Yes, you guessed it right. I am referring to Charles Dickens' much beloved novella. Sure, it is senti. Yet this novella, that is, a long short story, tugs at your heart. Yes, it can be argued that there is an unmistakable Christian message in it. Believe me though, minor changes here and there, and it can relate to any society, each culture. It IS that universal.
How is the story presented to us, the readers? Well, it is ghost stories within a ghost story. Is it not typical that when relatives and acquaintances gather, chats always revert to some such tales? Dickens' novella has that intimate feel.
In five 'staves', yes, the story has a crescendo effect in addition to the Freytag mode of plot construction, the Scrooge saga unfolds. When the story begins, Ebenezer Scrooge is a stingy person with the most crooked heart, without any pity or mercy. On the Christmas Eve, his late partner's ghost comes to warn him to mend his ways. Three ghosts follow, of the past, present and future. Since it is a novella, all ends well. A new Scrooge is re-born, making the underlying Christian allegory absolutely clear.
Yes, it is a much loved book. In a way, in England itself, it revived the tradition of, yes, carols. It was around its publication, in 1843, that the Christmas tree began as part of the general bonhomie. The novella added meaning to such festive cheer.
In a way, the condition of poor children presented pitifully in the novella was a stark reality of Dickens' Victorian England. He had suffered it personally, too. The book hence has a lovely combo of realism, social satire, allegory, fairy tale, ghost story, all combined. A happy read, in brief!
Pratima@Books impact generations. Surely, they cannot be of the actual/intellectual "DIY" or "how to" mode, notoriously popular right now!
Quote of the day: "What is Christmas? It is," says Agnes Pavro, "tenderness for the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future."
Word of the day: blithe Often used in the context of a festive feel, it means showing a good mood or disposition.
Let us learn grammar: Since we looked at the 'few/a few' and 'little/a little' as pairs, let us look at 'some/any', though these are not exactly articles. "Some" is used in positive statements to indicate a quantity, while "any" must be used in negatives and questions. Let us look at some examples. Do you have any doubts? Any questions? A good teacher does not like a dumb class, dumb here means without any response.
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