Final answer:
Marley's chain is composed of items related to his materialistic life and symbolizes his punishment for a life of greed. It acts as a symbol of imprisonment to his selfishness and poor choices. Literature utilizes such symbols to communicate complex ideas and provoke thought.
Step-by-step explanation:
Marley's chain in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is made up of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel. These items represent Marley's greedy, materialistic life and his lack of compassion for others. Each chain link signifies a choice that Marley could have made differently, symbolizing the burdens of his self-imposed greed and the consequences of his actions in life.
The chains work as a symbol rather than some other object because they connote imprisonment and bondage. This illustrates Marley's enslavement to his own selfish desires in life and now, beyond death. The weight and makeup of the chain perfectly reflect the heavy burden of Marley's misdeeds, which he must bear for eternity. In literature, symbols like Marley's chain help convey complex themes and prompt readers to consider deeper meanings behind a character's actions or circumstances.