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Charles dickens was one of the most popular writers of 18th century. He wrote many marvelous stories and A Christmas carol is one of those. A Christmas carol was written in English language. Christmas carols was published in 19 December 1843. Christmas carols publisher were Chapman and Hall.
A Christmas carol in the form of Prose was actually one story of a ghost. It was famously referred as A Christmas carol. This novel was published at the first time with illustration by John Leech. This got instant success. Over six thousands copies of the christmas carols novel were sold in the first week.
Christmas Carols story has proved to be the one of the well popular and interesting Christmas stories ever. Actually, this christmas carols novel was written to pay off the debt of the Charles Dickens.
Case study
Christmas carols story helped in redefinition of the importance of the Christmas. Christmas carols was written at the time of the decline of the old traditions of the Christmas.
"If Christmas, with its ancient and hospitable customs, its social and charitable observances, were in danger of decay, this is the book that would give them a new lease," well-said by English poet Thomas Hood.
A Christmas Carol - Plot summary
In actual A Christmas Carol is a Victorian morality story of an old and miser person, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes with some experience one evening. Scrooge has contributed his whole life in the accumulation of the money and is a money-changer.
Charles dickens has divided his literary work into five staves instead of chapters. The five staves are as follows:
- Stave I - Marley's Ghost
- Stave II - The First of the Three Spirits
- Stave III - The Second of the Three Spirits
- Stave IV - The Last of the Three Spirits
- Stave V - The End of it
Theme of the novel - A Christmas Carol
Basically two recurrent themes of the Dickens' are taken extensively that is poverty and social injustice. The relation between these two is shown in this novel and their causes and effects. The fist edition of the novel A Christmas Carol was done by John Leech.
Story in short
Stave I: The story starts with Jacob Marley and Scrooge are partners in the firm. And it's being seven years after the Marley's death. Further, he saw the ghostly face of Marley and it was the beginning of the harrowing night. Marley tells him that three other ghost will also come but Scrooge doesn't believes and goes to sleep thinking sleep will make him feel better.
Stave II: The first spirit appears and it takes Scrooges to some of its happiest and saddest moments of his life. Scrooge enshrouds the spirit with a large candle-snuffer that it carries and comes back to his room. The ghost was of Christmas past.
Stave III: In this stave the ghost of Christmas present appears. It shows the celebration of Christmas by Cratchit family. The ghost reveals two children who struggle under his robes and it personifies the major causes of suffering in the world,"Ignorance" and "Want" ,with a dreadful warning that the former one is no doubt harmful.
Stave IV: The spirit makes scared Scrooge more than anyone else and despoils him with the intention of the Cratchit family destruction of Tiny Tim, of Scrooge's own death in a lonesome condition and final anguish, and the indifferent, greedy reactions of the people.
Stave V: At the final stave, Scrooge makes his life coverted and becomes once again a kind-hearted and generous soul, which he used to be in his youth before the sad demise of his sister took place. The very day after Christmas, Scrooge reached at work early. Cratchit is unexpected surprised and Scrooge makes him a wish of Merry Christmas.
The main characters of the novel:
Some of the main characters of the novel are as follows:
- Bob Cratchit
- Ebenezer Scrooge
- Jacob Marley (who appears in the story only as a ghost)
- Fred (nephew of Scrooge)
- Tiny Tim (son of Bob)
- The Ghost of Christmas Past
- The Ghost of Christmas Present
- The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
Some of the supporting characters of the novel are as follows:
- Fezziwig
- Fan (Scrooge's late sister)
- Belle (the woman to whom Scrooge was once got engaged)
- Mrs. Cratchit (Bob Cratchit's wife)
- Peter Cratchit (Bob Cratchit's eldest son)
- Belinda Cratchit (Bob Cratchit's second eldest daughter)
- Martha Cratchit (Bob Cratchit's eldest daughter)
- Two without named boy and girl of Cratchit
- Mrs. Dilber (Scrooge's charwoman)
- The two Portly Gentlemen
- Old Joe ( a receiver of the stolen goods)
- A Young Boy and a Girl, Ignorance and Want, respectively.
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