- “There are many things from which I have derived good and have not profited. Christmas being among them. But I have always thought of Christmas as a kind, charitable time. The only time when men open their shut-up hearts and think of all people as fellow travelers to the grave and not some other race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, Uncle, although it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe it has done me good, and I say, God bless it!”
- ―Fred to his uncle[src]
Frederick "Fred" Holywell is a supporting character in A Christmas Carol. He is Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew and the only living relative he has left. Scrooge (in the beginning anyway) has a sour attitude towards Fred because his birth was what caused the death of Scrooge's loving sister, Fanny. This began his downward spiral towards becoming a bitter and greedy person.
Once Scrooge learns the error of his ways, he comes over to Fred's house for dinner in which he welcomes him with open arms and loving affection.
Background[]
Personality[]
Fred is the living embodiment of positive Christmas spirit. While it is not known how he managed to acquire such an optimistic view on life, he happily presents himself to people with a cheery disposition and the need to say kindly things to others. Despite being constantly being ridiculed by his uncle, this does not stop him from being affectionate towards him. However, he is not above mocking him at his expense as he and his friends referred to him as a "creature" that lives London. Nevertheless, he still admitted to loving him and wished him good health and was overjoyed to see that Scrooge decided to join him for dinner.
Physical appearance[]
Fred is usually depicted as a fresh faced young man, presumably in his late-20s to mid-30s, who dresses in young man's clothing of the Victorian era. Based on his dress, he seems to be well off, despite admitting that he does not make nearly as much as Scrooge does.
Role in the film[]
Fred is the complete opposite of Scrooge in the way that he loves Christmas and he gladly donates to charity. He offers Scrooge an invitation to his Christmas dinner every year, but Scrooge declined.
In Scrooge's past, it was revealed that Scrooge was very close with his younger sister, Fan, but unfortunately, she died when giving birth to Fred. This explains why Scrooge has such a sour attitude towards him, despite the fact that he is his only living family member and also the fact he is a spinning image of his mother. In the present day, it was shown that Fred and his friends were making jokes behind Scrooge's back at the Christmas dinner Scrooge earlier rejected an invitation to, but Fred still feeling sorry for his uncle, also offers a toast for him.
In the future, Scrooge had died and Fred inherited all his wealth. After the visit of the three spirits, Scrooge changed for the better and attended Fred's Christmas dinner to make up for all his years of rejection, which Fred and his family gladly accepted.
Trivia[]
- He is voiced by Colin Firth.
- Fred shares similarities with an earlier Dickens creation called Nicholas Nickleby. Both characters have uncles who are heartless moneylenders (Scrooge and Ralph Nickleby respectively).
- In Mickey's Christmas Carol, Fred's (Donald Duck) wife is never mentioned so its unclear if he is married or not in this version. This maybe happened because Daisy Duck (Donald's girlfriend) portrayed Isabel (Scrooge's ex-fiancée) instead of Fred's wife in the film.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- Donald Duck - Portrayed the role of Fred in Mickey's Christmas Carol.
External links[]
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