For the most part of my life, I have been in love with what I think is the most beautiful story ever told...A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I do not exaggerate when I say I have watched this story in numerous versions on TV and read it over and over as well...for a combined total of at least 200 times. I can never get enough of this...I have been captured by its thought the from the first time I heard it read to me.
To some, it is a heart-warming novel, others have looked upon it as a kind of parable, yet still others have stated Dickens was writing it as a social criticism of his day and age. I have even heard of others categorize it as a ghost story, and yet others claim it is a tale that brings out moral truth in each of us.
All I know is I have loved this story, from the very beginning to the very end!
I am not writing this to go into some "deep meaning" I have gotten from this literary classic...I could never do this story proper justice.
What I would like to mention is certain things that prompted this wonderful story to be written by Charles Dickens.
In the early 1800's England had been the first world power to enter the "Industrial Revolution". A very basic definition of the Industrial Revolution is: the ability to mass produce items, which before this era, were produced by hand.
It was the Victorian Age of England and one of her strong beliefs at that time was: sheer hard work produces results; if you are poor, it was your own fault.
The social climate of that period was fairly lopsided: there were the few who were wealthy..and the poor who were many. Great Britain was going through major changes. The population alone...in 1801 there were 9 million who lived in England, by 1901 there were 41 million. It was incredible growth.
Along with that though, came other things like; major diseases, poor housing, and death.
Shortly before Dickens wrote this brilliant novel, 50% of all funerals in England, particularly in the larger cities, were children under the age of 10. The average age of one considered in the "lower working class" was the " ripe old age"........of 22.
Now here is what really gets to me, the treatment of children during that time. Children, as young as 4 or 5 years old, would be sent to work in tin mines and coal mines. Their work day was often 12 to 16 hours a day with little and usually no education.
Textile factories, called by Dickens himself "Dark Satanic Mills" were abusive to children in every way imaginable. Poor Houses, funded with government money but owned by the private sector, would use as little money (designated for the poor) as they could and pocket the majority of it. Treadmills would work a poor soul 10 hours a day and walk to grind grain up to 3 miles a day or more...children were a great source of cheap labor for this as well!
When Scrooge says in the story:"Are there no workhouses, and the treadmills...they are still in operation?...." that unfortunately was the Victorian thought of that time period.
Fortunately, times did finally change in England and in other countries as well, and child labor laws eventually protected the children. And yet today...we hear of stories...and see in photos...the abuse of children going on today...working under conditions similar to what Dickens saw in his lifetime.
A Christmas Carol brought the world to a realization...we can't treat the children in this manner anymore.....personally, I think the world needs another Charles Dickens to arise....We need "A New Christmas Carol!" A story of today that will change the way man thinks...for the sake of the children...we must not forget the children...
In Mark 10:14 it reads (Amplified); "But when Jesus saw this (the disciples were trying to stop the children from getting to Jesus), He became indignant and was pained, and said to them,"Allow the children to come to Me...do not forbid, do not prevent...or do not hinder them. For such belongs the Kingdom of God."
Christmas...it's a wonderful time...especially for the children. Let's keep children the world over in our prayers...especially at Christmas!
To some, it is a heart-warming novel, others have looked upon it as a kind of parable, yet still others have stated Dickens was writing it as a social criticism of his day and age. I have even heard of others categorize it as a ghost story, and yet others claim it is a tale that brings out moral truth in each of us.
All I know is I have loved this story, from the very beginning to the very end!
I am not writing this to go into some "deep meaning" I have gotten from this literary classic...I could never do this story proper justice.
What I would like to mention is certain things that prompted this wonderful story to be written by Charles Dickens.
In the early 1800's England had been the first world power to enter the "Industrial Revolution". A very basic definition of the Industrial Revolution is: the ability to mass produce items, which before this era, were produced by hand.
It was the Victorian Age of England and one of her strong beliefs at that time was: sheer hard work produces results; if you are poor, it was your own fault.
The social climate of that period was fairly lopsided: there were the few who were wealthy..and the poor who were many. Great Britain was going through major changes. The population alone...in 1801 there were 9 million who lived in England, by 1901 there were 41 million. It was incredible growth.
Along with that though, came other things like; major diseases, poor housing, and death.
Shortly before Dickens wrote this brilliant novel, 50% of all funerals in England, particularly in the larger cities, were children under the age of 10. The average age of one considered in the "lower working class" was the " ripe old age"........of 22.
Now here is what really gets to me, the treatment of children during that time. Children, as young as 4 or 5 years old, would be sent to work in tin mines and coal mines. Their work day was often 12 to 16 hours a day with little and usually no education.
Textile factories, called by Dickens himself "Dark Satanic Mills" were abusive to children in every way imaginable. Poor Houses, funded with government money but owned by the private sector, would use as little money (designated for the poor) as they could and pocket the majority of it. Treadmills would work a poor soul 10 hours a day and walk to grind grain up to 3 miles a day or more...children were a great source of cheap labor for this as well!
When Scrooge says in the story:"Are there no workhouses, and the treadmills...they are still in operation?...." that unfortunately was the Victorian thought of that time period.
Fortunately, times did finally change in England and in other countries as well, and child labor laws eventually protected the children. And yet today...we hear of stories...and see in photos...the abuse of children going on today...working under conditions similar to what Dickens saw in his lifetime.
A Christmas Carol brought the world to a realization...we can't treat the children in this manner anymore.....personally, I think the world needs another Charles Dickens to arise....We need "A New Christmas Carol!" A story of today that will change the way man thinks...for the sake of the children...we must not forget the children...
In Mark 10:14 it reads (Amplified); "But when Jesus saw this (the disciples were trying to stop the children from getting to Jesus), He became indignant and was pained, and said to them,"Allow the children to come to Me...do not forbid, do not prevent...or do not hinder them. For such belongs the Kingdom of God."
Christmas...it's a wonderful time...especially for the children. Let's keep children the world over in our prayers...especially at Christmas!
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