DOCSLIB.ORG

Narrator Narrator 2 Scrooge Bob Cratchit Marley the Ghost

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Narrator Narrator 2 Scrooge Bob Cratchit Marley the Ghost A CHRISTMAS CAROL CAST: Narrator Narrator 2 Scrooge Fred Bob Cratchit Scrooge’s Niece Marley Guest The Ghost of Christmas Past Young Scrooge The Ghost of Christmas Present Sara The Ghost of Christmas Future (No Big Brother Speaking – just gestures) Boy Fezziwig Shop Keeper Tiny Tim Maid Big Sister Man 1 Mrs. Cratchit Man 2 Scene 1: Narrator: Marley was dead. There was no doubt whatsoever that Old Marley was as dead as a doornail. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come from the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Narrator 2: Once upon a time, of all the good days in the year, on Christmas Eve, old Scrooge was at work in his counting house when his nephew Fred came in. Fred: A Merry Christmas, Uncle! Scrooge: Bah Humbug! Narrator: He was a scraping old grouch; Scrooge was, hard and sharp as a flint. Scrooge: If I could work my will, every do-gooder who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips would be boiled and buried with a stake of holly. Fred: Uncle! You don’t mean that. Come dine with us tomorrow? Scrooge: Humbug! Narrator 2: With nothing left to say, it seemed like a great time for Scrooge to push his nephew out the door and into the cold. Scrooge: ::Mocking:: Would you dine with us for dinner? HUMBUG! Narrator : When the day was over, Scrooge’s clerk Bob Cratchit snuffed the candle out and put on his hat to go. Scrooge: You’ll want all day off tomorrow, I suppose? Christmas, a poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth of December! Bob Cratchit: Yes sir, I would like the day off, but I promise to make up for lost time on the 26th of December. You, uh, have a Merry Christmas, Mr. Scrooge! Narrator 2: Scrooge stomped around in his usual mood and walked out onto the cold streets of town. On his walk home, no single soul dared to wish Scrooge a Merry Christmas. In fact, people seemed to avoid him at all costs, ducking into shops to prevent any encounter involving that Old Scrooge! Scene 2 Narrator: When Scrooge arrived home, however, something strange happened. As he put his key in the lock he saw in the knocker, not a knocker, but the face of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge: Humbug! Narrator 2: And all at once, it was a knocker again! Scrooge, quite satisfied, locked the door and went upstairs to dress for bed. Scrooge looked at the fireplace and commented: Scrooge: Such a tiny fire for a man of such wealth and privilege. Narrator 2: But he was interrupted when he heard… ::jingle, jingle, jingle:: Scrooge: What’s that noise? ::Jingle, Jingle, Jingle:: Scrooge: Oh, dear! It’s getting louder! Narrator: Scrooge cowered in his chair as the noise grew louder and crept closer. Narrator 2: Just then, a figure came through the heavy door. Scrooge: Who are you? Marley: Ask me who I was. Scrooge: Well, who were you then? Marley: In life, I was your partner Jacob Marley. Scrooge: Humbug! I tell you – HUMBUG! Marley: HEAR ME! I wear the chains of greed I forged in life! I am here to warn you, that you have a hope and a chance of escaping my fate. You will be haunted tonight by three spirits. Scrooge: I - I think I’d rather not. Marley: Without their visits, you cannot hope to shun the path I tread. Expect the first when the bell tolls one. Narrator: And just like that, the ghost floated off into the dark night. Narrator 2: Scrooge certainly had no chance of sleeping now. He had no choice but to wait for the tolling hour. ::Ding Dong:: Scrooge: A quarter past! ::Ding Dong:: Scrooge: Half Past! ::Ding Dong:: Scrooge: A quarter to it! ::Ding Dong:: Scrooge: The hour itself! Narrator: The bell sounded with a deep, dull, hollow, melancholy ONE. Light flashed up in the room, and the curtains of his bed were drawn aside by a hand. Scrooge: Who and what are you? Ghost of Christmas Past: I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge: Long Past? Ghost of Christmas Past: No, your past. Rise, and walk with me. Narrator 2: Scrooge helplessly agreed and together they passed through the wall. Scene 3 Narrator: Scrooge saw that they now stood upon an open country road. The city had entirely vanished. Scrooge: I know this place! I was a boy here! Narrator 2: A group of boys in great spirits came along the road and Scrooge called out to them. Scrooge: Hello! Ghost of Christmas Past: They cannot hear you, Scrooge; these are but shadows of things that have been. They will be unable to see or hear anything of us. Narrator: The boys continued to play as Scrooge looked on. Was that a grin on his face? Scrooge: Why do these images make my heart leap? Why am I filled with gladness? Ghost of Christmas Past: The school is not quite deserted. Narrator 2: Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Past entered the schoolroom, which was dreary and drab. The room was made even gloomier by the sight of a lonely boy who sat reading. Scrooge crept closer to get a better look at the boy. Scrooge: Could it be? Ghost of Christmas Past: Yes, this was how you spent Christmas all those years ago. Scrooge: He has nowhere to go for Christmas! Narrator: At this thought, a tear glistened in Scrooge’s eye. Ghost of Christmas Past: Let us see another Christmas, shall we? Narrator 2: They were now in the busy thoroughfares of a city. The ghost stopped at a warehouse door and asked if he knew it. Scrooge: Was I apprenticed here? Narrator: The two walked in and saw a lively party taking place. Scrooge: Why, it’s old Fezziwig, alive again! Fezziwig: You, there! Ebeneezer! Narrator 2: Scrooge’s former self, a young man, came walking across the room to greet his boss. Young Scrooge: Fezziwig! Fezziwig: No more work, Ebeneezer, it’s Christmas Eve! Young Scrooge: You know I do love a grand celebration! Let us forget about all there is to do, just for this moment. Narrator: In no time, the warehouse was converted to be as bright as a ballroom. Guests arrived, and among them, came a lovely young lady. Sara: Hello Ebeneezer! A Merry Christmas to you! Young Scrooge: Merry Christmas to you, my Sara! May I have the pleasure of dancing with you this evening? Sara: Oh, of course! Narrator 2: The guests sang, and danced, and carried on. They ate cold roasts and enjoyed the company of those they held dear. Scrooge looked on so solemnly that he scarcely realized that he had been transported back to his bedroom. Narrator: Scrooge sank into his bed and fell into a sleep as heavy as his heart. Scene 4 ::Ding Dong:: Ghost of Christmas Present: Scrooge!!! Scrooge: Well, yes, hello. And who might you be? Ghost of Ghost Present: I am the ghost of Christmas Present. You have never seen the likes of me before. Scrooge: Never Ghost of Christmas Present: We should get on with what I have come here to do. Please grab ahold; there are some things you need to see. Narrator 2: They stood in the city streets on Christmas morning. The people who were shoveling away on the housetops were full of glee, calling out to one another and exchanging snowballs. The ghost led Scrooge straight to his clerk Bob Cratchit’s house. Mrs. Cratchit: Well, isn’t this a lovely Christmas? Tiny Tim: The best! Mr. Cratchit: Look at the goose! You have done such a wonderful job. Why, I don’t believe I have ever seen nor tasted a more tender goose! Big Sister: And, it is a miracle that we are all here! Mr. Cratchit: Yes, Tiny Tim is growing so strong and hearty! Narrator: Though there was nothing of high mark in the Cratchit’s Christmas dinner, they were happy, grateful, and pleased with one another, and contented with the time spent together. Narrator 2: It did not matter that they were a poor family or that Tiny Tim couldn’t walk without his crutch. The simple fact that they were together meant more to them than any item money could purchase. Big Brother: A Merry Christmas to all my dears! Tiny Tim: Bless this family, every one! Scrooge: Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live? Ghost of Christmas Present: I see an empty seat, and a crutch without an owner. Scrooge: No, no! Oh no, kind spirit, say he will be spared! Narrator: The Ghost of Christmas Present rested a hand upon Scrooge’s shoulder and they were transported to another familiar spot in town. For Scrooge, the sound of laughter was a delightful contrast to the sorrow he felt for Tiny Tim. Fred: He said that Christmas was a humbug! Guest 1: He is a comical fellow! Scrooge’s Niece: I am sure he is very rich! Fred: And what of that, my dear? His wealth is of no use to him! He doesn’t do any good with it. He doesn’t make himself comfortable with it. He hasn’t the satisfaction of thinking – ha, ha, ha – that he is ever going to give US any of it! Scrooge’s Niece: There will be a time when he can’t take it with him! Narrator 2: Scrooge cast his eyes to the ground. He immediately raised them as he heard his nephew’s next words.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 4A. the Characters
    A Christmas Carol 4a. T he Characters Read and listen to the descriptions of the characters in the play. Use the information to help you with the exercise on the next page, and then listen to see if your answers are correct. 1. Ebenezer Scrooge is about 60 years old. He works 6. The Ghost of Christmas Present is green and cov- in an office for many hours every day and return home, ered in leaves. He is very jolly and quite large. He has where he lives alone, in the evenings. His business is 2000 brothers and sisters — one for every year. He shows called Scrooge and Marley, but his business partner died Scrooge his present life and people’s opinion of him. seven years before. He is an unkind and ungenerous man. 7. The Ghost of Christmas Future doesn’t speak and He thinks Christmas is a waste of time and money. He has is very scary. It wears a dark cape with a hood, and grey hair, brown eyes and is quite thin. He wears a dark it’s impossible to see its face. It is very tall and thin. suit to work and a dressing gown at night. He doesn’t be- It shows Scrooge what will happen in the future if he lieve in ghosts but is scared when he sees them. doesn’t change his way of life. 2. Bob Cratchit works for Scrooge in his office and is 8. Belle was Scrooge’s girlfriend when he was a young very poor. He is 32 years old and is married with five apprentice.
    [Show full text]
  • The Man Who Invented Christmas Film Adaptations of Dickens’ a Christmas Carol Dr Christine Corton
    10TH DECEMBER 2019 The Man Who Invented Christmas Film Adaptations of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Dr Christine Corton A Christmas Carol is now over 175 years old. Written in 1843, it is certainly the most televised of Dickens’s works and equals if not beats, its closest rival, Oliver Twist (1837-39) for cinema releases. It’s had a huge influence on the way we understand the Christmas festival. It was written at a time when the festival was being revived after centuries of neglect. And its impact was almost immediate. A Christmas Carol quickly achieved iconic status, far more so than any of Dickens’s other Christmas stories. You have to have been living on some far-off planet not to have heard of the story – the word ‘Scrooge’ has come to represent miserliness and ‘Bah, Humbug’ is a phrase often resorted to when indicating someone is a curmudgeon. Even, Field Marshall Montgomery concluded his Christmas Eve message to the Eighth Army on the battlefield with Tiny Tim’s blessing. In 1836 Dickens described Christmas at Dingley Dell in The Pickwick Papers in which of course one of the most famous of the interpolated tales appears, The Story of the Goblins who Stole a Sexton and for those who know the tale, the miserable and mean Gabriel Grub is not a million miles away from Scrooge. Both Mr Pickwick’s Christmas at Wardle’s (1901) and Gabriel Grub: The Surly Sexton (1904) were used as the basis for silent films at around the same time as the first silent version of the 11 minute long: Scrooge: Or Marley’s Ghost which was released in 1901.
    [Show full text]
  • A Christmas Carol.Pdf
    A CHRISTMAS CAROL Today we are continuing in our series Christmas at the Movies. We are looking at popular Christmas movies and looking for biblical truth in them. The book A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens and published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley. He is then visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future. After their visits he wakes up on Christmas morning completely transformed into a kinder, gentler man. A Christmas Carol is one of the best known books in English literature. It has been adapted into more than 20 movies as well as countless theatre performances and television programs. In addition to all the live action movies there have been many animated ones. There was Mickey’s Christmas Carol with Scrooge McDuck. The Muppet Christmas Carol, Barbie’s Christmas Carol (2008), Bugs Bunny’s Christmas Carol, The Jetsons Christmas Carol, Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas Carol, The Flintstones Christmas Carol and even Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. The clip we saw this morning was from one of my favorite adaptations, the 1951 film Scrooge staring Alastair Sim. So what is it that makes this story so compelling? What can we learn from this story? Titus 3:3-7 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
    [Show full text]
  • Charles Dickens' a Christmas Carol
    Charles Dickens’ The book was written and published in early A Christmas Carol Victorian era Britain (so named because the country was ruled by Queen Victoria), at a time of nostalgic A Study Guide interest in its forgotten Christmas traditions, and at the time when new customs such as the Christmas A Brief History of A Christmas Carol tree and greeting cards were being introduced. Dickens' sources for the tale appear to be many and A Christmas Carol is a novella by English varied, but his major inspirations include the author Charles Dickens (Feb. 7, 1812-June 9, 1870), humiliating experiences of his childhood, his first published on 19 December 1843. It met with sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas instant success and critical acclaim. stories and fairy tales. Dickens wrote in the wake of British government changes to the welfare system known as the Poor Laws, changes that required, among other things, welfare applicants to work on treadmills (engines or pumps powered by humans walking in a wheel rather than machinery). He wanted people to consider the plight of those whom the Industrial Revolution had driven into poverty, and the obligation of society to provide for them humanely. Failure to do so, Dickens implies through the personification of Ignorance and Want as Charles Dickens in 1842 horrendous children, will result in an unnamed "Doom" for those who, like Scrooge, believe their Dickens was deeply touched by the hard lives of wealth and status qualifies them to sit in judgment poor children in the middle decades of the 19th of the poor rather than to assist them.
    [Show full text]
  • DARREN HILL EMC/ British Equity
    DARREN HILL EMC/ British Equity Email: [email protected] Cell: 773-414-5668 TELEVISION Chicago Fire Guest Star NBC Reza Tabrizi The Underground Guest Star Maverick Television Shabaaz Mohammed No Angels Guest Star Channel Four David Jackson FILM Operation Dunkirk Vincent Harris Asylum Films Nick Lyon Graybeard Eric DePaul MFA Thesis Film Kaveh Ryndak 17 Miracles The Quitter Remember Films T.C. Christensen ONLINE CONTENT Ryder Cup Rivalries Sir James Lockwood NBC/ The Onion Kris Kennedy Statues closest living relative Dr Richard Hamill The Onion Jen Spyra Flip The Bird Brother Edward Dictionary Films Jay Patton THEATRE Lindiwe The Keeper (US) Steppenwolf Jonathan Berry & Eric Simonson The Night Alive Doc/ Kenneth (US) Steppenwolf Henry Wishcamper Underneath the Lintel The Librarian Theatre Y/ El Camino Melissa Lorraine A Christmas Carol Bob Cratchit (US with P) The Goodman Theatre Henry Wishcamper Naked Grotti Trap Door Theatre Kay Martinovich Women in Jeopardy Kirk/ Jackson (US with P)First Folio Janice L. Blixt ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Uncle Brierly/ Sir Guy Emerald City Theatre Jackie Stone Fool for Love Martin Facility Theatre Zeljko Djukic Junie B. Jones, Batman Smells Mr Scary Emerald City Theatre Jackie Stone The 39 Steps Clown One Schuler Theatre, NM Nora Leahy Blood Brothers Mr Lyons Theo Ubique Fred Anzevino Boeing Boeing Robert Schuler Theatre, NM Blake White Music Hall Boy Two TUTA/ 59E59 New York Zeljko Djukic A Christmas Carol Bob Cratchit/ Fred Artists’ Ensemble Richard Raether If There Is I Haven’t Found
    [Show full text]
  • A CHRISTMAS CAROL Adapted by Jerry Patch
    SEGERSTROM STAGE / NOVEMBER 26 - DECEMBER 24, 2011 Marc Masterson Paula Tomei ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MANAGING DIRECTOR David Emmes & Martin Benson FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTORS presents the 32nd annual production of CHARLES DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL adapted by Jerry Patch Thomas Buderwitz Dwight Richard Odle Donna and Tom Ruzika SCENIC DESIGN COSTUME DESIGN LIGHTING DESIGN Dennis McCarthy Drew Dalzell Dennis Castellano Sylvia C. Turner MUSIC ARRANGEMENT/COMPOSER SOUND DESIGN VOCAL DIRECTOR CHOREOGRAPHER Hisa Takakuwa Jackie S. Hill Jamie A. Tucker* ASSISTANT DIRECTOR PRODUCTION MANAGER STAGE MANAGER DIRECTED BY John-David Keller Julia & George Argyros/Argyros Family Foundation HONORARY PRODUCERS A Christmas Carol • SOUTH COAST REPERTORY • P1 CAST OF CHARACTERS (In order of appearance) UNDERTAKER .............................................................................................................................. Christian Barillas* JOE, a cider salesman and a receiver of stolen goods ........................................................................... Art Koustik* CONSTABLE ........................................................................................................................................ Jordan Bellow TOY LADY ........................................................................................................................................... Ann Marie Lee* PUPPET SHOW ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • A CHRISTMAS CAROL Adapted by Burton Bumgarner
    A CHRISTMAS CAROL Adapted by Burton Bumgarner Copyright © MMXVII by Burton Bumgarner, All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-61588-394-3 CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this Work is subject to a royalty. This Work is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America and all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations, whether through bilateral or multilateral treaties or otherwise, and including, but not limited to, all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright Convention, the Universal Copyright Convention and the Berne Convention. RIGHTS RESERVED: All rights to this Work are strictly reserved, including professional and amateur stage performance rights. Also reserved are: motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, video or sound recording, all forms of mechanical or electronic reproduction, such as CD-ROM, CD-I, DVD, information and storage retrieval systems and photocopying, and the rights of translation into non-English languages. PERFORMANCE RIGHTS AND ROYALTY PAYMENTS: All amateur and stock performance rights to this Work are controlled exclusively by Heuer Publishing LLC. No amateur or stock production groups or individuals may perform this play without securing license and royalty arrangements in advance from Heuer Publishing LLC. Questions concerning other rights should be addressed to Heuer Publishing LLC. Royalty fees are subject to change without notice. Professional and stock fees will be set upon application in accordance with your producing circumstances. Any licensing requests and inquiries relating to amateur and stock (professional) performance rights should be addressed to Heuer Publishing LLC. Royalty of the required amount must be paid, whether the play is presented for charity or profit and whether or not admission is charged.
    [Show full text]
  • A Christmas Carol Script
    A Christmas Carol By: Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, Play version adapted by Frederick Gaines This adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was first produced by the Children’s Theatre Company of the Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts in November 1968. The script was edited by Linda Walsh Jenkins with the assistance of Carol K Metz. Cast of Characters: Fred, Scrooge’s nephew Second Spirit, the Spirit of Christmas Ebenezer Scrooge Present Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk Mrs. Cratchit Gentleman Visitor Tiny Tim Warder Peter Cratchit Sparsit, Scrooge’s servant Boy Cook Girl Charwoman Coachman Jacob Marley First Spirit, the Spirit of Christmas Past Ben Benjamin Jack Walton Young Scrooge Fan, Scrooge’s sister Fezziwig Young Ebenezer Dick Wilkins Sweetheart of Young Ebenezer Sequence of Scenes: Scene i—Scrooge in His Shop Scene ii—Scrooge Goes Home Scene iii—The Spirit of Christmas Past Scene iv—The Spirit of Christmas Present Scene v—The Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come Scene vi—Scrooge’s Conversion 1 Notes on the Play: Ebenezer Scrooge, obsessed with solitude and greed, collides in a nightmare with his own youth and his lost love. In Frederick Gaines’s theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s story, Scrooge is visited by the spirits of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come in A Christmas Carol, by Frederick Gaines 2 scenes that flow rapidly from one to the next, activated by the setting. Carolers sing fragments of joyous Christmas songs in the corners of Scrooge’s mind, and a little girl with a doll accompanies him on the street and joins him on his dream-journey.
    [Show full text]
  • A Christmas Carol
    November 13 – December 26, 2014 OneAmerica Stage STUDY GUIDE edited by Richard J Roberts & Milicent Wright contributors: Janet Allen, Courtney Sale Russell Metheny, Murell Horton, Michael Lincoln, Andrew Hopson Indiana Repertory Theatre 140 West Washington Street • Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 Janet Allen, Executive Artistic Director Suzanne Sweeney, Managing Director www.irtlive.com SEASON 2013-2014 YOUTH AUDIENCE FAMILY SERIES & MATINEE PROGRAMS SPONSOR 2 INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol adapted by Tom Haas The beloved classic of loss and redemption returns to IRT’s snow-covered stage! Dickens’ characters bring new life every season in this faithful, fanciful and frolicsome adaptation. It’s Indy’s favorite holiday tradition. Experience it for the first time all over again. Recommended for students in grades 4-12 Themes, Issues, & Topics the consequences of greed humanity’s ability to change the power of love and forgiveness The performance will last 90 minutes with no intermission. Study Guide Contents Synopsis 3 Author Charles Dickens 4 A Christmas Carol on Stage 6 Education Sales From the Designers 8 Randy Pease • 317-916-4842 From the Artistic Director 10 [email protected] From the Director 12 British Money in Scrooge’s Day 13 Pat Bebee • 317-916-4841 Victorian Life 14 [email protected] Music 16 Works of Art – Kyle Ragsdale 18 Outreach Programs Indiana Academic Standards 19 Milicent Wright • 317-916-4843 Resources 20 [email protected] Discussion Questions 23 Writing Prompts 24 Activities 25 Game: 20 Questions 26 Fifth Third Bank Financial Ed. 30 Text Glossary 31 Going to the Theatre 35 Young Playwrights in Process 36 Robert Neal in A Christmas Carol, 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • Batman: Noel 1St Edition Pdf, Epub, Ebook
    BATMAN: NOEL 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Lee Bermejo | 9781401232139 | | | | | Batman: Noel 1st edition PDF Book Stock photo. Be the first to write a review About this product. Talking about himself in the third person makes him feel more important than he really is. Hardback Harper Lee Books. Batman attempts to enter the Batmobile, which explodes upon activation and knocks him out. Batman: Noel , Bruce, like Scrooge, is being thoroughly unpleasant, and uncaring. Lee Bermejo. At the same time, it was arguably, at least in a thematic sense, one of the more faithful adaptations of A Christmas Carol. The incredible creativeness in telling a story that is a tale of Batman as Scrooge, while not doing so, is, as I said, impressive. Enjoy the beautiful artwork. While many people may enjoy this art style, I myself prefer a slightly less cluttered approach. It is a tired note that keeps replaying in the hands of weak authors giving us the same boring dark take on Batman in his dark city. Jun 06, Ottery StCatchpole rated it did not like it. View all 8 comments. To say I was expecting something original or new would be to have been setting myself up for disappointment as I already knew the premise of the story to be A Christmas Carol a la Batman. Around the Year Challenge A ghost story. Into this time comes a heady hallucination Batman is sick with pneumonia and still pushing himself to catch the Joker, instead of recovering of an alive Jason Todd. Graphic Novels Comics. Buy Now Est.
    [Show full text]
  • Bob Cratchit
    Edexcel English Literature GCSE A Christmas Carol: Character Profile Bob Cratchit www.pmt.education Bob Cratchit Character Summary Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s Clerk, is introduced to the novella as a timid and nervous man. He remains unnamed for the first ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ stave and is instead referred to as “the Clerk”. Perhaps ​ ​ Dickens only identifies Bob according to his occupation to highlight how the lower-class didn’t have an individual identity and were instead only recognised for their service. ​ This illustrates the way in which the working class were defined by their positions in the workforce, which is where their value came from. In this way, it could be argued that Bob Cratchit’s role in the novella is to represent the plight of the poor, as he ​ ​ is an immediate source of sympathy in the novella. ​ ​ However, when the Ghost of Christmas Present visits the Cratchit household with Scrooge the reader is exposed to a different side of Bob. Dickens depicts him as a loving father ​ and husband, which could be interpreted as an idealisation of the lower class. Despite his poor ​ ​ ​ wages and cruel employer, Bob Cratchit remains grateful and compassionate, celebrating ​ ​ Christmas in a way that the significantly richer Scrooge never could. Dickens may have also wanted to depict Bob Cratchit more holistically to present the lower class ​ ​ in a different light. Usually in Victorian literature, the working class were depicted as peripheral, unimportant characters. In the works of Dickens he defies these expectations. presenting the ​ lower class in a positive light and as multi-faceted characters. This is evident through the ​ ​ ​ character of Bob Cratchit.
    [Show full text]
  • Ryan: Read the Play, a Christmas Carol, up to the End of Scene 2
    Name: Period: A Christmas Carol ACT I 1. List details about the setting (time and place) of the play: 2. Describe Ebenezer Scrooge’s personality – 3. Who is Marley and what is his role in the play? 4. How does having a ghost as a narrator help move the play along? 5. What are some reasons Scrooge gives for hating Christmas? 6. A. What is being suggested by the dialogue in scene two between Scrooge and his nephew when they make the following statements? What is each character’s opinion about Christmas? Scrooge: Merry Christmas? What right do you have to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough! Nephew: What right have you to be dismal? What right have you to be morose (miserable)? You’re rich enough! Scrooge: Nephew: B. Do you feel they are correct in their assumptions about money and happiness/cheerfulness? Explain. 7. What does his nephew, Fred, say Christmas has done for him? How does this differ from Scrooge’s view of Christmas? 8. Why do you think Scrooge does not want to attend the Christmas dinner with his nephew’s family? 9. What are the thin and portly do-gooders asking for? 10. What is the reason that Scrooge gives for not giving them money? 11. What does Cratchit give to the do-gooders as they leave? 12. How does Scrooge treat his clerk, Bob? List specific examples to support your answer. 13. Why do you think Bob Cratchit is so kind to Scrooge? 14. List some ways Marley makes his presence known to Scrooge at the beginning of Scene 3: 15.
    [Show full text]