'A Christmas Carol': Scrooge's fireplace and Dickens' use of allusion

Dickens describes Scrooge’s fireplace as very ornate and decorative by comparison to the rest of his lodgings. Dickens uses the fireplace to allude to various stories from the Scriptures, such as the Queen of Sheba and Belshazzar. Dickens draws parallels between Marley’s Ghost and the Pharaoh's daughter because they both save a soul. Dickens highlights Marley’s sins by comparing him to Cain in the Bible. Dickens uses allusion to draw comparisons between Belshazzar and Scrooge, both of whom worship false idols.