A deconstruction of a holiday. A very special holiday PowerPoint Presentation of Charles Dickens' immortal (but now made slightly less so) "A Christmas Carol."

1. A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
Presentation to the
American Miser Association
Budget Inn, Newburgh, NY
December 25, 2008

2. Jacob Marley
Dead
as door-nail
7 years ago
this very night
Partner in Scrooge & Marley
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3. Ebenezer Scrooge
Tight-fisted hand at the
grindstone
squeezing
wrenching
grasping
scraping
clutching
Covetous old sinner
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4. Christmas Eve
Scrooge in counting-house
Visit from nephew
“A merry Christmas, uncle”
Bah
humbug
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5. Scrooge & Marley—
No. of Employees
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6. Scrooge & Marley—
Employees at Christmas
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7. Scrooge & Marley
Employee Profile
Bob Cratchit
sits in dismal little cell
has only small fire
warm by candle?
boasted no greatcoat
long white comforter (scarf)
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8. Scrooge at Home
Wears dressing-gown
Eats gruel
Sees apparitions of Marley’s face
doorknocker, etc.
Is visited by Marley’s ghost
wearing chains
forged in life
Doesn’t believe in ghost
disorders of stomach affect senses
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9. Likely Explanations of
Marley’s Ghost
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10. Marley’s Ghost:
Grave vs. Gravy
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11. Marley’s “Business”
Common welfare
charity
mercy
forbearance
benevolence
Dealings of trade
are but drop of water in
comprehensive ocean
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12. Action Items
Marley: Warn Scrooge
chance to escape fate
Scrooge: Schedule on-site
visits
three spirits
three successive nights at 1 a.m.
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13. Ghost of Christmas Past
Long past?
“your past”
Like child
yet not so much like child
Takes Scrooge through wall
to market-town in country
are but shadows of things that
have been
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14. Ghost of Christmas Past
Scrooge’s younger selves
sister Fan
died, with one son—nephew
Fezziwig
old employer
office Christmas party
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15. Ghost of Christmas Present
Scrooge’s living quarters
hung with living green
crisp leaves: holly, mistletoe, ivy
heaped upon the floor to form kind
of throne
turkey, goose, game, poultry, brawn,
great joints of meat, sucking-pigs, long
wreaths of sausages, mince pies, plum
puddings, barrels of oysters, red-hot
chestnuts, cherry-cheeked apples, juicy
oranges, luscious pears, immense
twelfth-cakes, seething bowls of punch
on the couch, a jolly Giant
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16. Ghost of Christmas Present
Bob Cratchit’s house
Mrs. Cratchit
Belinda; daughter
Peter; son
two young Cratchits
Tiny Tim
lame; sickly
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17. Tiny Tim: “God Bless Us...”
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18. Ghost of Christmas Present
Christmas at the Cratchits
Toast to Mr. Scrooge
“Founder of the Feast”
Mrs. Cratchit: “I’d give him a
piece of my mind to feast upon”
“Ogre of the Family”
mention of his name cast dark
shadow on party
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19. Ghost of Christmas Present
Scrooge’s nephew Fred
party with nieces and sundry
thinks his uncle missed a good
dinner
all start to sing
Scrooge recognizes tunes
all play games
Scrooge plays along
game of “Yes and No” (~20 questions)
“thinking of an animal, a live animal, a
rather disagreeable animal”
“your Uncle Scrooge”
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20. Ghost of Christmas Present
Pulls two children from robe
boy: Ignorance
girl: Want
Beware them both
especially the boy
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21. Ghost of Christmas
Yet to Come
Shrouded in deep, black
garment
concealed its face
neither moved nor spoke
Very air scattered gloom and
mystery
Scrooge: “I fear you more than
any Spectre I have seen”
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22. Ghost of Christmas
Yet to Come
Into the City
Someone has died
“I thought he’d never die”
“It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral.”
“Old Scratch has got his own at last.”
laundress and housekeeper divide up
deceased’s possessions
takes good shirt off body
“They’d have wasted it if it weren’t for me”
Scrooge doesn’t get it
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23. Ghost of Christmas
Yet to Come
Leads Scrooge to the Cratchits’
“I am sure we shall none of us forget
poor Tiny Tim”
“Never, father”
Spirit of Tiny Tim, thy childish essence was
from God!
Leads Scrooge to a churchyard
points to grave...
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24. Ghost of Christmas
Yet to Come
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25. The End of It
Scrooge:
“I will honour Christmas in my
heart, and try to keep it all the
year.”
“will live in the Past, Present,
and Future”
“spirits of all three shall strive
within me”
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26. The End of It
Boy in street
intelligent boy, remarkable boy
tells Scrooge it is “Christmas
Day”
spirits have done it all in one night
performed above expectations
sent to buy prize turkey
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27. Comparison of Size of
Prize Turkey (in feet)
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28. The End of It
Scrooge sends turkey to the
Cratchits’
Has dinner with nephew
Next morning at the office
raises Bob Cratchit’s salary
becomes second father to Tiny Tim
“God bless us”
every one
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