Dickens: Questions for Reflection and Further Research
A Christmas Carol turned out to be wildly popular upon publication. In 1843, it was the most commercially successful book over the holiday season. Today, the tale remains well-loved, and has been adapted numerous times, in film and as a stage play.
Because many students are already familiar with the story, it is tempting to attempt to analyze it from a childhood memory — or from one of the Hollywood versions of A Christmas Carol. Resist this urge, and focus instead on analyzing Dickens’s book as a historical and cultural artifact of the 19th century. (Close, careful reading can help, in this endeavor!)
Discuss:
- At the beginning of the story, how does Ebeneezer Scrooge view the poor? What is his view of social safety nets and other attempts to aid them? How do you know? (Find a specific passage or quotation which bolsters your answer.)
- What is the turning point for Scrooge, and why? Be as specific as possible. What does this suggest about Dickens’s hope for Victorian readers, by extension?
- How does Dickens use Christmastime, as a setting for the story? Are there pre-existing ideas within Christianity or the Christmas holiday — as celebrated in 19th century England — that bolster his message(s)? Explain.
Do further research:
- Using your college library resources, research Dickens’s biography. What was his relationship with poverty? Did he have any early experiences which underscored this? Explain how/why. Finally, how did Dickens’s experiences within both poor and middle-class settings affect A Christmas Carol? Where do we see him give voice to these experiences in the text? (Offer several examples.)
