A Christmas Carol Introduction

1
A Christmas CarolIntroduction
2

• What do you usually do at Christmas?
• Decorating a Christmas tree?
• Singing Christmas carols?
• Sending Christmas cards?

3
Background information

• What happened in the past?

4
At the beginning of Queen Victorias reign

• the celebration of Christmas was in decline.
• Industrial revolution
• Workers had little time to celebrate Christmas

5

• Decorating a Christmas tree?
• It is a custom from Germany.

6

• Christmas is a Christian holiday on December 25
  which celebrates the birth of Jesus.

People had big feasts and parties. They also
exchanged presents to show their love and
generosity to each other.
7
Bible scriptures about Christmas

• And she will give birth to a son and you will
  give him the name Jesus for he will give his
  people salvation from their sins. (Matthew 121)
• And when they saw the star they were full of joy.
  (Matthew 210)

8
Bible scriptures about Christmas

• And they came into the house, and saw the young
  child with Mary, his mother and falling down on
  their faces they gave him worship and from their
  store they gave him offerings of gold, perfume,
  and spices. (Matthew 211)

9
Bible scriptures about Christmas

• For God had such love for the world that he gave
  his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him
  may not come to destruction but have eternal
  life. (John 316)

10
Watch the cartoon of Christmas Carol!

• http//hk.youtube.com/watch?v-hA5T1G7rxg

11
Author Charles Dickens

• Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was born at Landport
  near Portsmouth.

12
Author Charles Dickens

• When Charles was eleven years old, his father was
  sent to prison for debt.
• Charles was sent to live by himself and work in a
  warehouse where he pasted labels on bottles for
  six shillings a week.

13
Author Charles Dickens

• After school, he went to work in a solicitors
  office, but the law was not his real calling.
• He therefore taught himself shorthand and was
  able to report parliamentary debates.
• From his reputation as a reporter he was asked to
  write.
• Dickens early books were often comic, but as he
  grew older he became more concerned with the
  injustices of British society.

14
Setting

• Like many of Dickens' novels, this one is set
  mainly in London some time in the middle of the
  19th century.

15
Themes

• Important values in life
• Poverty and wealth
• Selfishness and generosity

16
Characters

• Ebenezer Scrooge - The owner of a London
  counting-house. The three spirits of Christmas
  visit him. They want to change Scrooge's greedy,
  cold-hearted approach to life.
• Bob Cratchit  -  Scrooge's clerk, a kind, very
  poor man with a large family. Though treated
  harshly by his boss, Cratchit remains a humble
  and hard-working employee.
• Tiny Tim -  Bob Cratchit's young son, crippled
  from birth.

17
Characters

• Jacob Marley -  In the living world, Ebenezer
  Scrooge's equally greedy partner. He appears to
  Scrooge as a ghost hoping to save his old partner
  from suffering a similar fate.
• The Ghost of Christmas Past  -  The first spirit
  to visit Scrooge, a curiously childlike spirit.
• The Ghost of Christmas Present  -  The second
  spirit to visit Scrooge. He escorts Scrooge on a
  tour of his holiday celebrations.

18
Characters

• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come  -  The third
  and final spirit to visit Scrooge. He presents
  Scrooge with a picture of his lonely death.
• Fred -  Scrooge's nephew, a friendly man who
  loves Christmas. He invites Scrooge to his
  Christmas party every year, only to be refused by
  his uncle.
• Belle -  A beautiful woman who Scrooge loved
  deeply when he was a young man. They soon
  separated after Scrooge became consumed with
  greed and the love for wealth.

19
Characters

• Peter Cratchit -  Bob's oldest son, who inherits
  his father's stiff-collared shirt for Christmas.
• Martha Cratchit -  Bob's oldest daughter, who
  works in a milliner's shop. (A milliner is a
  person who designs, produces, and sells hats.)
• Fan -  Scrooge's sister Fred's mother. In
  Scrooge's vision of Christmases past, he
  remembers Fan picking him up from school and
  walking him home.

20
Characters

• The Portly Gentlemen  -  Two gentlemen who visit
  Scrooge at the beginning of the tale seeking
  charitable contributions.
• Mrs. Cratchit -  Bob's wife, a kind and loving
  woman.