Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843. This popular story has been adapted for many films, animations, stage plays, musicals and much more. Christmas time for my family includes A Christmas Carol.
Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
The story begins on Christmas Eve. Scrooge’s office is cold and dark and so is the weather cold, foggy and “bleak” just like his heart! He was so cold inside that the temperature made no difference.
Marley was dead! Marley was Scrooge’s work partner for many years.
The counting-house
Once upon a time, Ebenezeer Scrooge, a bitter, cold, selfish, mean, miserable and unkind old man, is working in his office with Bob Cratchit, his clerk. Bob is a good person who adores his family. It is so cold that the clerk is wearing his gloves and a scarf to keep him warm.
“A Merry Christmas, Uncle!” cries a cheerful voice.
Fred “all in a glow” and “ his eyes sparkled”. Fred is Ebenezeer’s nephew and invites him to celebrate Christmas day at his house, but Scrooge refuses. Fred is the opposite of Scrooge, he is a generous, friendly and a cheerful person.
“what reason have you to be merry? You are poor” says Scrooge
“what right have you to be unhappy? You are rich” replied Fred
Scrooge hates Christmas because he thinks it is too expensive and that everybody who wishes others Merry Christmas is an “idiot”.
“Bah, humbug!” replies Scrooge. ( Victorian slang)
Fred thinks that Christmas is “ a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time”.
Debate the following quote:
“ what reason have you to be merry? You are poor”
Team A: you agree with this quote.
Team B: you disagree with this quote.
Charity workers collecting money for the poor arrive, but Scrooge gives nothing.
“Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? That’s where poor people should go! (a place in Victorian England where the poor were sent to live)
Dickens wrote stories about the social problems in Britain during the Victorian period. The condition of poor children and the factories where people had to work.
At home
After work Scrooge goes to his dark home, “darkness is cheap” to spend Christmas alone, angry and unhappy. His home reflects his personality.
The Ghost of Jacob Marley
That night, the ghost of Jacob Marley, his old business partner who spent his life alone, “as solitary as an oyster” visits him. Marley is wrapped in a heavy chain of “ cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds and heavy purses”. Marley, just like Scrooge was obsessed with money and “ doomed to wander through the world” forever and as an “incessant torture”.
He tells Scrooge that he must change his way of life or face the consequences. He also tells him that three ghosts will visit him. The only chance he has to save himself.
Scrooge is afraid, but goes to sleep.
The Ghost of Christmas Past
Scrooge wakes up to see The Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes him to re-visit his own past. They go to his old school and see Scrooge as an unhappy and lonely child during Christmas time. Seeing his own school has a “softening influence” on Scrooge and not “hard and sharp” like before.
Then they see him as a happy young man working in his first job, with a kind boss called Mr. Fezziwig and the “cheerful voices” of the Christmas Eve party, and the “thousand odours” of his old village. He sees his sister Fan taking him home from school where he sees happier Christmases. Fan says that their father is “much kinder” now and they can be together for Christmas. They also see Scrooge’s girlfriend Belle who leaves him because of his love and obsession with money. He then sees Belle grown up with a family of her own.
The Ghost of Christmas Present
Scooge meets The Ghost of Christmas Present who is friendly and takes him to see the Crachit family’s happy Christmas. The only thing that makes them sad is that Tiny Tim, their youngest son is very ill and will die soon. The Cratchit family cannot afford a doctor. They travel the world visiting other people who are enjoying Christmas.
Scrooge also visits his nephew’s home. The people are all having lots of fun and are happy.
The Ghost of Christmas Future
This ghost doesn’t speak but shows Scrooge people talking about an unknown man who has died. They speak without affection and are not sad that he has died. They don’t seem to care about this man. When Scrooge sees the grave of the man, he realises it has his name on it. It is his death that the people are talking about! This makes him very sad so Scrooge promises that he will honour Christmas and change his behaviour and his life.
Christmas Morning
When he wakes up he realises it is still Christmas morning and he is very lonely and sad. He wants to help everyone and become a better person. He has completely changed and laughs and wishes people a Merry Christmas.
He buys a big turkey for the Cratchit family. He goes to his nephew’s house and joins in the celebrations. He gives Bob a pay rise! He is sorry for all the bad things he has done and promises to start a new life. Scrooge changes his behaviour and chooses to change and learn from what the ghosts have taught him, he’s determined not to “shut out the lessons that they teach”.
By the end of the story, Scrooge is “glowing with his good intentions”. He is transformed.
Tiny Tim
God Bless Us, Every One!
Ideas for your lesson
- Themes: Christmas, Redemption, Transformation, Social Injustice and social concerns (Dickens wrote about the poor social conditions of Victorian Britain), Greed, Forgiveness, Generosity, Compassion, Poverty, Industrialization.
- Feelings: discuss how the characters feel and how Scrooge changes his feelings throughout the story. The protagonist’s development.
- Food: a symbol of well-being and generosity . It represents the social and economic situation of the different characters and the transformation of Scrooge who sends a ‘huge’ turkey to the Cratchits. The “gruel” he eats at home: gruel is cheap. Discuss the role of food in the novella.
- Victorians: people who lived between 1837-1901, Queen Victoria’s time.
- Look for examples in which Dickens makes observations about society including industrialization, inequality and poverty. In the nineteenth century, thousands of people moved from the countryside to the cities in search of work in factories.
Amazing Minds New Generation 2, Sanoma
A remarkable and inspiring revisitation of an everlasting literary work. The language
Lia Perillo uses is simple to understand but what really strikes the reader’s attention
is the immediate and natural personal involvement into an intimate debate on what really matters in our life.
Students are driven to understand and debate the deep message inside Lia Perillo’s ‘A Christmas Carol ‘: A miracle is still possible to happen today: change your heart, look around you and be grateful!
Thanks Paola for the passion you generously share and our wonderful chats!
Paola Bonfiglio
References
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
2000, Paravia Bruno Mondadori Editori
Pearson Education
