A Christmas Carol
In a Christmas Carol, Dickens uses some of his past childhood
experiences to show us that Christmas is very important and many
messages come across in this book. It is split up into five ‘staves.’
The reason that they are staves instead of chapters as staves are used
in music and it is called a Christmas ‘carol.’
In most cases, when people hear the word ‘Christmas’, we think of a
time for giving and sharing with people less fortunate, a time for
being thankful for everything we have no matter how little or how big,
a chance to spend time with the people we love, joking, laughing and
smiling. Generally a good time is had by all. Possibly the only
exception is Scrooge. Scrooge is a cruel, cold, heartless, unwelcoming
character who changes his heart and mind at Christmas. What messages
were given by Dickens about Christmas? Can we change our hearts and
ourselves just like Scrooge?
Scrooge is an elderly miser. He’s living in the Victorian times when
it was quite different to how we live nowadays, especially at
Christmas. When we wake up on Christmas morning, the first thing we
want to do is open our presents hoping someone has remembered what we
asked for, watch others open gifts we’ve bought, cram as much turkey
down our throats as possible and have parties with friends and family.
In the Victorian times, they celebrated the birth of Christ. Even the
poor who had hardly anything thanked God for all that they had, even
though it was so little. Most people spent time with their family,
singing songs and eating lovely dinners. It was usually the best
dinner of the year.
Scrooge did none of this. He hated Christmas. Whenever anything was
mentioned about the event, he usually replied ...
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...the same as any other
day. I like how Dickens used the repetitiveness of the word
‘melancholy,’ as it just highlights how sad, depressed and boring his
evening is. You can just imagine the street at which he lives. People
in all the houses are laughing, enjoying themselves, singing, spending
time together, apart from one man. All Christmas decorations are put
up and the rooms are all bright, cheery and warm apart from in one
home – Scrooge’s!
After reading the final part, Stave 5, our feeling towards Scrooge
changes dramatically and we start to feel empathetic because of his
changes.
Just the first sentence in the 5th Stave shows something has changed.
A Holophrastic phrase is exclaimed and it is a total change from the 1st
Stave. It says ‘Yes!’ Although Scrooge doesn’t actually say it, it is
a positive comment which we rarely saw in the first Stave.
On a tiny snowflake floating through the air, exists the town of Who-ville, home of the Whos. The town is joyously preparing for the coming of Christmas. The opening scene is full of noise and excitement with the townspeople hustling and bustling about shopping for gifts. Cheerful Christmas music plays in the background while the countdown until Christmas Day is announced over the town’s loudspeaker. Bright colors combined with unusual hairstyles are seen on the people of Who-ville. The town itself is covered with a multitude of lights, decorated trees, and wreaths.
In Conclusion, in the 1st Stave Dickens presents Scrooge as an evil, aged, prosperous man. As you read the Staves 2, 3 and 4, Scrooge’s behaviour, thoughts and attitude changes gradually. In Stave 2 a quote to show how shrude Scrooge is 'All he could make out was that it was still very foggy and extremely cold' this shows that Scrooge is an unpleasant ‘a covetous sinner’. This has an effect upon the reader as it shows how the cold weather can hurt and be distasteful to people just like Scrooge. Scrooge is described as the weather as he is like it; he hurts the people around him. Finally, in the 4th Stave he changes and he admits it, here is a quote “Spirit!'' he cried, tight clutching at its robe, “hear me! I am not the man I was.” This shows Scrooge is pleading that he has changed. I think he has transformed because of the experience he had by the four spirits.
When we first met Scrooge, we are informed, and also observe that he is cold, miserly, and bitter. However, after the visit of the Ghost of Christmas future, Scrooge changes into a generous and cheerful man. It is clear that something must have caused a man who is really nice, turn into a mean and nasty person, in this case it was the Industrial Revolution.
The play “A Christmas Carol – A ghost story of Christmas” by Charles Dickson, directed by James Black in Houston, TX was performed in a similar way in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickson, directed by Michael Wilson in Washington, D.C. The both plays had similarities and differences throughout the play in which demonstrated different creativity from the different directors. The rating that was given by the reviewer of the play in Washington gave a 5 out of 5 star rating. For the play that I went to watch the rating I would give it would be a 5 star rating.
Born in 1812 Charles Dickens grew up in a small town in London. Dickens grew up in a poor family. His family, sent to debtors∙ jail before he became old enough to fend for himself, convinced him to find work and stay out of the jail. Dickens worked anywhere, from law offices to newspapers as a young child. (∜New Standard Encyclopedia∠D-155) A Christmas Carol, written by Dickens, has changed many things in the world today, especially Christmas traditions and religion.
In this Stave, Dickens shows the importance of kindness by showing Scrooge’s absence of it and the effects of his harmful indifference. Scrooge is taken into his own past and shown memories of when he was young. The Ghost shows him scenes of when he was small and alone on Christmas. This memory makes him regret his harshness towards a young caroler that had come to his door the previous day. He sees that he lacked kindness and wishes he gave something to the caroler. His indifference towards the caroler insured that Scrooge would remain alone. The Ghost also reminds Scrooge of his beloved sister, Fannie who had died and left only her son. “’Always a delicate creature, whom a breath might have withered,’ said the Ghost. ‘But she had a large heart!’ ‘So she had,’ cried Scrooge. ‘You’re right. I will not gainsay it, Spirit. God forbid!’ ‘She died a woman,’ said the Ghost, ‘and had, as I think, children.’ ‘One child,’ Scrooge returned. ‘True,’ said the Ghost. ‘Your nephew!’ Scrooge seemed uneasy in his mind; and answered briefly, ‘Yes.’” (pg. 33-34). Scrooge’s only connection to his kind and gentle sister is his nephew, who also shares Fannie’s sweet nature. Scrooge is then filled with regret because of his callous treatment and lack of relationship with his nephew, who only wanted to be kind and spread the joy of the season. Scrooge’s sheer indifference and lack of kindness towards his nephew prevented
At first glance, Ebenezer Scrooge is a strange man. In his old age, he lives alone in a manor that was once owned by his deceased business partner, the only person he ever interacted with. His thoughts are always cruel and thoughtless as it is displayed when Scrooge says, “ 'If they would rather die,' said Scrooge, 'they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population' ”(10). At the story's start, Scrooge is an antisocial person who avoids interactions with people claiming that they are useless. He is viewed by others as a demeaning figure who is to be shunned because of his uninviting manner. People who were content with their lives were surrounded by their peers and neighbors and never encour...
The love of family is not important but it’s everything. What would you do if you didn’t have family that was REAL with you? Family is the core of a successful traditional Christmas. Especially if you are like my family where every year we would make hot chocolate or egg nog and watch “Home Alone” or “How the Grinch stole Christmas”. We would sit in the middle of our L shaped couch because of the alignment from the TV and the fire place to get nice and toasty. Bringing families together during Christmas is just like bringing families together for thanksgiving both holidays with the same sentimental value and favoritism. The love of family can’t never be broken. You couldn’t want to be anywhere in the word but at home with your
“hear me! I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse.” “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone!” (Dickens, Stave 4, Page 84) Finally, Scrooge changed for good.
but one thing he was rich in was happiness. Bob earned 15 ‘bob’ a week
Before we examine the new Christmas celebration during the Victorian era in England- due to Mr. Dickens, we must review the pre- victorian, or Regency Period Christmas (1811-1820). The Regency Period was the contrary to popular belief, early Christmas celebrations were very much different than the Christmas we all know and love today. This Christmas was much more boring with “Simple decorations” according to Paula Wrightston. Unfortunately for the younger people Wrightston says that a Regency Christmas was more of an adult affair. Not only were traditions and age requirements different, but the actual dates differed as well with the first day of the season being the 24th of December running through the 6th of January making the Christmas season 12 days in length (Wrightston). So far it seems as if dickens’ made Christmas much more enjoyable for future generations most definitely. Although the early Christmas was different, some traditions never change. One example of this is the Christmas puddings, Wrightston says that although the Regency era people did not specifically have Christmas Pudding, they had a more liquified version of this t...
The first significant alteration of Scrooge’s character occurred when he was a young man, as he became increasingly involved in the occupation of business, where wealth and assets are subjects of great examination and often possessiveness. Described and portrayed as an avaricious, bitter, and solitary man, Scrooge is introduced as critically immoral, occupied constantly by business. Christmas, as the faithful celebrate it, is referred to by Scrooge as a humbug, or fraud. On the topic of a merry Christmas, as his nephew related to it, Scrooge declared that an individual as poor as Fred has little or nothing to be merry about. In one of the most disturbing quotations from Scrooge, he casually remarks to two gentlemen requesting donations for the poor, “if [idle people] would rather die [than attend prisons and workhouses], they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population” (11). Scrooge accuses Bob Cratchit of being greedy for requesting Christmas as a day to retreat from work to be with his family, when in fact it is he who is greedy, essentially concerned with profits, not people. Orally, this point is perhaps best illustrated in the Past when the girl he once loved more than money, Belle, declared that, “a [golden] idol has displaced me” (37). Fully aware that Scrooge’s priorities are deranged, and he has been degraded to worship wealth rather than valuing the qualities of human love, Belle leaves him.
Charles Dickens wrote the novel A Christmas Carol because he believed that he can have an influence on the situation in England in the 19th century(Bio). He included the character’s greed and want that are a part of Scrooge during his visits with the Ghosts of Christmas.
Within the book, Scrooge undergone a huge transformation from a mean old miser to the true meaning of Christmas spirit. He was only able to perform this transformation by seeing the 3 ghost of Christmas: The ghost of Christmas past, present, and Yet-To-Come. Scrooge spent his life focusing on his wealth along with his partner Marley. One night Marley’s ghost visits Scrooge trying to get Scrooge to change his fate because Marley ended up bound in the chains of his own greed. Later that night, Scrooge was first visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past and was show his childhood. He was first shown him in the school all alone while everyone else left with their families for Christmas. Then the Ghost of Christmas Past showed Scrooge how he still had some Christmas Spirit when he was younger but he ruined...
by people as a bitter old man, as when he walks down the street people