A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (Book Analysis)

This practical and insightful reading guide offers a complete summary and analysis of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. It provides a thorough exploration of the novella’s plot, characters and main themes, including redemption, social isolation and the evolution of Christmas traditions. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

This clear and detailed 60-page reading guide is structured as follows:

• Biography of Charles Dickens
• Presentation of A Christmas Carol
• Summary of A Christmas Carol
• Character study
  • Ebenezer Scrooge
  • Jacob Marley
  • The Ghost of Christmas Past
  • The Ghost of Christmas Present
  • The Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come
  • Bob Cratchit
  • Tiny Tim
  • Fred
• Analysis of A Christmas Carol
  • Self vs. society: Scrooge’s secular and spiritual redemption
  • Isolation
  • A Christmas Carol and the invention of Christmas

About A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a cantankerous, miserly old man who despises the notion of Christmas. However, on Christmas Eve he is visited by the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley, condemned to roam the earth in the shackles he forged in life, who warns Scrooge that unless he changes his ways, he will soon face the same fate. Although Scrooge is initially unconvinced, he is visited by three more spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. The ghosts whisk him off on a journey through time, space and his own conscience, and Christmas Day dawns the next morning to find Scrooge a changed man.

About Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was one of the best-known and most acclaimed novelists of Victorian England. He was also a prominent social critic, and frequently used his writing to denounce the injustices faced by the poor and vulnerable in 19^th-century Britain, as well as campaigning tirelessly for social reform. He was a prolific writer, and published many novels, novellas, short stories and non-fiction articles. Dickens’ most famous works include Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations, and many of his books are still widely read and studied today.