The Big Ben, formally known as the Elizabeth Tower, is a clock tower that presides in London, England that was built September 28^th, 1843 (“Big Ben”). While many are unsure of how this structure got its name (some believe it was named after a boxer called Benjamin Caunt, while others believe it was named after a civil engineer called Sir Benjamin Hall), what is noticed is the sheer size of the tower; coming in at a staggering 15.1 tons (“Big Ben”). The main purpose of the Big Ben is to house parliament, but it also serves a practical purpose as a clock; the structure chimes every hour while smaller chimes can be heard every fifteen minutes (“Big Ben”). The reason I thought of this structure in relation to A Christmas Carol is because of the importance placed upon the clock that Scrooge hears within the work. One such moment can be seen in the quote: “Scrooge lay in this state until the chime had gone three quarters more, when he remembered, on a sudden, that the Ghost had warned him of a visitation when the bell tolled one” (Dickens). One interesting fact about the Big Ben is that the current bell is not the original that was first casted for the structure (“Big Ben”).

Works Cited

“Big Ben.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Big-Ben-clock-London.

Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. 1843.