A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol is a book by Charles Dickens that he wrote in 1843. The book had a successful sales record in the same years Christmas holiday. By the Christmas period, six thousand copies of the book had been sold. Today, people embrace the book the same way it was embraced in the past century. Charles Dickens uses characters such as Scrooge to urge people to honor Christmas in their hearts. He also says that people should practice it all round the year. The book's story cannot have a similar impact to a reader if it does not set on and around Christmas. It also functions as the setting of the story.

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According to Dickens book, A Christmas Carol, the Christmas holiday is a time when people in society portray Christian values. They are generous, kind, and offer love to the less fortunate. For instance, many people in society have open fireplaces that they use for cooking food and providing heat to the families. They, however, cannot afford ovens, which are used to cook Christmas geese. They had to take the geese or turkeys to bakers shops for proper cooking. Normally, the shops would be closed during Sundays and holidays. However, the shops would be opened on Christmas to serve the needs of these less fortunate people. Their dinners were baked at a small fee, which signified kindness. It is evident where Dickens asks Peter Cratchit and his younger sons to fetch the Christmas goose from the bakers shop.

The Dickens aim of publishing the book would be to encourage people to take up the Christmas spirit all-round the year. He was not happy that people would only be generous and kind during the Christmas holiday, yet it was short lived, and the less fortunate would suffer later in the following year until the next Christmas holiday reaches. For instance, he called Scrooge Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster (Dickens, pg. 59). A Christmas holiday is, therefore, fundamental to the book because it drives the message that Dickens wants people to be generous to the poor just as they are for the Christmas holiday.

The Christmas holiday acts as the setting of the story. The books major story is about Scrooge, a cold-hearted creditor, and miser. He lives in a greedy way where he pays very little money to his workers, and he does not expect them to use it rather they should spend their holiday working to get more money. He even rejects any Christmas dinner invitations he receives from his nephew, Fred. Later in the night, his partner, Jacob, appears to him in the form of a ghost to show him the turn of events since he was young. '
He even rejects any Christmas dinner invitations he receives from his nephew, Fred. Later in the night, his partner, Jacob, appears to him in the form of a ghost to show him the turn of events since he was young. Jacob illustrates his past where he was ambitious to live a good life in the future, and he would freely interact with the less fortunate. He is later introduced to his present life where he sees many happy families coming together to celebrate Christmas as they dance and play games. The last Ghost of Christmas illustrates his future life where he and Cratchits son die.Jacob illustrates his past where he was ambitious to live a good life in the future, and he would freely interact with the less fortunate. He is later introduced to his present life where he sees many happy families coming together to celebrate Christmas as they dance and play games. The last Ghost of Christmas illustrates his future life where he and Cratchits son die. He however has no one to mourn him as he lived an alienated life. Dickens states that he frightened everyone away from him when he was alive, to profit the thieves when he was dead (Dickens, pg. 111). The ghost at this point says, If there is any person in the town who feels emotion caused by this man's death (Dickens, pg. 113).

It changes his life, and he wakes up on the Christmas day to take a turkey to Cratchits family and attends Freds party. He transforms and for the rest of his life becomes compassionate and generous to people in society. He says, I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.'" (Dickens, pg. 117).

Christmas day therefore simply functions as the setting of the story. The story would not have the same impact if it were set on a different day. The wealthy people like Scrooge did not value others on any other holidays in the year but only during Christmas. It would, therefore, drive a different meaning if a different day acted as the setting of the story. Dickens would not drive the proper message if he used a different day.

Work cited

Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. 1850. Print.