Skip to main content

What kind of business was Jacob Marley in?

Jacob Marley was Scrooge’s business partner in the counting house. 


Jacob Marley died seven years before the book began.  Before that, he was the closest thing that Scrooge had to a friend.  The two of them were partners in Scrooge’s current counting house, called Scrooge and Marley.  A counting house is like a bank.  Scrooge and Marley would lend money to people.


After Marley died, Scrooge did not change the name of the business.  He...

Jacob Marley was Scrooge’s business partner in the counting house. 


Jacob Marley died seven years before the book began.  Before that, he was the closest thing that Scrooge had to a friend.  The two of them were partners in Scrooge’s current counting house, called Scrooge and Marley.  A counting house is like a bank.  Scrooge and Marley would lend money to people.


After Marley died, Scrooge did not change the name of the business.  He did not even change the sign.



Scrooge never painted out Old Marley’s name. There it stood, years afterwards, above the warehouse door: Scrooge and Marley. The firm was known as Scrooge and Marley. Sometimes people new to the business called Scrooge Scrooge, and sometimes Marley, but he answered to both names. (Stave 1)



Although Scrooge seems entirely unsentimental, leaving Marley’s name up could be a small bit of grief sneaking in.  Scrooge is definitely happy to see Marley’s ghost when he shows up, once he gets over the shock.  Marley wants to help Scrooge out while he is still alive.  Now that he is a ghost he has some perspective and realizes that it is not all about money.



“ … I cannot rest, I cannot stay, I cannot linger anywhere. My spirit never walked beyond our counting-house—mark me!—in life my spirit never roved beyond the narrow limits of our money-changing hole; and weary journeys lie before me!” (Stave 1)



Marley arranges somehow for Scrooge to get a chance at reclamation.  He will be visited by ghosts who will show him his past, present, and future so he can come more quickly to the realization that Marley came to—while he is still alive.  Scrooge tells Marley that he was a good businessman.  Marley’s response is that mankind should have been his business.  He should have been more interested in helping people than making money off of them.

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more