A Christmas Carol is a novella written by Charles Dickens. The book for first published on 19 December 1843 in London. It is the story of a ghost and a man named Ebenezer Scrooge. The novel tells how Scrooge gets transformed into a gentler, kindlier man, after the visits of Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
About the Author :
Charles Dickens is a well-known English writer and social critic. He was born in Portsmouth in 1812. He is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era and is best known for his fictional characters. The twentieth century critics and scholars consider him a literary genius and his works were widely popular then and now. Some of his literary works include Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. He died in 1870, leaving his final work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, unfinished.
Book Summary :
Scrooge is a bitter old miser living in London. On a Christmas Eve, he is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Jacob Marley. Marley tells Scrooge how he has been unfortunate in his afterlife, wandering the Earth for his greedy and self-serving life. He hopes to save Scrooge from such a fate and informs about the three other Christmas ghosts that would be visiting him in the next three nights.
Later that night, the Ghost of Christmas Past arrives and takes Scrooge into his past to previous Christmas days. He meets his childhood school days, apprenticeship, and love life. He realizes how his lust for money destroyed his love life with Belle. Scrooge is deeply moved by the journey and sheds tears of regret. By then, they are back to his bed.
Later, the Ghost of Christmas Present arrives to unveil the present Christmas happenings of joy and charity. He takes Scrooge to see the preparations for Bob Cratchit’s household feast and Fred’s Christmas party. He meets Cratchit’s crippled son, Tiny Tim, whose kindness and humility changes Scrooge’s heart. While leaving, Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge, two starved children – the Ignorance and Want – under his robe, warning him of the doom for humanity.
Scrooge is wakened to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. The ghost leads him thorough the scenes of a man’s death. He sees people trading the man’s riches and sees heartless response for the death. When he asks the ghost for a grievance death scene, he is taken to the house of Cratchit, mourning for the death of Tiny Tim. Eventually Scrooge asks for the man’s identity and discovers how everyone is pleased of his death. When he wakes up, he is forever changed. Finally, he celebrates Christmas with Fred’s family and sends a large turkey to the Cratchits’ household feast. He also gives charity and hopes to change the future.