What Dickens’ ‘Christmas Carol’ Can Still Teach Us

 by Nathaniel Gingell

Charles Dickens wrote ‘A Christmas Carol’ in 1843. He wrote it as a social commentary - his own family had been in the debtor’s prison and he had had to leave school and work in a factory. His whole life he sought to educate the prosperous to be kind to those less fortunate.  In short, Dickens had a social conscience. Let us consider, then, what the novel might tell us about today’s modern life:

1. When we listen, we learn. Scrooge had to accept his journey with the ghosts who visited him, he had to listen and see how hard life was for others and how much his own actions hurt them.

2. Reflection on behaviour is one of the best way of learning how to change it. The 3 ghosts show him the error of his ways and whether through fear or guilt he eventually comes round and becomes a lot more empathic and promises to do better in the future.

3. It’s never too late to start afresh. The sense of regret that he develops on his ghostly journey makes him want to change and become a much kinder, more generous man. He realises that the way he treats his clerk, Bob Cratchit, has been uncalled for and his excitement on Christmas morning teaches us that starting afresh can make us ambitious for the future. Saying sorry and asking for a second change is a strength and not a weakness.

4. Treat others as you want to be treated yourself. Bob Cratchit is loyal and hard working, but Scrooge doesn’t pay him enough to even feed his family. You could argue that Scrooge’s treatment of Bob Cratchit reflects on the economic poverty we see today, and also how some people work so hard and still struggle to meet their basic needs. However, after being visited by The Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, Scrooge realises what he's done and invites the Cratchits over for a big turkey dinner on Christmas Eve. Dickens is showing us that we should be kind to other people , especially if they have less than us.

5. When we think about others’ happiness, it makes us happier. Scrooge learns to stop thinking about himself and becomes more selfless. This makes him feel refreshed and happy

These 5 points show us that ‘A Christmas Carol’ reflects that as many insignificant changes may be made, Nature will keep our instincts the same. ‘A Christmas Carol’ is as relevant today as it was in the 1800’s. 

Even without trees, you can still turn a new leaf.