So the other day, I remembered that I had a copy of Chuck Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in my Kindle account. Although it's not one of my favorite novels, it is a great one to read during the holiday season.
.....or watch the Mickey Mouse or Muppets versions. :)
What brought this up was our oldest telling me that one of her teachers has had the class reading and discussing "A Christmas Carol" at school.
I remember doing that too. Don't recall which year or what teacher (likely was either Mrs. Walborn or Mrs. Kelly), but I remember each student having our own copy of the novel so we could highlight and make notes where necessary. I looked for my copy here at home last week and couldn't put my hands on it -- it likely was tossed years ago.
This week, I've come across 5 websites that have some great information/insight about "A Christmas Carol". I'd encourage you to check out the 1 or 2 that look most interesting.
This site has a great discussion about what line of work Ebenezer Scrooge was in.
Some say commodities trader.
Others say money lender (loan officer) or debt collector.
Maybe a lawyer? Or an accountant?
The novel doesn't make it very clear, although it does refer to a "countinghouse", which more than likely was some type of financial institution.
Whatever the case, we do know that Bob Cratchit, father of "Tiny Tim" Cratchit, was Scrooge's accountant.
http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2013/12/11/what-ebenezer-scrooge-can-teach-us-about-great-writing-2/
The blogger of this site, Kristen Lamb, writes:
"A Christmas Carol" is a beautiful story, but I find it’s true beauty when it’s explained in the Christian context that inspired it.
She goes on to talk about 6 key themes in the novel.....
The power of names.
Redemption.
Symbolism.
Smaller Truths reveal Larger Truths.
Happy endings.
Restoration.
It's a very thought-provoking writing, making some strong points as to how these 6 themes of the novel tie back to Biblical themes.
I think the coolest one is "redemption".
I love what Kristen writes....
Scrooge has done nothing to earn redemption, but his redemption is precisely why we cheer at the end.
Don't you just love that?
Someone as cold, mean, and self-centered as Scrooge was redeemed. Just as Christ has redeemed all those who accept his loving gift.
This blog entry features a couple attorneys talking about all the employment issues and OSHA violations that Scrooge would have faced in today's world.
It's actually a pretty funny read. Cratchit would have had a pretty strong complaint about the cold temperatures in the office, caused by Scrooge's miserlyness.
This site features a great Q&A with Natalie McKnight, a Dean out at Boston College.
She provides some excellent commentary about why Dickens' novel remains so very popular today. I love what she says here:
And, perhaps most importantly, the story is popular because many of us NEED A Christmas Carol, not just at Christmas, but all the year round, because, like Scrooge, we have a tendency to become disconnected from our own pasts as we get older and immersed in our work and family lives. We forget the people and things that were most important to us when we were younger. We shield ourselves from the needs of others because those needs can be so overwhelming. We get compassion-fatigue from all the requests for charitable donations we’re subjected to, particularly at this time of year.
How very true! It is so easy to get Christmas-fatigue (especially when we start seeing bows and wrapping paper in stores before Halloween). That is not what the holiday season is to be. Rather, it's to be a time of giving, loving, cherishing, and reminiscing on the past year.
As a side thought, Wikipedia reports that there have been over 20 movie versions of "A Christmas Carol" made thru the years. Ms. McKnight states that her favorite version is the 1970 musical version:
Albert Finney is heartbreaking as Scrooge, and the music underscores the emotions of the tale beautifully. Dickens was a real fan of musical theater, and I think he would have appreciated the effectiveness of this version of his story.
I have not seen this one. She sure makes it sound intriguing though.
This article, although brief, deals with business interactions and networking. It reminds of the importance to not forget who you are, where you came from, and who helped you to get to this point in your career. And, it encourages you to be sure to help and mentor others, so that your retirement party will have a slew of attendees.
A very unique perspective indeed.
That's a lot of links, but a lot of valuable links to provide support of how relevant Chuck's 1843 novel is still so relevant here in 2013.
Take time this Christmas season to take a read thru "A Christmas Carol" (download it free on Amazon for the Kindle app).
Or.... watch Kermit and friends do their version. :)
Out for now......
Matt
