Dickens, A Christmas Carol

[Coito ergo sum]

As we head into the season....who likes Dickens' "A Christmas Carol?"

I do.

Despite being an atheist, I read it almost every year, and I have seen every movie version. I love my annual, turn the lights down low, turn the Xmas tree lights on, and watch Alistair Sim's version of Scrooge.

I enjoy it's humanist take on Christianity, with the idea that Scrooge can redeem himself by doing good for his friends, family and mankind in general. The Christianity of A Christmas Carol is plainly not the "fundamentalist" sort that says that "good works" are worthless and that redemption is purely a spiritual redemption after death and solely based on "belief" in Christ. There are some references to "Christ" in A Christmas Carol, but it is not the main them - it's only in reference to what Christ "did" - like, "made lame beggars walk...."

The book is itself a metaphorical polemic against child labor and the worst ills of the industrial revolution. For those atheists who may scoff, remember that you won't find any Jesus babes, wise men, stars, mangers, and other icons of the Christian nativity. The story is, instead, of Scrooge, nasty, selfish, angry and mean man, who thinks only of money and personal gain, and lives alone rationing everything in a cold mansion, eating cheap gruel, despite his great wealth. The description is so classic it's hard to forget: He was "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster." Fabulous writing.

His wealth makes nobody happy, and nobody's life better - not even Scrooge himself. He won't give to charity. He begrudge's his employee Christmas Day off and likens it to getting his pocket picked. He wishes children would go to orphanages or work houses or prisons - "Are their no prisons? And, the union work houses, are they not still in operation?" (going from memory there, not sure if I nailed the quote), and then after being reminded that some would rather die than go there, Scrooge lashes out with "Well if they're going to die then let them get on with! And, decrease the surplus population..." He really is a despicable man in every way.

He is then visited by the ghost of his former partner, who is laden with chains that seem woefully heavy. Jacob Marley visits him to warn him of the fate that awaits Scrooge after death - to wander the Earth laden in chains, watching all the people who need help, all their friends and family, and be unable to do anything about it. Jacob missed his chance. He wants to atone in some way by helping Ebenezer to see the light. Scrooge scoffs.

The ghosts then come - one of Christmas past - one of Christmas present and one of Christmases yet to come.....

The first ghost shows him his sad childhood, as well as the happy times that occurred. Good times and bad were in Scrooges past, and he even liked Christmas then. We see Scrooge as a child at boarding school, and his beloved sister (Fan), and how much he loved her. We see Scrooge's first employer (Mr. Fezziwig) who was a very happy and jolly man, who celebrated happily with his employees on Christmas time, and gave willingly of himself, creating a happy time for all. He had a girl who he was to marry, but Scrooge fell out of love with her and into the love of money. She releases him from their engagement, and he goes to his new bride: Greed. Scrooge's beloved sister Fan dies in childbirth, which is why Scrooge is always cruel and mean to "Fred" his nephew. Scrooge gave in to the bad times in his past, and lives in a state of anger and hate.

The ghost of Xmas present shows him what everyone else is doing on Xmas - he sees the hardship of the Cratchits, a hardship he ignored for years. He sees Tiny Tim who is sick and limping with a crutch. He sees his nephew Fred, having a good time with friends and family, playing games, and he sees how he himself is viewed by others - talked about negatively - Fred won't say a bad word about him, but others, point out how awful he is. Bob Cratchett, to whom Scrooge is constantly evil, makes a toast to him - and while Mrs. Cratchett has to force herself to do it, she does it too. Rather than descend into the evil that Scrooge lives in, they are "thankful" for the fact that the food they have on their tables comes from the work Bob Cratchett does for Scrooge. They look on the bright side. Scrooge has no bright side.

In a moving scene scrooge looks "under the robes" of the ghost of Christmas Present, and is forced to look at two scurvy children -- symbolizing ignorance and want. "Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy [Ignorance], for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.", emphasizingthe book's social message. The spirit once again quotes Scrooge, who asks if the grotesque children have "no refuge, no resource," and the spirit retorts with Scrooge's same words, "Are there no prisons, no workhouses?", filling Scrooge with self-loathing. The Ghost of Christmas Present, having already aged, tells the reader that he will only exist on Earth for a single Christmas holiday. He finally disappears, and leaves old Ebie to face the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, as it approaches "like a mist along the ground".

The ghost of Xmas future shows Scrooge that if he keeps going the way he's going, Tiny Tim will be dead (empty chair, with a crutch by the fireplace). He then sees what his own death will be like. He will die alone. Hated. Nobody will come to his funeral. Nobody will care whether he is gone, and in fact they will be glad of hit. People, like vultures, will pick his bones clean - stealing all the wealth he worked his life to accumulate, which all comes to nothing. Scrooge then finds his redemption - in this life, not the next, and says - "I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this, if I am past all hope!...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!” The writing on the Stone is his own demise.

Scrooge realizes that there is no riches or wealth after death. There is no happiness in hoarding and accumulating, for no purpose in this life. Redemption can only mean that we do good NOW - here - in this world. So, in the final scenes he is a changed man - he is happy. He is glad. He becomes generous and kind. He becomes a big tipper to the kid who goes to get him the big goose hanging in the window of the butcher shop. He gives presents to the Cratchets and pledges to help Tiny Tim. He goes to Fred's house, and participates in Christmas, giving presents and good wishes to all. And, he finds that in doing so, he gets happiness for himself. And, happiness in life is all there can be.

The end harkens back to the beginning, when Jacob Marley howls, "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" That's the lesson Scrooge learns by the end of the book.

And, in another way, I see the book as important in that it shows that Christ does not heal anyone, people do. Tiny Tim says early on about his own malady that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day who made lame beggars walk and blind men see. But in the end, Tiny Tim is not helped by the long dead Christ. Tiny Tim is helped by "the spirit" of Christmas, which causes Ebenezer Scrooge to become good and generous, and it is Scrooge that does the "doing." Christ is just a symbol in A Christmas Carol.

The message is Humanism.

That's my take on it, anyway.

[Clinton Huxley]

Well said, sir. One of my faves. Alistair Sim is great.

[devogue]

I love Dickens.

Why use one word when 38 will do?

[Coito ergo sum]

[Coito ergo sum]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djEoaQmK ... re=related[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgZUG5g7 ... re=related[/youtube]

[Coito ergo sum]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VErVw0MW ... re=related[/youtube]

[Bella Fortuna]

The 'Christmas card' was originally called a 'Sim card.' FACT!

[Coito ergo sum]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CfpJ4X4 ... re=related[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3neThDt ... re=related[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8gOU8XJ ... re=related[/youtube]


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7NfDuDh ... re=related[/youtube]

[Coito ergo sum]

The 'Christmas card' was originally called a 'Sim card.' FACT!

[Coito ergo sum]

[charlou]

A Christmas Carol is a classic I've always appreciated .. It's a moral fantasy that transcends any religious overtones and imparts the value of sharing and caring over fiscal wealth, albeit focused around an annual event. This altruism and generosity of humanity serves society better when carried throughout the year. The notion that there is a 'season of giving' misses the point.

[Coito ergo sum]

A Christmas Carol is a classic I've always appreciated .. It's a moral fantasy that transcends any religious overtones and imparts the value of sharing and caring over fiscal wealth, albeit focused around an annual event. This altruism and generosity of humanity serves society better when carried throughout the year. The notion that there is a 'season of giving' misses the point.

Certainly so. However, having a "season of giving" doesn't hurt, if it serves as a periodic reminder to people that they should be making "mankind their business," as Jacob Marley puts it.

I also like the overtones of redemption (in this life) that permeate the story. Scrooge represents the worst of humanity - the scheming, grasping, covetous folks - that horde and are mean for no purpose. He just accumulates and doesn't even use it to make his own life more enjoyable. I note the scene in the early part of the story when Ebenezer goes home, alone, late, from work the night Marley comes to visit. He is among the wealthiest of men, but he sits in the cold, shivering, with only a tiny, meager fire, begrudged of coal, and spoons himself some awful looking "gruel." Surely, he could live better than that on his wealth?

So, not only doesn't his wealth make others happy, it doesn't even make him happy. He sits alone, cold and mean.

In the end, though, as long as he is still alive, he can redeem himself. And, by sharing his wealth and helping others, he himself is made happier as well, and he becomes liked and loved because he is no longer mean, but instead cheerful and full of laughter.

[Coito ergo sum]

[Shaker]

Dickens's A Christmas Carol is a sublime work - I re-read it every Christmas.

Dickens plus the Kermit and the rest of the Muppets, however ... now that's a work of genius.

[Coito ergo sum]

Re-reading it now! I reached the end of the second ghost's portion this morning on the can...