Four Ghosts, Eight Cratchits, and a Very Cranky Old Man

Of the Father's Love Begotten, Ere the world began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the source the ending He. Of the things that are, that ha-a-a-a-ve been, and that future years shall see, Evermore and evermore.

A Christmas Carol is Charles Dickens' Christmas ghost story. Or rather I should say, one of his Christmas ghost stories, for the author seemed to like the combination of ghosts and Christmas, and came up with several tales incorporating both. This particular tale has 5 chapters which are referred to as staves, undoubtedly each as a line in the carol that tells the story. It is interesting that there are five of them since a staff contains five lines, making for a nice symmetry, but I can't say whether that was intentional.

The first chapter in this story sets up the main character, Ebenezer Scrooge, as the insensitive, money hungry miser, describing the ill-tempered way he treats those around him. The next three chapters deal with the specters that visit him on Christmas eve: the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future. This is what called to mind the hymn quoted above, especially since it is sung at Christmas time.

With the help of the Spirits, Scrooge first sees himself as a child and young man, remembering the unhappy times but reveling in the fun as well. In the present he sees many different celebrations of Christmas including that of his clerk, Bob Cratchit, as well as his nephew. Finally with the future he receives a foreshadowing of the unpleasant things to come. He also gets insight into what people really think of him.

It is the last chapter, which deals with the conversion of Scrooge from his avaricious ways to become a man who could keep Christmas with the best of them, that makes this story so likeable and timeless. It is a story of redemption and forgiveness which always makes for good reading, and of course the abrupt change in the main character means that the secondary ones will be shocked and surprised, pleasantly so. Who doesn't like that in a story? It is the staple of every soap opera and most of the movies ever to hit the theater. The only thing better would be if he could come back from the dead, and he even does that in a sense.

The Biblical stories that held great appeal to me are the ones in which people are radically changed in their circumstances or character, especially when the change involves contrition and forgiveness. I love the story of Joseph, especially when he reveals himself to his brothers and he forgives them. The parable of the prodigal son has always been a favorite, and of course the story of the conversion of Saul to Paul. Perhaps that is why I have been a big fan of A Christmas Carol for so many years. Ebenezer Scrooge is a "squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner". Yet he isn't evil or monstrous. He doesn't fleece the elderly or steal from babies. He doesn't actively hurt anyone, it's just his complete lack of generosity and goodwill that contribute to the demise of the less fortunate.

Scrooge doesn't care, and in some memorable lines tells a solicitor that if the poor would rather die than go to jail or workhouse that they "should do so and decrease the surplus population." Perhaps there is a touch of evil in him after all, but the fact of the matter is that as little joy as Scrooge brings to others, it is no more than what he allows himself. He takes no pleasure in life, save for realizing that someone owes him money, or perhaps making jokes at one's situation. He doesn't enjoy the things his money can buy, and hasn't even purchased a nice bird for Christmas dinner; most likely he will be eating gruel leftover from last night's supper He can't even enjoy the cheerful salutations of his nephew or the song of a caroler sung outside his window, chasing both well-wishers away. Because he is a pathetic character rather than an evil one, we can watch his reactions and enjoy his transformation.

Many lines in A Christmas Carol are probably quite familiar, especially some of Scrooge's more vituperative ones. They are also quite humorous, and in fact, Dickens works a lot of his trademark humor into this Christmas novella.

"If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart."

Later on while talking to the ghost of Jacob Marley, his late partner by seven years, he makes several puns. He blames his vision on indigestion and tells Marley's ghost "there's more of gravy than of grave about you." Some thoughts he wisely keeps to himself rather than speaking aloud, such as the scene in which he meets the first of the three ghosts. The ghost proclaims he is there for Scrooge's welfare, and even though Scrooge professes to be obliged for this, he thinks to himself that a night of sleep would be more valuable to said welfare.

Since Scrooge can at times, enjoy himself to the extent of making little jokes and wordplay, perhaps he is not totally devoid of feeling. As he is shown the scenes of his past Christmas, he gets so caught up in reliving them that he experiences the emotions once again. He enjoys himself with the Fezziwigs, and is saddened by the loss of his sweetheart. He feels remorse upon remembering some of his poor behavior earlier in the day, and he is mortified to hear his own words thrown back at him at key moments. Thus the transformation begins.

Another humorous scene worth mentioning is in the Present day Christmas when Scrooge is observing his nephew's celebrations. There is a gentleman there interested in one of the nephew's sisters-in-law, "the plump one with the lace tucker: not the one with the roses"; later he gets his hands on her in a mean game of Blind Man's Buff.

The way he went after that plump sister in the lace tucker, was an outrage on the credulity of human nature. Knocking down the fire-irons, tumbling over the chairs, bumping against the piano, smothering himself among the curtains, where she went, there went he! He always knew where the plump sister was. He wouldn't catch anyone else.

The scene goes on to show that perhaps she wasn't as adverse to being caught as the reader might think. The fellowship, the fun and games, the food, the music are all a part of the Christmas celebration in Dickens's story. From the richest lord to the poorest laborer, everyone, save Scrooge, is celebrating Christmas to the degree they can afford, even if it be no more than an extra bottle of whiskey. The ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge all the permutations of the Christmas celebration, and the readers can feast on these descriptions as well.

A Christmas Carol, published near Christmas in 1843, was so well received that Dickens continued the tradition of novellas for Christmas for another four years. He received letters from fans praising his story, and relating their experience in reading it aloud to their family. People were touched by the message in the story, and perhaps given the conditions of life in the post-Industrial Revolution era, were eager for stories that not only upheld the simple joys of home and hearth, but tried to put a face on the less fortunate.

Dickens wasn't one to shy away from social commentary, as themes in novels like Oliver Twist and Hard Times attest. In A Christmas Carol he hits on some of the same things: workhouses, the Poor Law, the treatment of the working class. Scrooge isn't just one tightfisted, slave driving employer—he's all of them. Contrasted with the sickly, poor Tiny Tim who is full of kindness for others, Scrooge looks hideous indeed. Sadly (or happily), Scrooge can control the fate of Tiny Tim, for when he sees the future, this youngest Cratchit is no longer living. When Scrooge alters his behavior, giving Bob Cratchit a raise and generally treating the family better, Tiny Tim's destiny is altered.

Dickens also takes stabs at other things, like Malthus's population essay, and the work of the Sabbatarian movement which sought to close business places on the 7th day. When Ebenezer is talking to the ghost of Christmas present, he accuses that spirit of wanting to deprive the poor of "opportunities of innocent enjoyment" by closing establishments on the seventh day. The ghost denies this, and when Scrooge says it is being done in his name, the ghost has this to say:

"There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness 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."

I thought this was quite an interesting passage, as it isn't one I had remembered. As I was reading, I was thinking that there wasn't much of God mentioned, nor the spirit of Christmas as concerns Christ. A Christmas Carol is not a religious story, but I wondered if that fact was due to Dickens's beliefs, or just because Christianity as it was practiced was so tightly integrated with society that certain things were assumed. There is mention of church goers, but certainly not all the celebrations of Christmas seem to involve that.

That passage notwithstanding, I am more likely to think that my latter assumption is correct; keeping in mind, of course, that it has been said that Dickens had a low opinion of organized religion and the clergy. * He obviously believed in the humanistic aspects of the religion, I feel, since Tiny Tim who goes to church and quotes the Bible is a sympathetic character. However, he was definitely criticizing those followers of religion that didn't practice what they professed.

A Christmas Carol is a wonderful story that reminds us we can choose to do good things and bring happiness to others. No one is beyond help not even an old man who doesn't know the meaning of the word compassion. All it takes is the work of the ghosts of Christmas to show this man the joy he will be missing by persisting in his old ways.

* http://www.jsonline.com/letsgo/daily/1129dickens.stm


This is part of a write-off with the following wonderful authors: Elorraine, acdc711, adrienne10, BeeCharmer, Bmcnichol, bpotter1, Caleo, cbgresh, CjsMommy, coldsteel7, dandj, Diane-E , dreamcatcher39, drlolipop, ed_grover, fresca, Grouch, JdinPA, JENNI1396, jenninca, jennull, jgibson2, kristinafh, Lisa_J, lucky43560, lunadisarm, margomargo, meanbeast, msmorvay, nightridrr2000, poseidon, Redlass, shazzle99, tiasmom, Trevsmom and Workingmomof2. Please check out their reviews to find more Christmas favorites. A special thanks to Elorraine for organizing this write-off.

For more information on A Christmas Carol visit the following site: www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/cgi-bin/carol/hmt/carol.html

For more information on the work of Dickens, check out: www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/Dickens.html