#because it uses classical Xtian models of morality (eg celebrating xmas) to equate not celebrating xmas to cruelty to show how bad cruelty

[bastard-sweet]

The point of A Christmas Carol was not to teach morals by example; it was to teach morals directly. Ebenezer Scrooge was specifically made to be a reader insert. The lessons of A Xmas Carol can mostly be divided into 'you don't want to be this guy (he's suffering)' and 'you don't want to be this guy (he's evil, like ultimately, Biblically, very un-Xtian)', afforded by the third category of Basically Everything In The Book 'you don't want to be this guy anymore (he's deeply relatable to the upper-class Victorians the book is targeted at)'. The fact that he doesn't spend money on himself is not a sign that he needs to care for himself more; it's to show that he's so greedy to the point that it is useless, to show that valuing money this much is bad and senseless. The fact that he were to die if he didn't change for the better is an example of Cosmic punishment. Maybe the story does have a hint of teaching Scrooge to take care of himself, but that's only for the same reason that Scrooge is given a 'workaholic billionaire' backstory. The rich like(d) to see themselves as hard-working, and were the target audience, and Dickens didn't want to insult his target audience while trying to teach them basic human decency. So he also took the opportunity to slot that into the 'you don't want to be this guy (he's suffering)' method of teaching.

#that post just frustrates me so i decided to write out my thoughts #ebenezer scrooge is a reader insert!! #a christmas carol #also charles dickens' mindset at the time of writing is fascinating to think about. a xmas carol was written in response to a government #report on the conditions of mines factories and mills for child labourers (which before writing charles dickens also conducted his own #investigation i think). dickens vowed he would deliver a 'sledge-hammer's blow on behalf of the Poor Man's child' #and xmas carol is... not that. from a 2023 perspective it feels really toothless actually. it's about a guy who learns about the magic of #xmas and being nice to poor people. but thats because it's not MEANT to be a sledge-hammer's blow clearly. he reconsidered #and wrote a persuasive letter and it's actually really interesting to pick apart! so there's my recommendation #and regarding accusations of antisemitism: dickens probably was really i havent really read many of his works outside of school so. #but the book is pretty (n yes pretty is doing a lot of legwork here) divorced from that. its antisemitic but thats mostly #because it uses classical Xtian models of morality (eg celebrating xmas) to equate not celebrating xmas to cruelty to show how bad cruelty #is. not to equate cruelty to non-xtianity to show how bad non-xtianity is. yes theres some fucked use of carciature but the antisemitism #i read as very casual? like nowadays. its hooked nose = evil. antisemitism was absolutely not the intent at all its just very much an #artifact of its time. which. i dont think anyones learning nazism from ACC. its not challenging antisemitism but. most books dont even now #sweet talkin' #long tags #sweet whisperin' #charles dickens #classism