A Christmas Carol A Christmas Tradition by Charles Dickens 2015 Dickens applied his unique power of observation to the city in which he spent most of his life. He routinely walked the city streets, 10 or 20 miles at a time. His descriptions of nineteenth century London allow readers to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the old city. This ability to immerse the reader into time and place sets the perfect stage for Dickens to weave his fiction. Then and Now – London 1843 and Today London in 1843 Victorian London was the largest, most spectacular city in the world. While Britain was experiencing the Industrial Revolution, its capital was both reaping the benefits and suffering the consequences. In 1800 the population of London was around one million souls. That number would swell to 4.5 million by 1880. While fashionable areas like Regent and Oxford streets were growing in the west, new docks supporting the city's place as the world's trade center were being built in the east. Perhaps the biggest Imagine yourself in the impact on the growth of London of the early 19th London was the coming century. The homes of the of the railroad in the upper and middle class exist 1830s which displaced in close proximity to areas thousands and of unbelievable poverty and accelerated the filth. expansion of the city Rich and poor alike are The price of this thrown together in the explosive growth and crowded city streets. Street domination of world sweepers attempt to keep trade was untold squalor the streets clean of manure, (poverty) and filth. the result of thousands of horse-drawn vehicles. Imagine The city's thousands of chimney pots belch coal smoke, resulting in soot which seems to settle everywhere. In many parts of the city raw Pick-pockets, prostitutes, sewage flows in gutters that drunks, beggars, and empty into the Thames. vagabonds add to the colorful multitude. Personal cleanliness is not a big priority, nor is clean laundry. A Christmas Carol London… In 1843, about one third of the people in London, England lived in poverty. The Poor Law of 1834 forced the homeless into workhouses that were little more than prisons. Dickens wanted to (1.) show people the suffering of the poor and (2. )convince people who read his play that these conditions needed to be changed. Elements of Drama 1. stage directions – instructions for actors, and stage crew 2. drama – a story to be performed before an audience 3. climax- the moment of highest tension and excitement in the plot of a drama 4. dialogue – a conversation between characters in a drama 5. script – drama written form, including character’s lines 6. foil – a character who provides a sharp contrast to the qualities of the main character (antagonist) 7. props – the objects the actors use during the play (cup, chair, book) 8. scenes/acts – divisions in a drama (similar to chapters in a novel) Stage Directions Vocabulary 1. 2. 3. solitude – the state of being alone charitable – generous in giving incoherent – Unable to think or express one's thoughts in a clear or orderly manner 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. finale – at the end, the concluding part odious – causing or deserving strong dislike currency - money welfare – a supplying of needs emerge – to come into sight provision - a supplies of food or other basic needs summon – to call for with authority or urgency Match the vocabulary words to the pictures Vocabulary (cont.) 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. mortal – human, of the earth surplus – extra, more than is needed abundance - great amount or supply macabre – suggesting the horror of death and decay endeavor - to try transform – to change the form or appearance of pledge - word of honor, oath reassurance – a restoring of confidence anonymous – not having one’s name known destitute – lacking the necessities of life Match the vocabulary words to the pictures A Quick Review Setting- The time and place of a story Example: It was December 24th, 1824, on a snowy Christmas eve in Victorian London. Personification- Giving human characteristics to non-human things Example: The knife and fork looked on happily as father began to carve the turkey. Foreshadowing- Hinting at things to come Example: Scrooge wished he could rid himself of the sick feeling in his gut that told him something terrible was going to happen. What do you already know? A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Overview-- Ebenezer Scrooge, a tight-fisted and bitter man, is visited by three spirits to bring about his redemption before his death. He learns to love his fellow man after being shown the love and generosity that symbolizes Christmas. Introduction by Charles Dickens foreshadowing….... Charles Dickens Charles Dickens (1812-1870), English Victorian era author wrote numerous highly acclaimed novels. •Dickens‘ writing style is flowing and poetic, with a strong comic touch. • Many people thought of Dickens as an advocate for the poor, at a time when there was little sympathy towards those in poverty. • Dickens other works include: Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby, The Pickwick Papers Charles Dickens Charles Dickens (1812-1870), was the second child of John and Elizabeth Dickens. • The Dickens family was on shaky financial ground from the beginning • John Dickens did not have a good head for numbers and he dabbled in journalism, which influenced his son, but failed to bring the family much income. • By 1823, things had gotten so bad that Dickens was forced to withdraw from school because they could not afford it. • Two days after his 12th birthday, Charles was sent to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory. His father was sentenced to prison because of failure to repay a debt. The entire family with the exception of Charles and his older sister Fanny moved into John’s prison cell. Charles Dickens • Charles lived alone at a boarding house while his family was in prison. This situation was more than the sensitive 12 year old could bear. He became very sickly. • Finally his father inherited some money and was able to arrange to have his debt paid off and the family moved in together at the boarding house where Charles had been living. He was able at that time to go back to school. • Charles never got over his terror of poverty. Nor did he ever forget the deprivations he endured during his family crisis. • Scenes from the factory, the boarding house, and the debtor’s prison are seen throughout his fiction. • At 14 he got a job as a law clerk, and started hanging out around London’s Theater district. He got his first gig as a professional writer at 16, working as a freelance court reporter. A Christmas Carol It’s hard to imagine a Christmas season without the story of old Scrooge, Bah Humbug! and “God bless us, every one.” At the time this story was written (1843), the generous spirit of Christmas charity didn’t exist in England. Many people did not believe in generosity to the poor. Instead, they believed the poor somehow brought poverty upon themselves. * * * * * * A Christmas Carol In a clever play on words, Dickens divides the book into 5 “staves” instead of chapters. Staves is a musical term, in keeping with the title, A Christmas Carol– which, of course, is a song. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss The character of the Grinch is based on the protagonist of “A Christmas Carol” – Scrooge. As we read the drama, note similarities in the two main characters and the plot of both the book and the play. Protagonist & Antagonist “A Christmas Carol” is unusual because Scrooge, the Protagonist (usually the good guy), is a very BAD guy. The antagonist (usually the bad guy) is the good guy. Remember that the antagonist is the person who causes the conflict for the protagonist. They are not always good guys or bad guys.