We small mortals have no authority to measure a giant who spread his wings beyond the century he lived. But I am the new fan of his book after I saw the screen adaptation by Disney. I wish to write a few simple words on the novella to spread the author's social message which is still relevant in our society, as the cause of poverty and its spread are as embarrassing now as it was in the nineteenth century England under Industrial Revolution.
Charles Dickens was born just two hundred years ago. Here we are reminiscing one of his master pieces -A Christmas Carol through reviewing its Movie adaptation by Disney carrying the same title.
I am very choosy about movies. The family movies.
And as the weather cools down, we pick up worm clothes, Santa begin to knock
through Newspaper windows and street shops, Christmas carols and Jesus fills
the life space. Other winters we saw Home Alone series to welcome the winter
and Christmas, this time also we set ready with it, but The Christmas Carol,
the movie blew away all other on Christmas theme. It may sound weir for a
devout Hindu to sing in praise of Christmas in a religiously polarized Gujarat,
but that’s what our family inherit from the basins of Bengal – Enjoy the spirit
of festivity, love the religion, respect others’ food rights and then the
religion shrink, humanity blossoms.
Whether you wear a Muslim cap on offer, or
a Christian Cross and also carry a Tilok
on your forehead – all can coexist on a single body when the soul is
incorruptible by greed of power, money, fame and self promotion.
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| Uncle Scrooge in Disney Movie 2009 |
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| Charles Dickens |
Now coming back to Dickens on his two
hundredth birth centenary – I would pick up The Christmas Carol though David
Copperfield and Tale of Two Cities are more popular. For mine, this book and
the animation movie released a few years back, taken together, would withstand the
taste of time and be one of the best treasures of human creativity ever
produced.
The book has taken us back to the 18th
century and recreated with artistic sincerity the people and their minds. I
love to recollect with a grin the character of uncle Scrooge – the mercenary
who would pick up two pence from the dead eye of Morley’s corpse waiting for
burial. Being born a poor kid who with sudden change of fortune rose through
his profession, had become obsessed with piling up personal wealth while
shutting all the relations and other amusements that might attract parting with
purse.
He was sorry to part with his childhood
sweetheart but couldn’t be too eager when his lover deserted him telling that
when they loved each other, they were poor. Now he was rich, but the soul was
not the same.
He was so obsessed with himself his own
profession, that only thing he knew about was to reach office, do work, and to
return home for a cup of soup and sleep. The world outside was closed and he
was not interested to know about it. He was a strong disciplinarian with high
sense of time management of lone staffer Bob Cratchit and squeezing as much work as he could from
the clerk and would not give any holiday in a year except on Christmas day. But
even allowing a day’s leave on full pay to his staff was not to his liking..
-
Christmas is the best way to
pick the pocket of employer? : Uncle Scrooge tells the staff
-
What Merry Christmas for the poor? Will
Christmas bring one penny more in your poor home? : Uncle Scrooge asks his
nephew who visit his office to wish him Merry Christmas
Then an
earthshaking incident happened on the night of Christmas’ eve as he had opened the
door of his lonely big mansion for the night. His long dead business partner Marley's Ghost appeared before
him and warned him that a few more Ghosts would come to meet him that night. The uncle
Scrooge became scared.
The author’s
craft in taking the readers through the uncle Scrooge’s recollection visiting
the past, the present and the future with three Ghosts of time separately, gave him the
perception of life – he went on a time trail, revisiting those he loved and
whether any love left for him and he was shocked to notice that though he had
become wealthy over time, a lot of dead skeletons of relations lay behind. He was pained to learn that those acquaintances and relatives had been enjoying taunting uncle Scrooge
behind his back, like a common discussion like this, used to take place :
A cat ?
No
A dog ?
No
A Horse?
No
Okay , then a
horse and an Ass? May I tell you who is he?
Reply came with
cheers: Uncle Scrooge
.
Uncle
Scrooge was deeply pained to see the future time when he was lying dead on the
street that many of the elite would not enjoy a visit to his burial place and
one amused the others that he could perhaps visit provided a lunch was on offer
– a lunch that uncle Scrooge never hosted for anyone in his lifetime..
However in the
next destination on the time trail, the uncle Scrooge visited his staff’s home
and was greatly surprised by the loyalty and affection of the staff for him as
he toasted the night in honour of his misery employer amidst protest by his
wife and children. The uncle Scrooge was happy at least one on earth still had
love and honour for him.
The over worked lesser paid clerk staff Bob Cratchit is another
immortal creation by Dickens - that lovely character remains stamped in viewers memory for ever. A man with high loyalty and love for both - employer and for
his family. Perhaps most of the job
seekers on this planet who work either in unorganized or in small medium sector
enterprises would feel the same - One a forced life of servitude and the other
of dignity, joy and freedom where he can breathe.
I can’t forget the scene on
Christmas Eve as the staff just getting out of the office and handing over the office
key to the employer and as the employer turned back and proceeded towards home, Bob's sence of freedom - like a small boy he ran and trekked in
joy on snow carpeted street and fell down, all the while laughing as if he had become younger again like the surrounding celebrating Christmas crowd. Exit from office is
an escape to freedom and happiness – an end to begin the new day at night in
the company of loved ones. Do some of use feel like that when get battered by the Boss for all the wrong reasons on earth , than efficiency ?
If one see any big city central streets in the evening, you will remember how true the sketch was - all the vehicles and bikes violating rules of the road, breaking speed limit, zooming out in super jet speed only, only to reach home early - as if entering home is the attainment of nirban! That's the psychology of caged birds that human souls are chained in the laboratory of production of goods and services, where labour is viewed just as an element, and that labour which can be replaced by the owner of capital if he finds an iota of doubt that the labour may not be that capital friendly.
Who can forget
that dialogue between the boy on the street and the uncle Scrooge – this
dialogues would remain to highlight the spirit of joy on any religious festivity
for its followers – the air smells different painted with happiness.
I would conclude my homage with the author's own dialogue through the lips of uncle Scrooge
What's today, my fine fellow? said Scrooge.
Today! replied the boy. Why, Christmas Day.
It's Christmas DAy! said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like.....Hallo, my fine fellow!"
"Hallo" returned the boy.
"Do you know the poulterer's , in the next street but one, at the corner? Scrooge inquired.
"I should hope I did" replied the lad.
"An intelligent boy!" said Scrooge." A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize turkey that was hanging up there? - Not the little prize turkey, the big one?"
"What, the one as big as me?" returned the boy.
"What a delightful boy!" said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!"
"It's hanging there now,", replied the boy.
"Is it?" said Scrooge. " Go and buy it."
"Walk-er!" exclaimed the boy
" No, no," said Scrooge. " I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell 'em to bring it here, that I may give them the directions where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes, and I'll give you half a crown!"
The boy was off like a shot. He must have had a steady hand at a trigger who could have got a shot off half so fast.
"I'll send it to Bob Cratchit's," whispered Scrooge, rubbing his hands and splitting with a laugh." He shan't know who sends it. ...."
1 comment:
Very encouraging to have come across your blog and this post. It is heartening to see people still remembering the lost art of Dickens. The modern medium of animation has helped many modern filmgoers relive the work of this literary giant. Thanks for sharing this post.
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