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Literary criticisms of a christmas carol
Literary criticisms of a christmas carol
Literary criticisms of a christmas carol
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Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, in many ways alludes to the Gospels and has many deeper messages hidden underneath the surface. It is not only the story of a cranky man, who learns the true meaning of Christmas, but a story that enforces lifting up the lowly and redemption and second chances. A Christmas Carol, shows that Christmas is more than just gifts and a tree, and shows Ebenezer Scrooges’ transformation by enforcing many gospel themes.
One gospel theme in Charles Dickens’s, A Christmas Carol, is the repetition of lifting up the lowly and the contrast of the wealthy and the poor. Ebenezer Scrooge is a very wealthy man and believes that because his nephew is poor he has nothing to be happy or joyful for; when he this yells at Fred,
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he responds telling him that he has no reason to be ill tempered and sour because he has plenty of money. In this story, Dickens shows that wealth makes it more difficult to celebrate Christmas, just like Jesus says that having money does not make impossible to get to heaven, but it does present a challenge for the person. In the novel, the people with less money prove to be much kinder and generous than Scrooge who has all the money he needs, which shows how the people with less are not distracted by selfish needs and can become closer to Christ. Job 5:11 states “So that he sets on high those who are lowly and those who mourn are lifted to safety”. Jesus raises the lowly and turns away the rich and knows the rights of the poor, as a wicked man would never understand. God also raises the lowly in the beatitudes, where he states “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. A second theme in the novel is redemption and second chances, even if one may have not deserved it.
Scrooge is a very ill-tempered and morose man and treats the people of his town with no respect. He turns away men who ask for money for the poor, who need it for food and drink, and states that if they died, it would be better for the surplus population. He shuns his nephew, Fred, who invites him to dine with his family and tells him he has no right to be happy because he’s poor. Once the ghosts visit him and reveal to him what the people think of him and he is faced with the person he has turned into. Scrooge has not earned redemption, be he is given it anyway because he sees all the wrong he has done and decides to make things right. He is a changed man who becomes determine to share all of the love and grace in his heart. He buys the biggest turkey in the store for Bob Cratchit’s family, who he has mistreated his whole career and gives him the day off. The theme of redemption is also present in the Old Testament, in the story of Jacob and Esau. Jacob returns to Esau after cheating him expecting to be loathed, but Esau embraces him and welcomes him even though he took the position of the head of the family right from under his feet. Another form of redemption is when atop of Mt. Sinai, Moses prays to God that he give the Israelites a second chance and that he refrains from destroying them. He prays that God changes his mind and give them a chance to redeem themselves.
Redemption is a theme present throughout A Christmas Carol, and in the Bible. President Thomas S. Monson loved to read and reference A Christmas Carol, because he felt that it is inspired of God and that it teaches true gospel messages to its readers. He believes that it educates themes of redemption, Christ, and caring for the poor. A Christmas Carol does not only tell the story of Scrooge learning to be grateful for all that he is blessed with, but it also includes many biblical allusions and gospel themes.
Scrooge was and owner of a factory and made a whole bunch of money, but he did not care about anyone else. “Merry Christmas said his nephew, what right do have to be merry you are poor enough”. This shows that scrooge is mean to family and does not care about Christmas.
Although he didn’t reach this point his business partner Jacob Marley did. When Marley died he had to wear a chain link for every bad deed he did. So his punishment was bearing the weight of his actions. Scrooge was also headed down this path but lucky for him Marley and the ghosts helped him to shun his path. The ghost of Christmas yet to come showed him the reaction of people when Scrooge was going to die. This was one of consequences, since he was mean and cold-hearted to everyone people seemed happy and joyous at the fact of his death. Some people said they would only go to his funeral if there was food and because they could wear their fancy black gloves. “It's likely to be a very cheap funeral,'' said the same speaker; ``for upon my life I don't know of anybody to go to it. Suppose we make up a party and volunteer?'' ``I don't mind going if a lunch is provided,'' observed the gentleman with the excrescence on his nose.” In the end though Scrooge was able to shun his path and started treating people kinder with more respect. His was able to change his attitude towards people from being rude and nasty to being kind and found that people liked him a lot better that
On Christmas Eve , Scrooge is gone by a progression of ghosts,starting with his old business accomplice, Jacob Marley. The three spirits follow,the Ghosts of Past , Christmas present and Christmas future ,show how his ,mean conduct has influenced everyone around him. Toward the finish of the story ,he is soothed to find that there is still time for him to change and we see him changed into a liberal and kind hearted person.
In this essay I will be talking about how Dickens presents Scrooge’s fear in A Christmas Carol. It is about how Scrooge’s change throughout the novel through various techniques Dickens uses to convey this.
Ebenezer Scrooge is the major character in the story, A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol is about how a “cold-hearted, tight fisted, selfish” money grabbing man is offered an opportunity of a life time, to change his behaviour, attitude... to have a second chance in life.
At the beginning of the novel, Dickens presents Scrooge as an outsider by describing Scrooge as physically Cold hearted and unemotional person. This is seen in the quote, "A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him.". The words ‘frosty’ and ‘wiry’ shows the uses of adjectives and metaphor. Dickens uses these figurative techniques to emphasize to the reader how Scrooge has secluded his soul against society as a result of his own actions. Dickens uses dramatic irony here effectively to symbolise how the rich who are characterized as the construct Scrooge, who is presented as a gothic and supernatural being. This is ironic as the rich in Victorian society are
In the beginning of the play in spite of being selfish Scrooge is also cheap, cold-hearted, and cruel. Scrooge behaves in this manner to his nephew, Fred. One way of proving this is when Fred said “Merry Christmas.” Scrooge replied salty saying “Humbug Christmas is just a time for spending and wasting money.” Not only he treats Fred badly but many more people. For instance take one of his quotes towards the Gentleman Visitor, “Are there no Jails for the poor, are there no
small its as if it only has one coal. Being so cheap and not wanting
A Christmas Carol, a tale that revolves around a man’s fate in the past, the present, and the future. Its story speaks of a man, a man called Ebenezer Scrooge, and the changes in which he goes through. ‘’Oh! But he was tight-fisted man at the grindstone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, covetous old sinner!
Scrooge was a terrible, terrible man. However, after a fantastic night of visions, he transforms into a better man. Patrick T. Reardon wrote in the National Catholic Reporter, that “A Christmas Carol isn’t about a sinner. It’s about a sinner who goes through a conversion experience. (Reardon, Patrick T. "The conversion of St. Scrooge." National Catholic Reporter, 18 Dec. 2015) He says that we are all like Scrooge, and we all have our Bah Humbug experiences; and like Scrooge, we need a conversion in some way. Scrooge is in all of us, but it’s what we do to try and change ourselves that’s makes the story have a happy
Scrooge, was able, to repent himself from living a life full of sorrow and he learned to appreciate everyone, even the poor people. The Cratchit family always showed a positive attitude even with their poor living conditions. The Victorian age, marked a significant impact on all the poor families that were unable to speak up, causing them to allow other people to feel higher than they were. Fire is a light symbol in this story. The fire, was able, to open Scrooge’s mind and ask for forgiveness. Warmth, was spread across the town, even to the tiniest places that cannot be seen. Hope was the only thing that the low-class families never lost. They kept a firm in their wishes that someday, Scrooge would change.
Which miraculously he does, Scrooge becomes kind. Here is a line after Scrooge tells the little boy to get the prize turkey,” I’ll send it to Bob Cratchit’s. He shan’t know who sends it. It’s twice the size of Tiny Tim and such a Christmas dinner it will make…”(272) Scrooge here buys the turkey for Bob Cratchit’s family to eat on Christmas day, which is a very kind thing to do. This second quote is to Gentleman Visitor from Scrooge in which Scrooge apologises and gives money to the poor,” Yes that is my name, and I fear it may not be pleasant to you. Allow me to ask your pardon, and will you have the goodness to add this (throwing him a purse) to your good work!”(274) Scrooge kindly apologizes for his rudeness and gives Gentleman Visitor money for the poor. The last quote is when Scrooge would give the boy half a crown for delivering the prize turkey to the Cratchits,”I’m in earnest! Go and buy it and tell ‘em to bring it here that I may give them the direction to take it. Come back with the butcher and I’ll give you a shilling. Come back less than to minutes and I’ll give you half a crown!”(272) Scrooge says this and when looking at other actions he did at the beginning, this here is a step up and really kind thing to do. As you see, Scrooge change his actions and becomes
is key in being able to look at the effect Ebenezer Scrooge has on it.
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.
Philip, Neil and Victor Neuberg. Charles Dickens A December Vision and Other Thoughtful Writings. New York: The Continuum Publishing Co., 1987. A helpful collection of 10 essays by Dickens with accompanying explanations by the authors. Essays are followed by relevant passages from Dickens' novels.