A

BOOK REVIEW
ON

CHRISTMAS CAROL

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mrs. Naitasha Bajaj Arvind Bakshi
Lecturer in English Roll No. 1810358
CSE,D-4
B.Tech. 1st Sem.

Haryana Engineering College

Jagadhri - 135003
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charles John Huffham Dickens, popularly known as Charles

Dickens was born in Portsmouth. His father was a clerk in the Navy
pay office. Dickens spent the happiest period of his boyhood in
Chatham which was followed by a period of intense misery during
which his father was imprisoned for debt and he himself had to work
in a blacking warehouse at the age of 12. He then worked as an
office boy, became a reporter of parliamentary debates and
contributed articles to various periodicals. At 25, he became a famous
writer with the publication of The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick
Club. Then began a long and highly successful career of novels,
lectures and articles.
 INTRODUCTION
The play "A Christmas Carol" is a dramatic adaptation of
Dicken's famous novel by Walter adaptation of Dicken's famous novel
by Walter Hackett as a radio play. The novel written in 1843 is the first
of a series of Christmas Book Dickens wrote. The play has borrowed
the title from Dicken's original novel 'A Christmas Carol'. It is a
befitting title for a play that celebrates the joy of Christmas for a carol
is a joyful song especially sung at Christmas. Not only do we come
across many Christmas Carols, Christmas hymns and pieces of
Christmas theme music, we are also told that the best Christmas
Carol is to live a life full of such virtues as kindness, love, mercy,
forbearance, tolerance, charity and goodwill, Christmas is not just a
day to celebrate, it is a way of life – a life of joy for oneself and for
others. Thus the title is very appropriate.
 CHARACTERISATION

Ebenezer Scrooge
Bob Cratchit
Mrs. Cratchit
Tiny Tim
Jacob Marley
 SUMMARY

Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character of the play, is rich but

hard, stingy, unfeeling and irreligious. It is Christmas time. All
the people of London are in a festive mood. But Ebenezer
Scrooge is an exception.

His clerk, Bob Cratchit, is very hardworking. scrooge is happy

to see him at work. But he scolds Fred, his nephew, when he
greets him with "Merry Christmas".
He eats his supper and goes to his bed. Suddenly, he awakes with a
start. He is frightened to see a chained, dim figure at the foot of his bed.
The figure introduces itself as the ghost of his partner. Jacob Marley.
Marley's ghost tells him that he is doomed to move for ever in chains
because he did not do anything for the poor. He advises Scrooge to
help the poor and the needy, otherwise he will also be condemned like
him. Before vanishing, the ghost tells Mr. Scrooge that he will be visited
by three spirits one after the other and that he should heed them.

At 1:00 a.m. the first ghost appears. He takes him to the past of his life.
Scrooge has a vision of three scenes. he visits the river, the meadows
and his old school. Then he sees his sister who is now dead and who
has left a son behind. third scene where he sees Belle, the girl whom he
loved and wanted to marry, but his greed for money stood in his way.
The second one appears at 2 a.m. It takes Scrooge first to a church and
then to a ship where people are happily celebrating Christmas. Afterwards
Scrooge is taken to his clerk. Cratchit's home. He has five children; the
youngest Cratchit's home. He has five children; the youngest one Tiny.
Tim, is a cripple. They do not have much to eat and drink, but they are
very happy.

The third ghost takes Scrooge to a tombstone with Ebenezer Scrooge

inscribed on it. The ghost asks him to read the inscription, but Scrooge
does not have the courage to do so. He delivers a big turkey to Cratchit's
family. He then, goes to Fred's house and gives a gift to his wife. They are
pleasantly surprised. Scrooge is now a changed man. He raises
Cratchit's salary and becomes a second father to the crippled boy Tiny
Tim.
 CONCLUSION
During once life time, one should not keep himself busy in real
business. One should understand the feelings of his fellow men.
Festivities are not only meant for the rich people but the poor once
also have the right to enjoy their life. One's dislike for socialization
and festivities and his pre-occupation with his business make him
more and more isolated and lonely.

In the story Scrooge dismisses the entire philosophy of Christmas in

one word – HUMBUG. He feels that those who are poor don't have
any right to be happy. As this is the time when poor people
overspend and without having enough money, they think of
spending. Once the festive season is over, people are older in age
by a year but poorer as far as their financial condition is concerned.