Dickens - A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol

What a delightful book! I have seen two movie adaptations but the book is far better because we not only hear the character's dialogue but also the narrators comments which add so much to the story. Dickens is a masterful storyteller. 

I saw the biblical themes of the Great Reversal, repentance, feast and celebration with food, drink, family, and friends. The Christmas Carol made me think of the biblical story of Zacchaeus. When Jesus calls Zacchaeus into His friendship, Zaccaeus responds by giving away much of his wealth. 

The ghost of Christmas Past showed Scrooge how he changed over time. In fact, one scene shows him with a young woman whom he must have been engaged to marry, but she broke it off. She saw that he chose "the gold idol" over her. She did not want wealth at any cost. She wanted love and a family with a present husband and father. 

I am certain that A Christmas Tale was originally intended as a moral lesson. Dickens warns all with ears to hear of the dangers of pursuing wealth at the expense of family and friendship. That lesson has just as much resonance now as it did then.