Lament for Jacob Marley

Why is that Jacob Marley, the true hero of A Christmas Carol, is so oft unappreciated by readers or the
viewing audience? While Scrooge may be the central character of the story, can there be any doubt that the hero of the story is Marley?

The dictionary defines hero as: A person noted for feats of courage or nobility
of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.

While subsequent plays, stories and interpretations have Marley’s soul being
saved by his actions leading to the redemption of Scrooge; in the original
Lewis Carol tale there is no evidence that Marley received any benefit from his
actions in saving his old partner and friend Scrooge.

Indeed the last we see or hear of Marley is: “The spectre, after listening for
a moment, joined in the mournful dirge; and floated out upon the bleak, dark
night.” The only comfort the reader is left to imagine is that even though
Marley is condemned to walk the Earth bound in his chains of greed for
eternity, his spirit can take some comfort in the knowledge that Scrooge will
not share his fate.

Scrooge’s action, of allowing the light into his dark life and soul, led him to
joy and friendship. Marley’s action, of securing “… a chance and hope of
escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer”, still leaves
Marley’s ghost wandering the earth with “'No rest, no peace. Incessant torture
of remorse.”

Is this not the embodiment of nobility of purpose, to save Scrooge from sharing
his own fate with no gain for Marley?

Why this concern for Marley? Because it is in Marley’s words the true lesson or
principle of A Christmas Carol is found. A lesson often lost in the joy and
happiness of Scrooge in reclaiming his humanity and letting the light back into
his life.

Consider Marley’s words:

“I wear the chain I forged in life, I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I
girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”

“'It is required of every man, that the spirit within him should walk abroad
among his fellow-men…”

“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy,
forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade
were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

Marley forged his chains, link by link, dollar by dollar, possession by
possession, and girded them on of his own free will. It is our choice whether
we let the spirit within us walk among our fellow men or hoard it to ourselves.
Focusing, as did Marley, on accumulating possessions, property and wealth for
no purpose but the amassing itself. As far too many today focus on the
accumulation of possessions and dollars, rather than upon letting the spirit
within walk among their fellow man.

In locking his spirit within Marley became possessed with his worldly goods
letting them become the entirety rather than “…but a drop of water in the
comprehensive ocean of my business!”

Whereas in truth “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business;
charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business.”

The common welfare, charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence are all of us
our business. Mankind. No qualifiers or limitations, simply all of Mankind. Not
those we judge deserving, not those who agree with us, not those we approve of,
not those we go to church with, not those who profess the same faith. Simply
Mankind in its entirety, no ifs, ands, or buts.

The welfare of every single person is our business and to him or her we owe
charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence to help in achieving wellness; in
order that we may achieve our own spiritual health and wellness..