Stave One of "A Christmas Carol"

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
G

Galatea

Guest
#1
#1
As promised, here is the thread to post thoughts about Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol, Stave One.

I think my favorite part of Stave One is Fred's description of Christmas. But the best line is the one describing Scrooge "But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind-stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!" I don't know if a string of adjectives has ever been used to more effect than here.
 
tourist

tourist

Senior Member
#2
Mar 13, 2014
41,323
16,307
113
69
Tennessee
#2
"A Merry Christmas to us all. God bless us, everyone!" - Tiny Tim
 
Tinkerbell725

Tinkerbell725

Senior Member
#3
Jul 19, 2014
4,216
1,179
113
Philippines Age 40
#3
I fell asleep reading stave one and made it only halfway. My excuse is eye strain from looking at a computer screen for eight hours a day. Why was Marley haunting Scrooge?
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#4
#4
Tinkerbell725 said:
I fell asleep reading stave one and made it only halfway. My excuse is eye strain from looking at a computer screen for eight hours a day. Why was Marley haunting Scrooge?
Click to expand...
He's giving Scrooge a chance at redemption "I am here tonight to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. A chance and hope of my procuring, Ebenezer."
 
T

Tintin

Guest
#5
#5
Tinkerbell725 said:
I fell asleep reading stave one and made it only halfway. My excuse is eye strain from looking at a computer screen for eight hours a day. Why was Marley haunting Scrooge?
Click to expand...
I don't understand this. Or did you try to read the novella on your computer or iPad etc?
 
maxwel

maxwel

Senior Member
#6
Apr 18, 2013
9,379
2,452
113
#6
Tintin said:
I don't understand this. Or did you try to read the novella on your computer or iPad etc?
Click to expand...
Is there some other way to read things?
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#8
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#8
What I found interesting is how Scrooge's indifference toward others is coupled with an indifference to the environment/sensory experience.

"Why do you doubt your senses?" seems to be the overarching theme.
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#9
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#9
Perhaps Scrooge is the perfect candidate for such an experience, because everyone else would have a heart attack unless they're accustomed to using hallucinogenic drugs.
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#10
#10
Desdichado said:
What I found interesting is how Scrooge's indifference toward others is coupled with an indifference to the environment/sensory experience.

"Why do you doubt your senses?" seems to be the overarching theme.
Click to expand...
He's definitely closed off to everything, ALMOST. He gets rattled at seeing Marley's ghost on the door knocker- enough to check the rooms of his flat and to double lock the door- something he didn't normally do.

Although Scrooge is the villain, Dickens seems to give him pathos, I already feel sorry for Scrooge. Dickens, I think, is a master at making his villains pathetic. Picturing Scrooge in his same miserable tavern day in, day out is rather sad.
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#11
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#11
Is Scrooge captivating because he is a protagonist and an antagonist?

Galatea said:
He's definitely closed off to everything, ALMOST. He gets rattled at seeing Marley's ghost on the door knocker- enough to check the rooms of his flat and to double lock the door- something he didn't normally do.

Although Scrooge is the villain, Dickens seems to give him pathos, I already feel sorry for Scrooge. Dickens, I think, is a master at making his villains pathetic. Picturing Scrooge in his same miserable tavern day in, day out is rather sad.
Click to expand...
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#12
#12
Desdichado said:
Perhaps Scrooge is the perfect candidate for such an experience, because everyone else would have a heart attack unless they're accustomed to using hallucinogenic drugs.
Click to expand...
I don't know, maybe deep down, Scrooge is so lonely, he WELCOMES talking to the ghost of Marley.
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#13
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#13
I'm not so sure I would go so far as to call him a villain. Maybe the villain of Stave I.
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#14
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#14
It seems like Marley was the only man he could relate to in his adult life. That's probably part of the reason why.

Galatea said:
I don't know, maybe deep down, Scrooge is so lonely, he WELCOMES talking to the ghost of Marley.
Click to expand...
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#15
#15
Desdichado said:
Is Scrooge captivating because he is a protagonist and an antagonist?
Click to expand...
At this point, I don't think the reader knows if he is an antagonist or protagonist (of course, we all know the story). I believe he is the protagonist and his sin is the antagonist. The sin of selfishness.
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#16
#16
Desdichado said:
I'm not so sure I would go so far as to call him a villain. Maybe the villain of Stave I.
Click to expand...
I think Scrooge is generally seen as the villain of the piece, but I don't think he is the villain. I think it is more accurate to say his sin is the villain, or antagonist to be technically correct.
 
G

Galatea

Guest
#17
#17
Desdichado said:
It seems like Marley was the only man he could relate to in his adult life. That's probably part of the reason why.
Click to expand...
Marley is the right messenger for Scrooge's redemption. He wouldn't have listened to anyone else.
 
AbigailZeke

AbigailZeke

Beloved
#18
Mar 11, 2016
3,055
241
63
Singapore
abigail.pro
#18
So, I was expecting this to be a children's story for Christmas season... until the knocker-turned-ghost disturbance happened.

I must say, though, the scene where the phantoms were wailing and wandering outside, would have given me chills, if I wasn't already chilled to the bone since that knocker incident.

My favorite part would be Scrooge's conversation with the two charitable gentlemen. I think it was witty and entertaining.
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#19
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#19
I can't argue with that.

Perhaps an argument could be made for Fran, though. But that's Stave II. I'll try to stay between the lines. :p

Galatea said:
Marley is the right messenger for Scrooge's redemption. He wouldn't have listened to anyone else.
Click to expand...
 
Desdichado

Desdichado

Senior Member
#20
Feb 9, 2014
8,768
838
113
#20
Which makes sense. For all his bluster, Scrooge does little to struggle with the spirits.

Though it's difficult to separate the sin from the practitioner, I think it makes sense in the context of the story.

Galatea said:
I think Scrooge is generally seen as the villain of the piece, but I don't think he is the villain. I think it is more accurate to say his sin is the villain, or antagonist to be technically correct.
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.