A Christmas Carol Essays and Criticism

A Christmas Carol | Essays and Criticism

The Popularity of A Christmas Carol: Excessive Sentimentalism or Powerful Storytelling?
In this essay, David Kelly examines the question of whether Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol is effective because of its adept manipulation of readers' sentiments, or if it earns its popularity with powerful storytelling.
Stalking the Figurative Oyster: The Excursive Ideal in A Christmas Carol
In the following essay, Craig Buckwald examines the theme of restriction and containment in A Christmas Carol, as exemplified by the description of Scrooge as "solitary as an oyster."
The Conversion of Scrooge: A Defense of That Good Man's Motivation
In the following essay, William E. Morris examines Ebenezer Scrooge's "conversion" in A Christmas Carol. According to Morris, "Dickens does not intend Scrooge's awakening to be a promise for all covetous old sinners, but only a possibility to be individually hoped for."
The Christmas Carol and the Economic Man
In the following essay adapted from Charles Dickens: His Tragedy and Triumph (1952), Edgar Johnson expounds on the social importance of A Christmas Carol.
Some Candid Opinions on A Christmas Carol
In the following essay, which was originally presented as a lecture in May, 1937, Norman Berrow reacts negatively to A Christmas Carol.