Notes on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"

IntroductionMy favorite holiday has always been Christmas. Every Christmas my mind isfilled with mythologies, folklore and warm memories. In spite of the ongoing chargesof commercialism and the loss of true meaning, Christmas remains an importantcultural tradition that encourages family and spiritual renewal, good deeds, and lovefor fellow human.Almost every year I watch at least one version of Charles Dickens' classictale--A Christmas Carol. This story synthesizes many of the key Christmas themes:love for other people, giving to the poor, man's need for conversion, etc. What arethe rhetorical characteristics of this work and how do they function to communicatethe central themes of Christmas? This question is worthy of an answer for tworeasons: the importance of the writer and the importance of the work.Charles Dickens was a prolific writer. During his lifetime he wrote almost 15novels, five novelettes, and countless magazine articles and letters.

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Dickens' workswere popular throughout his lifetime, and he even took certain works "on tour" anddid public readings. His public readings were treasured by rich and poor alike andexposed many non-reading people to his works.

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Dickens' timeless ideas expose the cruelties of humanity while challenging usto rise to a higher level of humanity. Even though many Victorian writers decried theevil woes of their day, Dickens thoughts leap out beyond that era and speak wordsof life and energy today. Some critics have considered his contributions so importantthat they have compared his timeless ideas with those of Shakespeare and Freud.

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Dickens not only proclaimed important thoughts in his works but he made animpact upon his world and continues to exert an influence today. Because I aminterested in his link with our Christmas celebration I will focus my argument uponthe celebration of Christmas. Many critics judge his influence so essential to ourcelebration that they hail him as the "Father of modern Christmas," "the spirit of

Christmas," "the inventor of Christmas" and the "key figure in the development of our modern Christmas."

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Paul Davis reports that there were thousands of Londonerswho had never read a line of Dickens and yet looked to him as "the spirit of Christmas incarnate" (53).Dickens greatest impact upon Christmas is realized through his classic tale AChristmas Carol. This work is worthy of study because of its popularity, criticalacclaim, and social impact.Dickens released A Christmas Carol in 1843 to an overwhelming response.According to J.M. Golby and A.W. Purdue, 15,000 copies were sold the first year andnine stage productions were presented the following year (51). During the course of his life, Dickens conducted 127 public readings of this work to the excitement of audiences all over the world (Davis, 53). These public readings not only delightedaudiences but also made his work accessible for non-readers. A Christmas Carol hascontinued to soar in popularity and accessibility with adaptations on stage, radio,cinema, cartoons, musicals, and television shows.

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Critics join the public support of A Christmas Carol. J. M. Golby and A. W.Purdue contend that it bridges the world as it is to the "world as it should be" (45). In The Lives and Times of Ebenezer Scrooge, Paul Davis chronicles the impact of thiswork upon our culture. A broad range of scholars and critics have discussed theimplications of A Christmas Carol upon psychology, human resources, social reform,literature and education.

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Ultimately, the most important reason for studying A Christmas Carol isbecause of the impact it has had and continues to have upon our concept andcelebration of Christmas. Every year television stations broadcast versions of AChristmas Carol to people all over the world, and every year Charles Dickensdefinition of Christmas is acted out before thousands of people. Paul Daviscomments that the impact of A Christmas Carol was so great upon him as a child

that he feels as if he has always known Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim (3). Theterms "Bah Humbug" and "Scrooge" have become a part of our vernacular as wedescribe those who fail to share the holiday spirit.When Dickens presented the public readings of A Christmas Carol, theaudiences often responded by changing their behavior. After one reading in Boston aNew England manufacturer was so stunned that he decided to begin a custom of closing the company of Christmas day (Golby, 48). Davis says that Dickens hasbecome the prophet of the Christmas gospel and explains how many haveresponded to A Christmas Carol like it was a holy sacrament (57-58).Every time A Christmas Carol is retold through books, radio, television, filmand stage the audience is challenged once again to respond to his timeless messageof love and giving. The audience observes what a Christmas celebration ought to belike and feel constrained to duplicate this pattern in their own lives. Many times Iremember viewing a film or theatrical version of A Christmas Carol and feelingchallenged not to neglect the spirit of the season.Charles Dickens has an ongoing influence in today's culture. A ChristmasCarol continues to grow in popularity and revive or implement the celebration of Christmas in America, England and other parts of the world. A work of thismagnitude and impact is worthy of rhetorical examination and criticism. It deservesand requires that we look deep into its many facets, as we try and understand whatcauses such a work to continue to affect so many people.One approach for considering its sustaining power is to consider the role itplays in society. A Christmas Carol speaks to the needs and condition of humans andhas been experienced and appreciated on many different levels (see footnote 6). Itis possible that A Christmas Carol fulfills what Ira Progoff calls an "image of utopia."

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An "image of utopia" provides hope for a civilization in symbols and images thatexpress the highest potential of society. When considering A Christmas Carol as an