A Christmas Carol A Christmas Tradition by Charles Dickens 2015

 Dickens applied his unique power of observation to the city in which he spent most of his life. He routinely walked the city streets, 10 or 20 miles at a time.  His descriptions of nineteenth century London allow readers to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the old city. This ability to immerse the reader into time and place sets the perfect stage for Dickens to weave his fiction.

Then and Now – London 1843 and Today

London in 1843  Victorian London was the largest, most spectacular city in the world. While Britain was experiencing the Industrial Revolution, its capital was both reaping the benefits and suffering the consequences.  In 1800 the population of London was around a million people. That number would swell to 4.5 million by  While fashionable areas like Regent and Oxford streets were growing in the west, new docks supporting the city's place as the world's trade center were being built in the east.RegentOxford

 Perhaps the biggest impact on the growth of London was the coming of the railroad in the 1830s which displaced thousands and accelerated the expansion of the city  The price of this explosive growth and domination of world trade was untold squalor and filth.  Imagine yourself in the London of the early 19th century. The homes of the upper and middle class exist in close proximity to areas of unbelievable poverty and filth.  Rich and poor alike are thrown together in the crowded city streets. Street sweepers attempt to keep the streets clean of manure, the result of thousands of horse-drawn vehicles.

Imagine  The city's thousands of chimney pots belch coal smoke, resulting in soot which seems to settle everywhere.  In many parts of the city raw sewage flows in gutters that empty into the Thames.  Pick-pockets, drunks, beggars, and vagabonds add to the colorful multitude.  Personal cleanliness is not a big priority, nor is clean laundry.

A Christmas Carol London…  In 1843, about one third of the people in London, England lived in poverty.  The Poor Law of 1834 forced the homeless into workhouses that were little more than prisons.  Dickens wanted to show people the suffering of the poor and convince people who read his play that these conditions needed to be changed.

Elements of Drama 1.stage directions – instructions for actors, and stage crew 2.drama – a story to be performed before an audience 3.climax- the moment of highest tension and excitement in the plot of a drama 4.dialogue – a conversation between characters in a drama 5.script – drama written form, including character’s lines 6.foil – a character who provides a sharp contrast to the qualities of the main character 7.props – the objects the actors use during the play (cup, chair, book) 8.scenes/acts – divisions in a drama (similar to chapters in a novel)

Stage Directions

Vocabulary 1.solitude – the state of being alone 2.charitable – generous in giving 3.incoherent – Unable to think or express one's thoughts in a clear or orderly manner 4.finale – at the end, the concluding part 5.odious – causing or deserving strong dislike 6.currency - money 7.welfare – a supplying of needs 8.emerge – to come into sight 9.provision - a supplies of food or other basic needs 10.summon – to call for with authority or urgency

Match the vocabulary words to the pictures

Vocabulary (cont.) 11.mortal – human, of the earth 12.surplus – extra, more than is needed 13.abundance - great amount or supply 14.macabre – suggesting the horror of death and decay 15.endeavor - to try 16.transform – to change the form or appearance of 17.pledge - word of honor, oath 18.reassurance – a restoring of confidence 19.anonymous – not having one’s name known 20.destitute – lacking the necessities of life

Match the vocabulary words to the pictures

 Setting- The time and place of a story Example: It was December 24 th, 1824, on a snowy Christmas eve in Victorian London.  Personification- Giving human characteristics to non-human things Example: The knife and fork looked on happily as father began to carve the turkey.  Foreshadowing- Hinting at things to come Example: Scrooge wished he could rid himself of the sick feeling in his gut that told him something terrible was going to happen. A Quick Review

What do you already know?

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens  Overview--Ebenezer Scrooge, a tight-fisted and bitter man, is visited by three spirits to bring about his redemption before his death. He learns to love his fellow man after being shown the love and generosity that symbolizes Christmas.

Introduction by Charles Dickens foreshadowing…....

Charles Dickens Charles Dickens ( ), English Victorian era author wrote numerous highly acclaimed novels. Dickens‘ writing style is flowing and poetic, with a strong comic touch. Many people thought of Dickens as an advocate for the poor, at a time when there was little sympathy towards those in poverty. Dickens other works include: Great Expectations, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Bleak House, Nicholas Nickleby, The Pickwick Papers

A Christmas Carol  It’s hard to imagine a Christmas season without the story of old Scrooge, Bah Humbug! and “God bless us, every one.” At the time this story was written (1843), the generous spirit of Christmas charity didn’t exist in England. Many people did not believe in generosity to the poor. Instead, they believed the poor somehow brought poverty upon themselves. * * *

A Christmas Carol  In a clever play on words, Dickens divides the book into 5 “staves” instead of chapters. Staves is a musical term, in keeping with the title, A Christmas Carol– which, of course, is a song.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss The character of the Grinch is based on the protagonist of “A Christmas Carol” – Scrooge. As we read the drama, note similarities in the two main characters and the plot of both the book and the play.

Protagonist & Antagonist “A Christmas Carol” is unusual because Scrooge, the Protagonist (usually the good guy), is a very BAD guy. The antagonist (usually the bad guy) is the good guy. Remember that the antagonist is the person who causes the conflict for the protagonist. They are not always good guys or bad guys.