Dec 17, 2009

A Christmas Carol | Literary Qualities

A Christmas Carol is one of Dickens's better organized short works. The surviving manuscripts of the story plainly show that he lavished a great deal of effort on the story. The focus on Ebenezer Scrooge and the process of his redemption unifies the narrative. Dickens has written a secular morality drama for the early Victorian era, tracing a soul's progress from a life of isolated greed to one of meaningful relationships with fellow human beings.

The story begins in a cold and foggy London. It has not been light all day. The cold, fog, and darkness symbolize Scrooge's...