Man Who Invented Christmas

Legacy Note

(this is a legacy file; included for posterity it might not be reflective of my current views)

Painful Memories of Childhood and Adulthood - As Portrayed in the Movie Man Who Invented Christmas

About the Author - Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens

About

Charles Dickens was a prominent writer of English literature. Before becoming a novelist he was a successful journalist. He wrote novels, short stories, comics, and novellas.

Dickens was passionate about the poor, one of his greatest achievements was to bring the problem of poverty to the attention of his readers. He became famous for his remarkable characters, his mastery in telling their lives, and his depiction of the social classes, and values of the Victorian era.

Dickens has written various novels including A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist and Great Expectations.

Life of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born to John and Elizabeth Dickens on the 7th of February, 1812.

• Dickens’ childhood was hard and traumatic
• His family moved a lot
• His father had erratic spending habits that put them in constant debt
• He had to drop out of school at the age of nine
• Had to quit school at the age of nine
• He worked in a blacking factory living all by himself
• When 15, he had to quit school again to work as an office boy
• When he was 12, his entire family, apart from himself, were sent to Marshalsea

Link to original

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol is a novella by Charles Dickens about Ebenezer Scrooge, an old man known for his miserly ways. This classic has never been out of print. It has been translated to several languages. It has been adapted numerous times. From theater adaptations to movies, and video games to podcasts!

On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by a series of ghosts, starting with his old business partner, Jacob Marley. The three spirits which follow, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come, show Scrooge how his mean behaviour has affected those around him.

The Man Who Invented Christmas

The Man Who Invented Christmas is a 2017 biographical comedy-drama film directed by Bharat Nalluri and written by Susan Coyne.

It is based on a novel of the same name.

• Takes place in 1843
• Dickens is in need of money following the failure of three of his books
• To support his family, Dickens must write something that will sell The movie shows us how “A Christmas Carol” came to be. It depicts the struggles he had to face while writing the classic and beloved tale. With only six weeks in hand, Dickens defies all odds and publishes a story that has a profound impact on society.

Influence on Christmas

• Family-centred - shifted focus from daily activities.
• Generosity - Not just one day but throughout year.
• Holiday - For celebration
• No money and wealth - only need of heart and love.
• Materialistic world - get their heart and soul

Influence on Christmas Industrial revolution - less time permit to workers. Merry Christmas - became famous. Young girl incident - Will Christmas die, too? Spirit of Christmas - no creation of Christmas.

“(Dickens) issued to the world more political and social truths than have been uttered by all the professional politicians, publicists and moralists put together” Karl Marx

Unpleasant memories in childhood Childhood memories and experiences shape us into who we are as adults and how we think and perceive life. Traumatic memories often are remembered more clearly, and affect people even after they mature into adults.

Charles Dickens ’ Struggle With Traumatic Memories In the movie, Charles Dickens often has nightmares about his childhood. His family’s financial state forced him to start working at a very young age. The working conditions were very poor and he was bullied by the other kids. As the movie progresses, Charles slowly overcomes the resentment he feels towards his father, because of whom he had to work.

1. Intro
2. About the Author
3. About “A Christmas Carol”
4. About movie
5. Influence on Christmas
6. Trauma
7. Life of Dickens
8. Characters

”Whether the Christmas visions would or would not convert Scrooge, they convert us,” he wrote. This psychological conflict may be responsible for the two radically different Scrooges in the tale—one a cold, stingy recluse, the other a benevolent, loving man In a way, the story can be interpreted as progress in therapy. In the beginning, Scrooge is a miser who only cares about business. He doesn’t care about anything else. He thinks it is humbug to “muck around in the past”