CU Boulder Victorian literature scholars discuss why Charles Dickens’ classic is still retold and probably will be retold in Christmases yet to come

This month is the 180th anniversary of Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol. For nearly two centuries, this tale of redemption and reflection has buoyed readers with its depictions of regret and the enduring tenacity of hope.

Dickens’ novella also can be read as a social commentary, reflecting his views of Victorian England through themes that remain relevant today. The narrative keenly addresses issues of wealth imbalance, labor inequity and the harsh realities the working class faced—all struggles Dickens experienced personally.

But why, among Dickens’ body of work, is A Christmas Carol the story that still gets told? Why does a reflection on social injustice in Victorian England ring true for readers in the 21st century?

Enduring social commentary

As Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, he took aim at attitudes toward poverty and those living in it.

“There was a lot of tension at the time, in the sense that some people had everything and some people had nothing,” explains Elizabeth Anderman, an associate teaching professor, English lecturer and English teacher for the College of Arts and Sciences Residential Academic Programs. “Obviously, I think that’s still true for us today, right? Scrooge, who starts as a miser and is converted, speaks to our culture of aspiring to wealth—and I think we all know there are some potential negatives with that.”

Dickens’ choice to confront the widening gap between the richest and the poorest was uncomfortable for many at the time, Anderman says. When the story was published in 1843, England’s wealth gap was expanding dramatically.

Choosing to address income inequality via a ghost story made the tale and its themes more approachable—and possibly more palatable—for a broader swath of readers, says Emily Harrington, an associate professor of English and associate chair for undergraduate studies in the Department of English. Also, ghost stories were very popular at Christmas in the 19^th century, much more than they were at Halloween.

“Ghost stories and other gothic horror genres are great for representing big unwieldy social problems because they make those problems safer for readers to encounter them,” she says.

However, Dickens ultimately balances the spookiness and social critique with nostalgia and visions of an ideal holiday—one that readers can embrace even if they’ve never experienced it.

“I would say this story remains popular because it offers a fanciful solution to those big problems,” Harrington says. “Bob Cratchit gets a raise, his family gets a turkey. Everyone who reads or watches can feel good about a problem with a resolution.”

Eternal archetypes

The enduring appeal of A Christmas Carol isn’t exclusive to its commentary on social injustice. Dickens’ use of archetypal characters—figures like Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Christmas spirits—emphasizes a desire for redemption narratives, and for good things to happen to people who deserve them.

“We really want our leaders and rich people to be nice people and to be able to be converted,” Anderman says. “We want to believe that being rich doesn’t make you horrible. Seeing Scrooge’s transformation from a miserly figure to being redeemed is something people want to hold onto.”

However, Dickens’ characters, though beloved, are not without criticism. Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit’s preternaturally wise son, has in recent years been criticized as an objectifying portrayal of disability. While using disabled characters to tug at the heartstrings was a common technique in Victorian literature, and even though some readers gain significant emotional connection to the story via Tiny Tim, many view this use of the character archetype as harmful. 

“People working in the area of disability studies have felt like Tiny Tim does their community a real disservice, because he is a poster child,” Harrington says. “In that sense, he is an object—not a subject. There’s a need for stories that put the experiences of disabled people at the center and don’t just make them sentimental objects for eliciting sympathy.”

Transcending the page

The fact that Dickens’ story still elicits strong opinions and that people are still discussing it bespeaks its enduring themes and characters. It is a story that holds up through countless adaptations and retellings, from animated films to stage plays to modern twists on the core story

Harrington notes that the story’s adaptability is thanks, in part, to its theatrical structure. Scrooge serves as a fill-in for the audience, while the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future transport the audience through scenes and, depending on the adaptation, acts.

“My dad has read A Christmas Carol to us each year for my entire life,” Anderman says. “So much of what Dickens wrote was meant to be read out loud. I think this is part of what has helped it convert really well into more modern media we understand better today. So many lines have a rhythm we want to speak and hear out loud.”

Both Harrington and Anderman, researchers of and experts in Victorian literature, cite a beloved adaptation: 1992’s The Muppet Christmas Carol.

“I can say that The Muppet Christmas Carol is my favorite adaptation because of the whimsy and playfulness,” Harrington says. “It doesn’t take its subject too seriously.”

Embracing fantasy and continued relevance

Though Dickens used Christmas themes and a patina of sentimentality to tell this story, the issues he aimed to address transcended the holiday season, and the decades of holiday seasons since its publication in December 1843. 

“Dickens really wanted to work and help the poor in his own life,” Anderman says. “There’s a part of me that wishes we could get back to that part of the text. There are some moments where he really wants us to take a look around and see the people in our communities we don’t often see. He wants us to embrace this aspect, but sadly, I think this gets glossed over by the Christmas side.”

Harrington adds that she hopes to see a change in the type of stories people celebrate around the holidays. “I think it’s really important to understand how the stories we tell operate culturally, and to me, this one has maybe held on too long, suggesting that charitable giving will solve big problems rather than fundamental systemic change,” she says.

Nevertheless, A Christmas Carol remains the story people read year after year, with its catchphrases “Bah! Humbug!” and “God bless us everyone.”

“Yeah, it’s a nice fantasy to enjoy,” Harrington says. “It’s a fairytale, right? It’s a ghost story. These are the stories we love to connect with and feel good about.”

Or, in the words of the author himself, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”

Top image: A closing scene from The Muppet Christmas Carol (photo: Disney)

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