Christmas Carol 圣诞颂歌概要1.pptVIP

{ { { { { { Christmas Carole is a novella, written by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman Hall on 19 December 1843. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain when it was experiencing an interest in its forgotten of Christmas traditions. At the time when new customs such as Christmas tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be varied but principally the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his symapaty for the poor. London in Dickens’ Time London in Scrooge’s time was in the middle of growing pains brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Factories became commonplace, and so did the idea of working in an office all day long for low wages. Families were very large, with ten or more children in most! For the poor, these were very terrible times. Crowded conditions made pollution terrible. The streets smelled bad from all the garbage. There was no clean water to drink or cook with. These conditions helped diseases spread quickly, and many people died. Because most families were large and poor, it was common for children to work 16-hour days in factories. Many people had to borrow money and it was very difficult to pay the money back. So many people went to prison because they could not pay their debts. Scrooge is rich but very selfish, greedy and heartless, showing no feeling for the Christmas spirit. After being warned by his business partner Marley’s ghost to change his ways, Scrooge is visited by three additional ghosts. He sees visions of his past, present and future that inspire him to become a new, generous and kind-hearted Scrooge . Summary A Christmas Carol In a clear play on words, Dickens divides the book into 5 “staves” instead of chapters. Stave is a musical term, in keeping with the title, A Christmas Carol- which of course, is a song. Major Characters Scrooge My name is Ebenezer Scrooge.