Edited by Gerald Boerner
Commentary
Alas, today we examine one of the cornerstones of modern Christmas — the story of Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol.”. At this time of year, we think about our favorite seasonal movies like “Miracle on 34th Street,” “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “White Christmas,” but the one that personifies it for me is “Carol”! We even have our favorite actors for the role of Scrooge.
This movie symbolizes man’s wandering, lost state only to be awakened by a glimpse of our future. Given this warning, we can redeem our lives, much like the message we hear from the pulpit of most churches. Television executives are well aware of our fondness of this story since we see its various versions on the TV schedule many times. We never seem to tire of this uplifting story.
It is to Dickens’ credit that he wrote this in just six weeks. It was initially serialized in the news sheets, which probably helped him meet this tight publication schedule. This is not unlike the serialization technique used by Mark Twain and writers of the “dime” novels of the western U.S. during this same period. In the mid 1900s, we encountered this same serialization in the episodes of “Buck Rogers” and others during our weekend matinees at the local movie theaters.
None the less, this is the story for which Charles Dickens is best remembered. Even though it may not be on the same scale of literature as some of his other writings such as “Tail of Two Cities” or “Great Expectations,” it is the novella that epitomizes the spirit of the season.
So, it’s time to begin this exploration… GLB
These Introductory Comments are copyrighted:
Copyright©2010 — Gerald Boerner — All Rights Reserved[ 4107 Words ]
Quotations Related to CHRISTMAS
“A Christmas Carol is such a fool-proof story you can’t louse it up.”
— Leonard Maltin
“Christmas is over and Business is Business.”
— Franklin P. Adams
“Christmas is a holiday that persecutes the lonely, the frayed, and the rejected.”
— Jimmy Cannon