short review of A Christmas Carol
Title : A Christmas Carol
Author : Charles Dickens
Publisher : Collin’s English Library
Year : 1974
Theme
The
main theme of this novel is about a happiness of Christmas. It is about a journey
how Mr. Scrooge turns to be so kind in his society especially in Christmas
occasion. He was the person who never cares his society. He only thought about
money and his business. After his changing, he becomes more care to his society
especially people around him and also he gets the main meaning of Christmas.
Main
Characters
Mr.
Scrooge is a round character. He is changed. In the first time, he is very rude
to everybody around him, very stingy of his money so he is unwilling to give
any donation for poor people, and also he always feels lonely especially after
the death of his best friend. But after a big journey he has, he is changed. He
becomes so kind especially to his clerk. He gives Bob a turkey so Cratchit’s
can have a prestige Christmas dinner. Mr.
Scrooge is also back to he used to be when he loves Christmas so much.
Summary
of the Story
Christmas Carol is a story of an old man, Ebenezer
Scrooge, who is left by his best friend, Jacob Marley. He dies in one Christmas
Eve. Mr. Scrooge feels lonely after the death of his friend. Seven years has
passed. Mr. Scrooge becomes a very scary man. He doesn’t like anything about
Christmas, whereas everybody loves it. He never cares about Christmas. It makes
people around him, his clerk Bob Cratchit and his nephew, feel pity to him.
After seven years of the death of Mr. Marley, Mr.
Scrooge is haunted by the spirit of Mr. Marley. Mr. Scrooge doesn’t believe it
firstly, because it looks so pale and chains, padlock, and bandages around his
body. After it proves that it is the ghost of Mr. Marley, he believes it. It
says that Mr. Scrooge will have a journey with other three spirits who will
come in the night of Christmas.
The first spirit is a ghost of Christmas past. It
looks like a fire with a hat. It brings Mr. Scrooge to his past. The journey
shows the young Scrooge when he always felt happy and also more innocent. He
always smiled to everybody and cared to his surroundings. The journey also
shows the reason why Mr. Scrooge dislikes the Christmas.
The second spirit is a ghost of Christmas Present.
The spirits is so big and shiny. There are also gifts and food below where it
stands. The spirit brings Mr. Scrooge to the happiness of people in their
Christmas. He is brought to the house of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. People in
Bob’s house are so happy even though they celebrate Christmas very simple.
There is also Tiny Tim, Bob’s youngest son, who has a very serious ill. Poor
Tiny cannot be back to health because Mr. Scrooge doesn’t want to pay a proper
pay to Bob.
The third spirit is a Ghost of Christmas Yet to
Come. It more looks like an angel of death with its black hoodie and a long
stick in its hands. It flies Mr. Scrooge to a time in a future. The journey
shows the future of Mr. Scrooge if he doesn’t change the way he is and also the
way he treats Bob so Tiny Tim dies. He is also taken to his neglected grave,
where nobody cares about him anymore. Mr. Scrooge cries and begs to the spirit
to bring him back to his life so he can change the way he behaves.
In the morning, Mr. Scrooge wakes up. He feels very
happy of still being alive. He sends a turkey to Bob’s house, so they can
celebrate Christmas. He also goes to his nephew’s party invitation. He becomes
more care to his society and gives a lot of smiles to people around. His life
is different and happy now.
Setting
and Atmosphere
Setting
The
town where Dickens chose to be the setting of place in this story is in London
during the middle of 1800’s. It can be seen from the background of Dickens and
also from the story itself. Dickens wrote this story during 1840’s and
published it in 1843 where the effect of industrial revolution affects people
in England at that time. It is cited in this story where Bob is not paid
properly by Mr. Scrooge; it shows how the right of the employee after the revolution
is not organized so well.
Atmosphere
The
main atmospheres which can be felt in this story are the warmth, happiness, and
joy of the celebration of Christmas. It can be seen in the part where the
family of Bob celebrates the Christmas dinner. It shows to the reader that
everybody will be happy in this celebration. But Dickens also brings the dark,
coldness, sadness, loneliness, and death in his novel. It can be felt in the
first and the middle part of this novel. In the first part, Dickens shows how
Mr. Scrooge is feeling lonely after the death of his friend. And in the middle
of the story, Dickens brings the reader to the part where Mr. Scrooge is
feeling the coldness, sadness, and fear of death.
Symbols
There are some parts in this story which can be
considered as the symbols of things. The first one I considered as a symbol is
the chains and padlocks which worn by the ghost of Marley. It symbolizes that
the soul cannot be free because there are so many boundaries for him. The
second thing is the gifts and food in the scene where the second ghost appears.
It symbolizes the happiness and the joy of people who celebrate
