I just re-read this one, too–with a reading club. Dickens can really get on my nerves a lot of the time, but I have a bit of a soft spot for this one.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is reading Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol (or at least watching one of the movies based on the book). Every time I experience the story, I take away something different. Some years I focus on the themes of redemption and second chances. Other years, I read as a writer and concentrate on Dickens’ mastery of characterization. This year, I was struck by how much social and political commentary Charles Dickens included in the text. In our current climate of political correctness and fear of alienating readers, it is valuable to note how critical Dickens (and many of his contemporaries) was of the society he lived in. He didn’t hold back in his condemnation of the rampant poverty in England and the prosperous Scrooge’s attitude toward the poor. As I am reviewing my achievements over the last year and contemplating what I want to accomplish…
View original post 60 more words
