Dickens novella, “A Christmas Carol”, continues to influence many aspects of Christmas that are celebrated today, such as family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, a spirit of generosity and a humanitarian focus of generosity of those less fortunate during this holiday season. It is the diverse views of the spirit of generosity and humanitarian focus that Dickens seeks to expose in this literary work. The landscapes of the novella shift between the poverty stricken, sick and imprisoned to the higher classes whose enjoyment of the season is enriched by wealth, to the embittered character of Scrooge whose view is one of a day of waste. Dickens uses both outdoor and indoor landscape to create the character of Bob Cratchit by contrasting his dominated servant attitude while in service to Scrooge versus his openly loving father/husband role within the Cratchit family.
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Scrooge and his employee are at work. Scrooge is so cheap and selfish that it’s almost as cold and dreary in their office as it is outside. Scrooge’s employee is freezing and having to work during Christmas. This environment mirrors Scrooges personal life and his cold, frozen and selfish personality. Scrooge has no love or warmth in his life or in his heart. He is cold and barren. Scrooge rejects offers of dinner invitations, and rudely turns away those asking of donations for those less fortunate. His only concession to the Christmas holiday is to allow his employee a day off with pay (keeping only with social custom) and considers this custom “… a poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth December!” (Dickens 47). Later that same night Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, one on each of the next three evenings, and that he must listen to these ghosts or he will be cursed. The first ghost takes Scrooge to visit the Christmases that are past. These visions remind Scrooge of the feelings and events of his boyhood. This stirs the gentler side of Scrooge, now deeply hidden within, and reminds him of his once youthful love for a young woman, and the happiness she now shares with
Scrooge and his employee are at work. Scrooge is so cheap and selfish that it’s almost as cold and dreary in their office as it is outside. Scrooge’s employee is freezing and having to work during Christmas. This environment mirrors Scrooges personal life and his cold, frozen and selfish personality. Scrooge has no love or warmth in his life or in his heart. He is cold and barren. Scrooge rejects offers of dinner invitations, and rudely turns away those asking of donations for those less fortunate. His only concession to the Christmas holiday is to allow his employee a day off with pay (keeping only with social custom) and considers this custom “… a poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth December!” (Dickens 47). Later that same night Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, one on each of the next three evenings, and that he must listen to these ghosts or he will be cursed. The first ghost takes Scrooge to visit the Christmases that are past. These visions remind Scrooge of the feelings and events of his boyhood. This stirs the gentler side of Scrooge, now deeply hidden within, and reminds him of his once youthful love for a young woman, and the happiness she now shares with