The Greatest Novel Ever Written

You know all of the characters. Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit. You know the story by heart. Or do you? Have you ever read the novel? Have you ever experienced Dickens breathtaking prose, his incredible gift for storytelling, his wit and wisdom? This is something I do once a year this time of year when I read A Christmas Carol. I never tire of it, and it's a tradition I started back in 1987. It is always entertaining, and there is always something new to discover and marvel at.

In order to understand the novel it is necessary to understand the man who wrote it. Charles Dickens was born on February 7th, 1812 in the town of Portsmouth, England. He came from a poor family and was forced to work in a factory at a young age among deplorable conditions. This set the stage for Dickens socialistic political views, and inspired many of the characters and situations for his future works.

His best-known work, A Christmas Carol, was published in 1843 and has stood the test of time for 157 years. Here's what a contemporary, Lord Jeffrey, had to say about the book in Dickens time:

You should be happy yourself, for you may be sure you have done more good by this little publication, fostered more kindly feelings, and prompted more positive acts of benevolence, than can be traced to all the pulpits and confessionals in Christendom.

He couldn't have been more right. Dickens novel surely has influenced more people, especially as to their perceptions regarding Christmas, than any other work ever written. Dickens himself had this to say about A Christmas Carol in December of 1843:

I have endeavored in this ghostly little book, to raise the ghost of an idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

The book may well be the most-adapted of any novel ever written, with versions for the big screen and television including Scrooge in 1951 with Alistair Sim in the title role, A Christmas Carol in 1981 with George C. Scott in a masterful performance as Scrooge, A Christmas Carol in 1999 with Patrick Stewart playing Ebenezer, 1970’s musical Scrooge with Albert Finney, Bill Murray’s 1988 Scrooged comedy version, An American Christmas Carol starring Henry Winkler, and even animated versions with the Muppets and Mister Magoo. And then of course there’s Dr. Seuss’s Grinch, who hates Christmas as much as Ebenezer ever did, and in the end learns the true meaning of Christmas and is redeemed.

Yes, A Christmas Carol is a classic tale for the holidays, but perhaps, just perhaps, there’s a bit more to this story than meets the eye? Dickens was a social progressive, and upon reading the novel one will certainly pick up on his views of the injustices of English society of the day.

Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? Dickens father spent time in a debtors prison, and he was a vehement foe of them. He railed against the plight of the poor in England, and one can actually view the Cratchits as the stereotypical English working class family eking out a bare existence and not able to afford the essentials of life (such as medial care for Tiny Tim). Bob Cratchit’s labor is exploited by Scrooge who amasses incredible wealth at Bob’s expense.

There are other, subtle comments too. Dickens takes a shot at what we in modern times call “blue laws” that kept shops closed on Sundays in an exchange between Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present:
”Spirit,” said Scrooge, after a moment’s thought, “I wonder you, of all the beings in the many worlds about us, should desire to cramp these people’s opportunities of innocent enjoyment.”
“I!” cried the Spirit.
“You would deprive them of their means of dining every seventh day, often the only day on which they can be said to dine at all,” said Scrooge, “wouldn’t you?”
“I!” cried the Spirit.
“You seek to close these places on the Seventh Day,” said Scrooge. “And it comes to the same thing.”
“I seek!” exclaimed the Spirit.

Dickens goes on to hint that the church run by man may not always represent the wishes of God after all.
There are some upon this earth of yours,” returned the Spirit, “who claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness all in our name, who are as strange to us, and all out kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us.”

Clearly though, Dickens chose the Christmas season and it’s Christian celebration as a means toward promoting not only social equality but peace on Earth and good will towards men. The book overflows with Christian references. The ghost of Christmas Past refers directly to the sight of Heaven.

A Christmas Carol is a ghost story, and some argue that Dickens uses a classic literary device by keeping us wondering if the Spirits exist at all, or are just a dream brought on by Scrooge’s guilty conscience. Could this be true? Scrooge is in bed when he is visited by of the spirits, with the exception of Jacob Marley. His visitations occur on the anniversary of Jacob Marley’s death, perhaps indicating that Scrooge’s conscience could have cooked up the whole affair. As for me, I take the visitations by the spirits as being real. Jacob Marley’s ghost was a ghost, as indicated in the second page of the novel:
There is no doubt that Marley was dead. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.”

Ultimately, however, A Christmas Carol is a story of forgiveness and redemption. Ebenezer Scrooge is a cold, cruel, and heartless man, but he almost wasn’t. Hated by his father, who blamed him for his wife’s death when she died giving birth to Ebenezer, Scrooge is embittered against the world when his beloved sister Fan in turn dies giving birth to Scrooge’s nephew Fred. As his father was cold to him, Scrooge refuses to form a relationship with his nephew. Scrooge’s past is taken into account in his redemption.

As there was hope for Ebenezer Scrooge, there can be hope for all of us. As Scrooge had the opportunity to reflect upon his mistakes and put them right, so to can we who read the novel reflect upon the wrongs we have done along the way, and perhaps receive redemption ourselves. This too was Dickens message, and it is especially poignant in the Christmas season. In the words of Tiny Tim, God bless us, everyone.