Let's consider the life of Ebenezer Scrooge. Here we have a man who has dedicated his entire life to the system of capitalism, to the improvement of the British economy. You might even call him a captain of industry. Sure he has lots of issues keeping down his overhead by keeping heating costs down and reducing the size of his staff.
Poor Ebenezer also has issues with keeping up with the demands of the holidays. Everyone is looking for him to contribute to their charities in a time that charitable giving wasn't tax deductible. He also has family wanting more of his time than he has available. What's a poor rich man supposed to do?
That's probably the spin that would be put on a Christmas Carol if Charles Dickens had been writing his classic Christmas story today. Instead, we get Scrooge portrayed as a greedy selfish man who is only looking out for number one even at the expense of the poor Cratchet family.
Dickens uses a device that seems unoriginal to us, but was very intriguing to the Victorian-era people of England-a visit by a series of ghosts that spoke from the past, present, and future of Scrooge's life. There job is to teach Scrooge the true meaning of Christmas. You already know how the story goes, but it is worth checking out the way Dickens writes the tales. It is a quick read and depending on the copy you use, it will probably be less than 100 pages. Check this tale out as a part of your Christmas tradition.
No comments:
Post a Comment