's past in which Scrooge didn't experience the events in the scene himself and which isn't part of Scrooge's own memories. The spirit shows Scrooge this scene to remind him about the importance of love, relationships, and family, and to teach Scrooge that his rejection of these things, as well as his rejection of friendship, camaraderie, tolerance, kindness, and generosity have left him "quite alone in the world."

From his travels with the Ghost of Christmas Past, Scrooge sees his progression from an innocent, neglected child to a responsible, choice-making adult.  He was not at fault for the treatment he received when he was young, but, as he aged, he started making bad decisions of his own accord.  He realizes that it is his own fault that he lost Belle, because he valued money over her love.  He also realizes that he is not a very good boss when faced with his memories of Fezziwig's generosity.

From his travels with the Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge learns that little is more important than family; his clerk, Bob Cratchit, is poor, but he is happier than Scrooge because he has his family's love.  He also sees his own nephew participating in a game that teases Scrooge, but Scrooge himself is warmed by the fact that he is remembered at all and wishes he could stay there.  He also sees various people, in difficult situations all over the world, celebrating the holiday together, and he realizes that, even though he is rich in wealth, he is poor in friends and spirit.  Finally, when he sees the specters of Ignorance and Want, he begins to realize that humankind is his business, despite his earlier insistence that it was not.  He begins to realize that he should care about his fellow human beings and try to help them when he can.

From his travels with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Scrooge learns that, if he continues to live the way he has, there will be no one to mourn him when he is gone.  He will leave absolutely no positive impact on a single person, except for those people who rob him in death or get extensions on their loans and benefit from him that way: a horrifying prospect.  He learns that a small child, Tiny Tim, will be remembered much more faithfully than Scrooge ever will be because the child knew how to love and Scrooge has forgotten.  

In general, Ebenezer Scrooge learned the same lesson from the three spirits.  From all of them, he learned that he needed to turn his life around and be a happier, more caring person than he was at the beginning of the story.  Each spirit taught him a different part of that lesson.

The first spirit shows him that he (Scrooge) used to be a much happier person.  This shows him that it is possible for him to be that way again.  This spirit also shows him how important it is to be kind because of the impacts that has on others.

The second spirit shows him that he is now something of a tyrant and that his behavior makes problems for other people.  It also shows him that people can be happy without having as much money as Scrooge wants to have.

The third spirit shows him what will happen if he doesn't change his ways.  It shows him that his current behavior makes it so that no one loves him or even cares about him.

Between them, the three teach Scrooge that it is important to act more kindly and humanely towards other people (and even towards himself).

The first spirit to visit Scrooge after the ghost of Jacob Marley has visited him is the Ghost of Christmas Past. When Scrooge asks the first spirit why he came to visit, the spirit informs Scrooge he is there to improve his welfare. The spirit then takes Scrooge back in time to see his former self at times in his life when he was a different, more hopeful, and less greedy person. The spirit also reveals that at one point, Scrooge was a lonely boy living in less than ideal conditions. However, at later points in his life, the Spirit of Christmas Past reminds Scrooge of the choices he made, often guided by greed, that have led Scrooge to the lonely life he has now. The lesson the Spirit of Christmas Past brings to Scrooge reminds him that there were once things in his life more important than money, but his choices have left him lonely and alone. The memories the spirit brings to Scrooge distress him to the point that he begs to be released from them.

“Spirit!” said Scrooge in a broken voice, “remove me from this place.”
“I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,” said the Ghost. “That they are what they are, do not blame me!”

Scrooge learns that the purpose of life is to take care of other people when one can. Marley tells him early on, "'Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business [...]." In other words, he ought to have been spending his time engaged in the business of life rather than the business of profit. Marley also says that

It is required of every man [...] that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide, and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world [...] and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!

Thus, Marley makes it clear that what we are supposed to do in life is to travel around among other people and to share a fellowship with them, helping them as we can in whatever ways we can. This is the way to achieve happiness and to leave a lasting impact on the world (and to avoid the hellish afterlife that Scrooge glimpses outside his window after Marley leaves). We see this with Fezziwig, with Tiny Tim, and with Scrooge's nephew, Fred.

The Ghost of Christmas Past reminds Scrooge of his old employer and how much happiness the man gave to others by being kind and giving. The Ghost of Christmas Present shows the impact Tiny Tim makes, without having any money, through his love and his generous spirit. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows how much kindness matters when Fred offers his condolences to Bob Cratchit after the death of Tiny Tim. Offering this kindness and generosity toward others is what we live for, and if we do not do it during our lives, we are condemned to want to do it after death.

From all four ghosts, Scrooge learns that people can change, and that he is headed on the wrong path.

Scrooge is an old miser that cares about no one.  He is lonely, and seems to be alone.  Although when he was younger he was interested in earning as much money as he could, he has not spent much of it.  He works regular hours and goes home to a decrepit, empty house.  One night, on Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his old partner Marley.

Marley’s ghost tells Scrooge that it is the business of all human beings to care about other human beings.

“It is required of every man … that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death….” (Stave 1, p. 14)

Scrooge is frightened by Marley’s ghost, but not much impacted.  His goal is simply to get Scrooge thinking, and he has arranged a wonderful opportunity for Scrooge to visit with three spirits.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is the ghost of Scrooge’s past.  He shows Scrooge his boyhood.  He sees himself alone at school, happy as an apprentice and fiancé, and then dumped.  When his fiancé Belle dumps him because he cares more about money than her, Scrooge starts on a long path that led to where he is now. 

“Spirit!” said Scrooge, “show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?” (Stave 2, p. 26)

Scrooge is clearly upset by these painful visions.  Yet, by showing Scrooge his past, the ghost reminds him that he had a past, and was not always alone and unhappy.

The Ghost of Christmas Present picks up where Past let off.  He wants to teach Scrooge the same lesson.  He wants to show him that he can change.  The first sprit showed him he was not always this way, and the second one will show him what he’s missing.

The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge what will happen if he continues this path.  Scrooge fears him, because he does not want to know what he might become.  In his heart, he knows it won’t be good.

“Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!” (Stave 4, p. 50)

When he returns home, Scrooge has basically compiled his experiences with the ghosts into one lesson:  he can change, and he should.  He does.

Ebenezer Scrooge learns much from the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley, in A Christmas Carolby Charles Dickens. When Scrooge asks the ghost of Marley why he is there, Marley answers,

"'It is required of every man,' the Ghost returned, 'that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow men, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world--oh, woe is me!--and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth and turned to happiness.'" (Dickens 21)

Marley is warning Scrooge here that he will suffer the same fate as Marley if he continues with his selfish ways. Scrooge asks about the chain Marley wears and is told that each link in it represents all the evil Marley did during his life. He adds that Scrooge's chain will be even heavier and longer because Scrooge has continued his ways since Marley's death. Scrooge tells Marley that he was a good businessman when he was alive, as if that should count for something, but Marley replies that business was not what mattered--that humankind was, and he had failed miserably. 

Jacob Marley's purpose in A Christmas Carol is to warn Scrooge of his own fate and to introduce him to the three other spirits who are about to visit him in hopes that he will choose a different fate than the one Marley has.

There are a number of lessons that Ebenezer Scrooge learns in this classic story by Charles Dickens. Perhaps the most important and most far-reaching one is that it is never too late to find happiness. Scrooge is shown, via the ghosts who visit him, that throughout his entire life he has chosen his own misery, and has often caused others to be miserable. He feels guilt at being shown his own cruelty and dispassion. He learns from the visions shown to him that he can choose his own happiness. He sees that Bob Cratchit does his best to be happy with his family, despite being overworked and having very little money. This act of will from a man with limited means shows Scrooge that happiness is a matter or perspective, and that every action may be inspired by the desire to do good. Everything changes when he is given this last chance to shift his own perspective; he becomes generous, compassionate, energetic, and sees the world with fresh eyes.

Each of the spirits teach Scrooge valuable and important lessons. Personally, I think that the first spirit and the last spirit teach him the most important lessons. But, if I had to choose between the two of them, the last spirit probably has the most impact on Scrooge and his behavior going forward.

It is worth noting that Scrooge begins to immediately see some of the error of his ways with the first spirit because after seeing how Fezziwig treats his employees, including himself, he says he wishes he could say a word to his own clerk. That demonstrates that he realizes he is a bad employer as he looks on at the good employer he once worked for. That is the first of many valuable lessons he learns.

However, his most important lessons come in Stave Four when the Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge his own death. Scrooge panics and asks the spirit if this is certain or only possible:

“Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!”

Scrooge wants to know whether, if he changes his ways and if he learns from his mistakes, his future will change.  The spirit does not answer him and when Scrooge awakes, in fact he DOES change. It appears that this final spirit had the most impact on Scrooge and his life choices, making his lessons the most important of all.