INDEX

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION
CHARACTERS
SUMMARY
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CONTRIBUTION
 CHARLES DICKENS AND HIS
WORLD
CHARLES JOHN HUFFAM DICKENSwasaFamedBritishauthorbornonFebruary
7,1812,inPortsmouth,onthesoutherncoastofEngland.Hewasthesecond
ofeightchildren.Hisfather,JohnDickens,wasanavalclerkwhodreamedof
strikingitrich.CharlesDickensmother,ElizabethBarrow,aspiredtobea
teacherandschooldirector.Despitehisparentsbestefforts,thefamily
remainedpoor.Nevertheless,theywerehappyintheearlydays.In1816,
theymovedtoChatham,Kent,whereyoungCharlesandhissiblingswere
freetoroamthecountrysideandexploretheoldcastleatRochester.
Dickenswaspermittedtogobacktoschoolwhenhisfatherreceivedafamily
inheritanceandusedittopayoffhisdebts.ButwhenDickenswas15,his
educationwaspulledoutfromunderhimonceagain.In1827,hehadtodrop
outofschoolandworkasanofficeboytocontributetohisfamilysincome.
Asitturnedout,thejobbecameanearlylaunchingpointforhiswriting
career.
Withinayearofbeinghired,Dickensbegan
freelancereportingatthelawcourtsof
London.Justafewyearslater,hewas
reportingfortwomajorLondonnewspapers.In
1833,hebegansubmittingsketchestovarious
magazinesandnewspapersunderthe
pseudonymBoz.In1836,hisclippingswere
publishedinhisfirstbook,Sketches by
Boz.Dickensfirstsuccesscaughttheeyeof
CatherineHogarth,whomhesoonmarried.
CatherinewouldgraceCharleswithabroodof
10childrenbeforethecoupleseparatedin
1858.
InthesameyearthatSketches by Bozwas
released,DickensstartedpublishingThe
Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club. His
seriesofsketches,originallywrittenas
captionsforartistRobertSeymourshumorous
sports-themedillustrations,tooktheformof
monthlyserialinstallments.The Posthumous
Papers of the Pickwick Club waswildlypopular
withreaders.Infact,Dickenssketcheswere
evenmorepopularthantheillustrationsthey
weremeanttoaccompany.
 Aroundthistime,DickenshadalsobecomepublisherofamagazinecalledBentleys
Miscellany. Inithestartedpublishinghisfirstnovel,Oliver Twist,whichfollowsthelife
ofanorphanlivinginthestreets.ThestorywasinspiredbyhowDickensfeltasan
impoverishedchildforcedtogetbyonhiswitsandearnhisownkeep.Dickens
continuedshowcasingOliver Twist inthemagazineshelateredited,
includingHousehold WordsandAll the Year Round,thelatterofwhichhefounded.The
novelwasextremelywellreceivedinbothEnglandandAmerica.
Overthenextfewyears,DickensstruggledtomatchthelevelofOliver Twistssuccess.
From1838to1841,hepublishedThe Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,The
Old Curiosity ShopandBarnaby Rudge.In1843,DickenswrotehisnovelThe Life and
Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit,astoryaboutamansstruggletosurviveonthe
ruthlessAmericanfrontier.Thebookwaspublishedthefollowingyear.
Overthenextcoupleofyears,DickenspublishedtwoChristmasstories.Onewasthe
classicA Christmas Carol,whichfeaturesthetimelessprotagonistEbenezerScrooge,
acurmudgeonlyoldmiser,who,withthehelpofaghost,findstheChristmasspirit.
In1865,Dickenswasinatrainaccidentandneverfullyrecovered.Despitehisfragile
condition,hecontinuedtotouruntil1870.OnJune9,1870,Dickenshadastrokeand,
atage58,diedatGadsHillPlace,hiscountryhomeinKent,England.Hewasburied
inPoetsCorneratWestminsterAbbey,withthousandsofmournersgatheringatthe
belovedauthorsgravesite.ScottishsatiricalwriterThomasCarlyledescribedDickens
passingasaneventworldwide,auniqueoftalentssuddenlyextinct.Atthetimeof
Dickensdeath,hisfinalnovel,The Mystery of Edwin Drood,wasleftunfinished.
INTRODUCTION
AChristmasCarolisalongstoryofthekindsometimescalledanovella(bigforastory
buttooshorttobeanovel).CharlesDickenswroteitin1843,thefirstofaseriesof
whathecalledChristmasBooks.Itquicklybecamepopular,andithasinfluencedthe
waypeopleinBritainthinkofChristmas-indeed,somepeoplethinkthatDickens
almostinventedourideasabouttheseason.EbenezerScroogehasbecomeperhaps
betterknownthanthebookheappearsin-ashashiscatchphrase,"Bah,humbug".An
outlineofthestory.
InthisstoryEbenezerScroogeisaselfishandhardheartedoldman.OneChristmas
Evetheghostofhisformerbusinesspartner,JacobMarleyappearstohim.Marleywas
almostasselfishasScroogeandnowhisspiritisbeingpunished.Hetellscroogethat
hemustchangehiswaysandexplainsthatthreemoreghostwillvisithim.Thesethree
spiritsshowScroogehispast,hispresentandapossiblefuture.Inthepastliesthe
startofScrooge'sselfishness,whichiscompletedinthepresent.Thethirdghostshows
aglimpseofafuturewhereScroogedies,unlovedandunlamented.Manypeopleare
harmedbyScrooge'shardnessofheart,butwereadmostaboutthefamilyof
Scrooge'semployee,BobCratchit,andhisdisabledson,TinyTim,whosedeaththe
secondspiritdescribes,whilethethirdspiritshowstheeffectofthedeathonhisfamily.
Scroogewakesafterthevisit ofthelast ofthe spirits,tofinditis ChristmasDay,and
that he is able to change things for the better. He immediately sets out to help the
Cratchitfamily,andothers,whilebeginningtoputrightthewrongsofthepastandthe
present.TinyTimdoesnotdie,andScroogebecomesaskindasheoncewasselfish.
CHARACTERS
Ebenezer Scrooge : The focal character of
Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas
Carol. At the beginning of the novella,
Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who
despises Christmas. Dickens describes him
thus: "The cold within him froze his old
features, nipped his pointed nose, made
his eyes red, his thin lips blue, and spoke
out shrewdly in his grating voice...".
Robert "Bob" Cratchit :A fictional character
in the Charles Dickens novella A Christmas
Carol. The abused, underpaid clerk of
Ebenezer Scrooge, Cratchit has come to
symbolize poor working conditions,
especially long working hours.
Tiny Tim : He is a minor character, the
youngest son of Bob Cratchit, and is seen
only briefly, but serves as an important
symbol of the consequences of the
protagonist's choices.
 Fezziwig :To provide contrast with Ebenezer Scrooge's
attitudes towards business ethics. Scrooge, who
apprenticed under Fezziwig, is the very antithesis of
the person he worked for as a young man. Mr.
Fezziwig is portrayed as a happy, foppish man with a
large Welsh Wig.
Mrs. Cratchit : Wife of Mr. Cratchit ,who is named
EMILY in some adaptions.
Fred : He is Ebenezer Scrooge's nephew and only
living relative in A Christmas Carol. Fred is also a
gentleman of some means but unlike his miserly
uncle, he is a kind-hearted, generous, cheerful, and
optimistic man who loves Christmas. Fred believes
that there is good to be found in everyone, even his
misanthropic uncle Scrooge, whom he invites to
Christmas dinner every year despite constant
rejection. Fred believes that the good in Scrooge can
be brought to the surface.
Cratchits children : Martha cratchit, the eldest
daughter, who works as an apprentice at a milliner's.
Belinda Cratchit, the second daughter,Peter Cratchit,
the heir, for whom his father is arranging employment
at the weekly rate of five shillings and sixpence.
 Ghost of Christmas Past : The Ghost of Christmas Past is
the first of the three spirits to haunt Ebenezer Scrooge.
This angelic spirit shows Scrooge scenes from his past
that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to
demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways,
as well as to show the reader how Scrooge came to be a
bitter, cold-hearted miser.
Ghost of Christmas Present : The Ghost of Christmas
Present is the second of the three spirhat haunt the
miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to
repent. When he first appears before Scrooge, he invites
him to "come in and know me better, man.
Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come : Scrooge finds the
Ghost Of Christmas Future the most fearsome of the
Spirits; it appears to Scrooge as a figure entirely muffled
in a black hooded cloak, except for a single spectral
hand with which it points. Although the character never
speaks in the story, Scrooge understands it, usually
through assumptions from his previous experiences and
rhetorical questions.
SUMMARY
Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly, cold-hearted creditor, continues his stingy,
greedy ways on Christmas Eve. He rejects a Christmas dinner invitation and all
the good tidings of the holiday, from his jolly nephew, Fred; he yells at charity
workers; and he overworks his employee, Bob Cratchit. At night, Scrooge's
former partner Jacob Marley, dead for seven years, visits him in the form of a
ghost. Marley's spirit has been wandering since he died as punishment for being
consumed with business and not with people while alive. He has come to warn
Scrooge and perhaps save him from the same fate. He tells him Three Spirits
will come to him over the next three nights.
Scrooge falls asleep and wakes up to find the Ghost of Christmas Past, a
small, elderly figure. The Ghost shows Scrooge scenes from the past that trace
Scrooge's development from a young boy, lonely but with the potential for
happiness, to a young man with the first traces of greed that would deny love in
his life. Scrooge shows newfound emotion when revisiting these scenes, often
crying from identification with his former neglected self.
 Scrooge goes to sleep and is awakened by the Ghost of Christmas
Present, a giant with a life span of one day. He shows Scrooge
several current scenes of Christmas joy and charity, then shows
him the Cratchit household. The Ghost informs Scrooge that unless
the future is changed, the Cratchit's crippled and good-hearted
young son, Tiny Tim, will die. He also shows Scrooge the party at
Fred's house. Finally, a ragged boy and girl crawl out from the
Ghost's robes. The Ghost calls them Ignorance and Want and
warns Scrooge to beware of Ignorance.
The silent, black-clad Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come replaces the
other ghost. He shows Scrooge several scenes of people
discussing someone's death; no one seems pained by the death,
and most are happy about it. Scrooge does not know, however,
who the man is. He learns that Tiny Tim has died, but the Cratchits
maintain their unity and love. Scrooge finally discovers that he is
the one who has died and whose death has only pleased people.
He expresses the hope that these scenes of the future can be
changed and vows to incorporate the lessons of the past, present
and future into his adoption of the Christmas spirit.
 Scrooge wakes up in his bedroom and learns that the
whole adventure took only one night, not three it is
Christmas Day. In addition to smiling and being friendly
to everyone he sees, he sends a large turkey to the
Cratchits, gives a sizable donation to the charity worker
he previously insulted, and has a wonderful time at
Fred's party. The next day he gives Cratchit a raise.
Scrooge continues his kindly ways after Christmas,
befriending everyone and becoming a second father to
Tiny Tim, who does not die. He never sees the ghosts
again, but he keeps the spirit of Christmas alive in his
heart as well as anyone.
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS
A Christmas Carolis a fairly straightforward allegory built on an
episodic narrative structure in which each of the main passages
has a fixed, obvious symbolic meaning. The book is divided into
five sections (Dickens labels them Staves in reference to the
musical notation staff--a Christmas carol, after all, is a song), with
each of the middle three Staves revolving around a visitation by
one of the three famous spirits. The three spirit-guides, along with
each of their tales, carry out a thematic function--the Ghost of
Christmas Past, with his glowing head, represents memory; the
Ghost of Christmas Present represents charity, empathy, and the
Christmas spirit; and the reaper-like Ghost of Christmas Yet to
Come represents the fear of death. Scrooge, with his Bah!
Humbug! attitude, embodies all that dampens Christmas spirit--
greed, selfishness, indifference, and a lack of consideration for
one's fellow man.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
WE LIKED TO THANKED OUR RESPECTED CLASS
TEACHER ,SHUBHRA MAAM,WHO HAD HELPED
US BY GIVING IDEAS AND ADVICE FOR THIS
PROJECT.WE ARE GROUP-V AND WE HAD TAKE
THE HELP AND GUIDELINE OF SOME RESPECTED
PERSONS,WHO DESERVE OUR GREATEST
GRATITUDE.MANY PEOPLE,ESPECIALLY OUR
CLASSMATES AND TEAM MEMBERS ITSELF,HAVE
MADE VALUABLE COMMENT SUGGESTIONS ON
THIS PROPOSAL WHICH GAVE US INSPIRATION TO
IMPROVE OUR ASSIGNMENT.WE THANK ALL THE
PEOPLE FOR THEIR HELP DIRECTLY AND
INDIRECTLY TO COMPLETE OUR ASSIGNMENT.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Teddy Wayne, author of ClassicNote. Completed on July
26, 2002, copyright held by GradeSaver.
Dickens, Charles.A Christmas Carol. New York: Bantam
Books, 1997.
The 170th anniversary ofCharles Dickenss
novella,A Christmas Carol. It also marks the
nine-year anniversary ofTim AllensThe Santa
Clause. Hard to choose which one to
commemorate, really, but lets go withA
Christmas Carolsorry, Tim! After all, this
classic story not only introduced the world to
Ebenezer Scrooge and vilified capitalism, it also
breathed nearly two centuries of merriment into
what was once a somber holiday.
 CONTRIBUTION
1. DEBISWARI BAG Character Sketch
2. KAZI MEHNAZ YASMIN Writing & Editing
3. KUSHAL BISWAS Sound Effect
4. PROSHANTO BHADRA Conclusion
5. RIKSHIK DAS Collecting Pictures
6. RITANKAR DUTTA Acknowledgement
7. RITWIK GUPTA Background Editing
8. ROHIT SINGH Bibliography
9. SAPTANGSHU GHOSH Collecting Information
10. SAURISH BOSE Critical Analysis
THANK YOU