Scrooge wants to know what the chain means, and why it contains the items it does. Marley explaines that his (Marley's) chain was forged to that size 7 years previously, and now Scrooge's will be 7 times longer.
Scrooge finds out that his own chains were forged through a lifetime of greed, selfishness, and indifference to the suffering of others. The chains represent the weight of his sins and the consequences of his choices in life. Through this realization, he understands the need to change and redeem himself.
That his are vastly longer and heavier than those he sees around Jacob Marley
Marley shows Scrooge his own chains and warns Scrooge that his (Scrooges) and 7 times bigger
The chains that Marley wear symbolize all the mistakes that Marley made when he was alive. Built from the same mold as Scrooge, he was a miser and is warning Scrooge that if Scrooge doesn't change he will carry around these same chains but longer because Scrooge has lived longer than Marley. These chains are like the sins you have in your conscience. It is a burden. Marley says "I wear the chain I forged in life. I made link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?" Marley anguishes his mistakes and doesn't like the chains, he has learned to live with his mistakes and knows he can't change them. To make a long story short, the chains symbolize mistakes and are a warning to Scrooge to change so he can escape the fate of Marley's.
Chains dragging.
The scraping of chains
Jacob Marley, the chains represented the sins of his life
Scrooge's partner, Marley, was dragging long chains with him as his punishment for being so evil throughout his life.
In "A Christmas Carol," Marley is condemned to wander the earth dragging heavy chains as punishment for his greedy and selfish behavior in life. He is unable to find rest or peace, serving as a warning to Scrooge about the consequences of his own actions.
I wear the chain I forged in life,'' replied the Ghost. ``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. ''
He has to wear chains for all the bad things he has done.
In the book " A Christmas Carol " scrooge sees the face of his old friend named Marley. I am not sure if this will help but I do recall that Marley has chains.
The ghost with chains in "A Christmas Carol" is Jacob Marley, who appears to Ebenezer Scrooge as a tormented spirit wearing heavy chains. Marley's ghost serves as a warning to Scrooge about the consequences of his selfish and greedy ways.
The second mysterious sound that Scrooge hears is a clanking noise, like chains being dragged across the floor. This sound is accompanied by a voice moaning and wailing. It is the sound of the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former business partner, who has come to warn Scrooge about his impending fate if he does not change his ways.
A toothpick. Scrooge challenged Marley's Ghost with the thought that swallowing the toothpick would make the ghost disappear. When Marley shrieked in response, Scrooge finally came around to believing Marley was there.