In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Jacob Marley wears chains around him. This chain represents all the wrongdoings in his life, like choosing not to help anybody whilst knowing they need help. The chain is forged in life and when the person dies, one must wear it around their body and wander the world in ghost form, tortured because they are unable to help the people that need assistance. They regret not helping people when they were alive and now suffer from being unable to interfere with human matters.
These symbolised what was important to Marleys' in life. In his interaction with Scrooge he states that his business should have been "people".
On the door knocker of the front door
he would suffer the same fate as himself which was to wear a ponderous chain seven time longer than his own and suffer eternal torment
He's scared at frst and doesn't belive that Marley's ghost is real. But then he starts to believe by some of the things that Marley says and does.
A person's soul.
Marleys chain is made from steel purses, ledgers, cashboxes, keys, and his office materials.
Mankind; charity, mercy, forbearance and benevolence
He has been wandering the Earth, trying in vain to help others.
He thought he was going crazy at first so he didn't believe in it at first.
The interpretation depends on the sort of chain involved. A delicate gold chain might symbolize love and a binding commitment, whereas heavy iron chains symbolize slavery and bondage.
Marley explains "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. Is its pattern strange to you?" Marleys chain contains the things thatwere to him important in life these included iron ketys iron clad ledgers, iron clad purses and of course the links themselves. The chain there represents when he classed as importatnt in life and s it was all based around money and none of it about helping others the chain was a burden of punsihment to worn for eternity
NESTA