A Christmas Carol TOP GRADE ANALYSIS

Summary

This insightful script explores the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol,' suggesting his change begins with a visit to Fezziwig's party and deepens with his concern for Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. It posits that Dickens' true message is a call to employers for fair wages and paternalistic care, not just charity. The script delves into themes of fatherhood, social responsibility, and the importance of education in poverty alleviation, revealing Scrooge's personal journey from fear of abandonment to embracing life fully.

Takeaways

• 🎄 The traditional view of Scrooge's transformation in 'A Christmas Carol' is challenged, suggesting that his change begins in Stave 2 rather than after the visit from the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
• 👥 Dickens' focus on Scrooge's role as an employer and the wages of Bob Cratchit implies a message to his readers, who were likely middle-class employers, to improve working conditions and wages for their employees.
• 💼 The amount of Bob Cratchit's wage is emphasized to highlight Scrooge's initial miserliness as an employer, not just as a person, and the broader societal implications of fair wages.
• 🚶‍♂️ Research into the average distance a Victorian bank worker would walk to work is used to draw a parallel with Bob Cratchit's commute, reinforcing the relatability of Bob's situation to the novel's readers.
• 🏡 Dickens' detailed descriptions of locations in the novel serve to connect the experiences of Scrooge and Bob Cratchit to the real-life conditions of London during the Victorian era.
• 💰 The novel concludes with Scrooge deciding to pay Bob more, underscoring the importance of fair wages over charity as a means of social change.
• 👨‍👧 The theme of fatherhood is introduced through Tiny Tim and Scrooge's developing paternal role, emphasizing the societal expectation for men to take on a nurturing and supportive role.
• 👴 The inclusion of the ghosts of Ignorance and Want within the robe of Christmas Present serves as a warning about the potential for social unrest and the necessity of education as a means to alleviate poverty.
• 📚 Dickens' personal financial struggles and his passion for educating the poor are reflected in the novel's themes, suggesting that social improvement is closely tied to access to education.
• 🤑 The portrayal of Scrooge's death and the characters who steal from him is used to criticize the insufficient wages of the poor, suggesting that even criminals are victims of an unfair economic system.
• 🧳 Scrooge's past relationships, particularly with Belle, are analyzed to show how past experiences can unconsciously influence personality and decision-making, offering a nuanced view of his character development.

Q & A

What is the traditional interpretation of Scrooge's transformation in 'A Christmas Carol'?

The traditional interpretation is that Scrooge changes once he has been confronted by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

At which point in the story does the script suggest Scrooge starts to change his mind?

Scrooge first starts to change his mind in Stave 2 when he goes back in time to Fezziwig's Christmas party.

Why is Scrooge's inquiry about Bob Cratchit's situation significant according to the script?

It is significant because it suggests that Dickens wants to reach his readers who are employers more than those who just give to charity, emphasizing the importance of fair wages.

What specific detail does Dickens use to show Scrooge is not a miserly employer?

Dickens specifies the amount that Fred is going to be paid if he gets his job and how much Bob is paid, showing Scrooge is paying the going rate.

How does the script suggest Dickens wanted to connect with his London readers regarding Bob Cratchit's living situation?

Dickens is careful to let readers know exactly where Scrooge's offices and where Bob lives, to make the connection that Bob's treatment is not worse than other employees in Victorian England.

What was the main message Dickens wanted to convey to employers through 'A Christmas Carol'?

Dickens' main message is that social change should come through fair wages and not just charity, emphasizing the importance of employers paying a living wage.

Why were the first readers of 'A Christmas Carol' likely to be middle-class employers?

They were likely to be middle-class employers because they could afford the first edition, which was expensive, and they typically employed serving staff at home.

What theme is introduced in Stave 3 that underpins the whole novel according to the script?

The theme of fatherhood is introduced in Stave 3, which underpins the whole novel.

How does Scrooge's relationship with Tiny Tim develop throughout the novel?

Scrooge develops a paternal role through Tiny Tim, which is emphasized at the end of the novel when Scrooge becomes a second father to Tiny Tim.

What was Dickens' financial situation when he wrote 'A Christmas Carol'?

Dickens was in financial straits, having spent a lot on a tour of America and needing to earn money quickly, which led him to write a Christmas story.

What political message does Dickens convey about the importance of education for the poor?

Dickens conveys that education is crucial for the poor to improve their lives and that denying them education could lead to violence and revolution.

How does the script suggest Dickens used the character of Scrooge to explore the impact of past relationships on personality?

The script suggests that Dickens explores the impact of past relationships, such as Scrooge's with his father and Belle, on his personality and future decisions.

What does the script imply about Scrooge's choice of Belle as a bride and its connection to his past?

The script implies that Scrooge's choice of a much younger Belle and their prolonged engagement created circumstances for her to leave him, mirroring the abandonment he experienced in his past.

How does the script interpret Scrooge's transformation at the end of the novel?

The script interprets Scrooge's transformation as a result of overcoming his fear of abandonment, allowing him to embrace life and find joy in his fellow man.

Outlines

00:00

🎄 'A Christmas Carol': Dickens' Social Commentary

This paragraph explores the idea that Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' is not just a tale of personal transformation for Ebenezer Scrooge but also a social commentary aimed at employers. It suggests that Scrooge's change begins during the second stave, when he is taken to Fezziwig's Christmas party, and his concern for Bob Cratchit indicates a shift in his views on employment. Dickens is believed to be urging employers to pay fair wages, as evidenced by the detailed information about wages and the distance Bob walks to work. The author argues that the novel's message is more about social change through fair wages than charity, as the ending focuses on Scrooge's decision to increase Bob's pay rather than his charitable contributions.

05:01

👨‍👧 Fatherhood and Social Responsibility in 'A Christmas Carol'

The second paragraph delves into the theme of fatherhood and its significance in the novel. It posits that Scrooge's transformation is also influenced by his evolving relationship with Tiny Tim, which represents a paternal role that Dickens believed was crucial in a patriarchal society. The author suggests that Dickens wanted wealthy men to take on a more paternalistic role towards the poor, providing for them not just through charity but through fair wages and opportunities. The paragraph also discusses the importance of education as a means to lift the poor out of poverty, using the figures of Ignorance and Want to illustrate the potential for social unrest without proper education and living wages.

10:03

💔 Emotional Attachments and Patterns in Scrooge's Life

This paragraph examines the psychological aspects of Scrooge's character, focusing on how his past relationships and experiences have shaped his personality and decisions. It discusses Scrooge's relationship with Belle and how his longing for fatherhood is tied to his own feelings of abandonment. The author suggests that Scrooge's choice of a much younger Belle as a bride was a subconscious repetition of his own abandonment by his father, mother, and sister. The paragraph concludes by highlighting how Scrooge's transformation is not just about overcoming his miserly ways but also about healing from past emotional wounds and embracing life fully.

Keywords

💡Scrooge

Scrooge is the protagonist of 'A Christmas Carol' who undergoes a transformation from a miserly character to a benevolent one. In the video's context, Scrooge's change of heart is not only pivotal to the story but also serves as a symbol of the potential for redemption and the impact of empathy in society. The script discusses Scrooge's initial encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come and his subsequent change, starting in Stave 2, as a key moment that reflects Dickens' message to his readers about the importance of social responsibility.

💡Transformation

Transformation in the video refers to the personal change that Scrooge experiences throughout the story, moving from a life of selfishness to one of generosity and kindness. The script highlights the beginning of this transformation in Stave 2 and further explores how Scrooge's change is motivated by the cumulative effect of the visits from the three ghosts, emphasizing the theme of personal growth and the power of redemption.

💡Employer

The term 'employer' is significant in the video as it relates to Dickens' message about the social responsibilities of those in positions of power. The script points out that Scrooge's change includes not only his personal life but also his role as an employer, particularly in relation to Bob Cratchit's wages. This concept is central to the video's theme, illustrating the broader societal implications of fair employment practices.

💡Charity

Charity is discussed in the script as a seasonal act that, while important, is not the primary focus of Dickens' message. Instead, the video suggests that Dickens is more concerned with the ongoing impact of fair wages and the role of employers in society. The script contrasts charity with the more sustainable and systemic change that can be achieved through just employment practices.

💡Patriarchal Society

The concept of a 'patriarchal society' is used in the video to describe the social structure of the time, where men held financial power. The script suggests that Dickens is urging these men to take on a more paternalistic role, acting as fathers to the poor and contributing more to society through their actions and attitudes, rather than dismissing the less fortunate.

💡Living Wage

The 'living wage' is a central concept in the video, referring to the idea that workers should be paid enough to afford basic necessities. The script argues that Dickens uses Scrooge's change in attitude towards paying Bob Cratchit more as a way to highlight the importance of fair wages for all, suggesting that social change should come not just from charity but from systemic improvements in workers' financial well-being.

💡Education

Education is presented in the video as a key to social mobility and a means to break the cycle of poverty. The script discusses Dickens' desire to write about the education of the poor and the presence of the figures of Ignorance and Want within the Ghost of Christmas Present, symbolizing the dangers of an uneducated populace and the potential for societal improvement through education.

💡Faith and Fatherhood

The theme of faith and fatherhood is explored in the video through Scrooge's developing relationship with Tiny Tim, which symbolizes a paternalistic role that Dickens believed wealthy men should adopt towards the poor. The script points out that Scrooge's transformation includes becoming a 'second father' to Tiny Tim, emphasizing the importance of this role in the narrative and its societal implications.

💡Social Change

Social change is a core theme in the video, with the script discussing how Dickens uses 'A Christmas Carol' to advocate for systemic changes in society, particularly through fair wages and education. The video suggests that Dickens' message extends beyond the personal transformation of Scrooge to include a call for broader societal reforms.

💡Attachment

Attachment in the video refers to the psychological concept of how past experiences and relationships can influence an individual's personality and future decisions. The script uses Scrooge's past relationships, particularly with Belle and his father, to illustrate how these attachments shape his character and contribute to his initial miserly behavior, as well as his eventual transformation.

💡Grief and Loss

Grief and loss are discussed in the video as common experiences in Victorian society that had a profound impact on individuals' personalities. The script suggests that Dickens uses Scrooge's character to empathize with his readers who may have experienced similar losses, offering a message of hope and the importance of embracing life despite such hardships.

Highlights

The traditional interpretation of Scrooge's change is challenged, suggesting his transformation begins in Stave 2.

Scrooge's initial change of heart is linked to his visit to Fezziwig's Christmas party and his subsequent inquiry about Bob Cratchit.

Dickens' focus on the wages of Fred and Bob Cratchit emphasizes the importance of fair employment practices over charity.

The average Victorian bank worker's commute is compared to Bob Cratchit's, highlighting the relatability of his situation.

Scrooge's decision to increase Bob Cratchit's wages is presented as more impactful than his charity contributions.

The original readers of 'A Christmas Carol' were likely middle-class employers, making the message of fair wages particularly relevant.

Scrooge's transformation is not solely due to the ghosts but also his concern for Tiny Tim's future.

The theme of fatherhood is introduced through Scrooge's developing relationship with Tiny Tim.

Dickens' personal financial struggles influenced the novel's focus on the importance of education for the poor.

The novel's central message is the necessity of social change through fair wages and education, not just charity.

The presence of Ignorance and Want within the Ghost of Christmas Present symbolizes the potential for societal unrest without education.

The structural placement of the Ignorance and Want scene at the center of the novel emphasizes its significance.

Scrooge's encounter with the thieves after his death reveals the desperation of the poor due to insufficient wages.

Scrooge's character is analyzed for psychological depth, with his past relationships influencing his personality and decisions.

The novel suggests that embracing life fully can help overcome the grief and loss prevalent in Victorian society.

Studying the novel's themes is suggested as a way to achieve a deeper understanding, with a follow-up video promised.

Transcripts

let's consider some of the grade nine

ideas that will fit almost any essay on

a christmas carol

[Music]

the traditional interpretation is that

scrooge

changes once he has been confronted by

the ghost of christmas yet to come

however

did you notice that he first started to

change his mind in stave 2

when he goes back in time to fizzy wig's

christmas party and then asks the ghost

about bob cratchit he's thinking about

changing his role as an employer now

this is a really important clue that

dickens wants to reach his readers who

are employers much more than he wants

them to give to charity

charity seems to come around at

christmas but an employer is going to

benefit everybody all the time

this is why he's so specific about the

amount that fred is going to be paid if

he gets his job and how specific he is

about how much bob is paid because

dickens wants to point out that scrooge

is a miser but he's not a miserly

employer and by that i mean he is paying

the going rate when i wrote my guide i

even researched how far the average

victorian bank worker would walk to work

three miles exactly the same as bob has

to walk from scrooge's back to camden

town where he lives and remember dickens

is really careful to let us know exactly

where scrooge's offices and where bob

lives he wants his london readers to

make that connection to understand that

bob is not treated in a way which is

worse

than all other employees in victoria and

england are treated

because his most passionate message is

to employers social change can't just

change through christmas

through charity it must change through

the way that people are financed through

their wage packets

and that is also why the novel ends with

scrooge deciding to pay bob moore

that is much more important than the

extra contribution he makes to charity

he doesn't even tell us how much scrooge

contributes to charity because it's not

as impactful it's not as important to

society as what he's proposing his

readers should do and something that you

might not know

nearly all of dickens original readers

with that first edition of the book

which they had to pay an absolute

fortune for would have been

very middle-class employers

why because everybody employed serving

staff

you had a cook you had a maid of all

work at the very least and probably a

number of other staff serving you in

your house every reader was an employer

every reader is being asked to pay more

by this novella

[Music]

another typical interpretation

is that scrooge is motivated

by a combination of all the ghosts

examining his past and his presence and

then his future and it's this cumulative

effect that makes him transform however

we've already seen that he began to

transform in stage two in stave three he

asked the ghost of christmas present

about the prospects for tiny tim to see

if tiny tim will survive in the future

this introduces the theme of fatherhood

that underpins the whole novel we see

the issues that scrooge has had with his

relationship with his own father who was

entirely absent and then

scrooge develops this role of father

through tiny tim and that is drummed

home to us very very specifically at the

end of the novel when scrooge becomes a

second father to tiny tim and those are

almost the last words of the novel

because this idea is so important

one reason this is so important of

course is that we are dealing with a

patriarchal society and dickens wants

the males the people who hold the

financial pur strings in society to

loosen those purse strings contribute

more to charity but also pay more he

wants

these men to take on a paternalistic

role to act like fathers to the poor

rather than being dismissive of them and

resorting to this malthusian

interpretation that the poor deserve

their poverty because they don't work

hard enough they belong in the workhouse

or the prison

[Music]

another fascinating bit of context that

we can use here

is that dickens needed to write this

novel to earn money he was in financial

straits having spent a fortune on a tour

of america and he wasn't able to recoup

those expenses he needed a hit christmas

was coming so obviously he wrote a

christmas story but before he discovered

how much money he needed he was

desperate to write about the education

of the poor he'd visited ragged schools

and he wanted to write a political

pamphlet to persuade people to fund

schools that would educate the poor why

because education is the way out of

poverty even more so then than it is

today and this is why we have this

fascinating and weird edition of two

ghosts you might not have considered

they are the ghosts hidden inside the

robe of christmas present these are

ignorance and want

ignorance is the one who is going to be

most dangerous according to the ghost

well what he means is revolution only a

few short years after the publication of

the novel we had revolutions spreading

across europe in 1848

and dickens is saying look politically

the poor will only find a way to improve

themselves through violence if you deny

them education but if you give them

education the poor will be able to get

better jobs and cease being poor in

order to improve society you must

educate them

now here's a cool structural point for

you this happens at the very end of

stave three so it's if you think of the

structure of the novel right at the

center it's the pivot on which the plot

pivots well damn

it's the fulcrum on which the plot

pivots and in this way

dickens dramatizes how important it is

it's a tiny little scene that he can't

really go into because that wouldn't fit

the rest of the novel

but giving it such prominence asks us to

consider

why has he done this why is this so

important

[Music]

dickens also wants his readers to

understand that the living wage is not a

living wage everybody who's working

their socks off in society amongst the

poor

are suffering because the middle classes

are not paying them enough and he

dramatizes this when the ghost of

christmas yet to come take scrooge to

see what happens after his death we have

the char woman the laundress the

undertaker's man and they have all been

forced to steal from scrooge

now you might say hang on a minute they

weren't forced they had a choice didn't

they they were just criminals dickens

puts them in for some comedy value and

to shock scrooge into realizing how

awful he was that these people now have

utter contempt for his dead body well

yes that too

but consider this they go and visit what

we would call a fence a dealer in stolen

goods he is a very old man and the

description of his poverty is hilarious

his parlour is just behind a scrap of

curtain there's absolutely no decoration

he has to draw on the wall with chalk to

work out the prices of what he's going

to pay he's an old man who's not got

enough money and he still needs to

benefit from crime well what's ticking's

message it is these people are not being

paid enough to survive and even

criminals aren't getting enough to

survive and all that would be flipped on

its head including crime if employers

paid a proper wage

[Music]

it's also traditional to see scrooge as

a kind of two-dimensional character he's

an exaggerated comic figure and we can't

actually believe that he's a realistic

one however dickens is very careful to

introduce this idea of attachment the

idea that our past so dramatically

influences our personality that it

affects the future decisions we make

without us even being aware

and as evidence of this i'm obviously

going to put forward his relationship

with his father that we dealt with

earlier but let's go a little deeper

[Music]

what about his relationship with belle

well when the ghost takes him to see

bell enjoying her christmas now

what scrooge focuses on isn't his lost

love

it is the daughter that he can't have he

imagines bell's daughter being his own

and he reflects that he will never get

that experience of fatherhood so we can

see the way he has pushed bell away in

his past mimics the way his own father

pushed him away now this of course is

not what scrooge wanted it was his

unconscious mind repeating that pattern

of his youth

but

let's go even deeper

[Music]

this daughter is belle's oldest child

and she also has a number of younger

children we can infer when we play

around with the ages that she is no more

than about 45 at most whereas scrooge

himself is a very old figure in other

words

when he fell in love with bell he picked

a bride who was far too young for him

then he stayed engaged to her for many

years he created the circumstances in

which his fiancee would see the benefit

in leaving him because he's simply too

old he chose someone who would be much

more likely to abandon him just as his

father abandoned him just as his mother

presumably abandoned him in death

because she's never present in the novel

and just as his sister definitely

abandoned him in death

[Music]

to show how important this is

dickens corrects it at the end because

fred no longer symbolizes that

abandonment scrooge seeks fred out he

goes to fred's party and has a wild and

vivacious time fred has cured him of

this feeling of abandonment and

therefore that psychologically allows

him to transform allows him to take joy

in his fellow man because he's no longer

afraid

of losing everything precious instead he

embraces life to the full

[Music]

now this isn't just a message for

scrooge because death was everywhere in

victorian society about 40 percent of

children died before the age of five so

so many of dickens readers would be

living with grief and loss often

repeatedly through the figure of scrooge

dickens is saying he understands how

that would affect the personality of

parent and he's offering hope

embrace life to the full and even if you

are alone you can still find meaning the

other way to get grade 9 of course is to

study all the themes of the novel

that's the video that i've got coming up

next