The first ghost of Christmas past is described as a light that represents memory. This spirit shows Scrooge his past and invokes empathy within Scrooge while also giving the readers insight to his past experiences that shape him into who he has become. By transporting the readers into the vulnerable foundation of Ebenezer, they are able to empathize and contemplate why the spirit of Christmas may not be fond with Scrooge but especially people they may encounter in their current personal lives. “But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible” (Dickens 27). Scrooge visits his old boarding school where he was the subject of neglect from his father, he had to take care of his ill sister, he was forced to work at a factory at a young age, and he lost his fiance Belle. When re-experiencing his past, he sees his young self in a vulnerable position that he has witnessed in his current life but has been very cruel towards that situation. Readers witness his regret when he can mirror himself within the people he was once cruel towards.
Dickens, Charles. “Charles Dickens’ Christmas Books Including 'A Christmas Carol'.” July 1998, Oxford, Oxford University Press.