My Featured Novel

 A Christmas Carol

I. About the Novel : A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol (1843)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

The first of five Christmas books written by Dickens in the 1840s, this is one of the best known and best loved of all his works. It tells of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge from a tight-fisted curmudgeon to a generous and genial man. This is brought about by a haunting and visions at Christmas that remind him of happier days, demonstrate the generous spirit of others in adversity, and terrify him with dire prospects should he not change his ways.

  A Christmas Carol in Prose, Being a Ghost-Story of Christmas,^[1] commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843.^[2] The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. A Christmas Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation into a gentler, kindlier man after visitations by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.

The book was written at a time when the British were examining and exploring Christmas traditions from the past as well as new customs such as Christmas cards and Christmas trees. Carol singing took a new lease on life during this time.^[3] Dickens's sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales.^[4][5][6]

A Christmas Carol remains popular—having never been out of print^[6]—and has been adapted many times to film, stage, opera, and other media.

Works Cited （参考文献）

"Dickens as a Fiction Writer." The Dickens Fellowship. Dickens Fellowship, n.d. Web. 1 June 2016. <http://www.dickensfellowship.org/dickens-fiction-writer>.

"A Christmas Carol." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 1 June 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Carol>.

II. Versions of the Novel in the Mass Media

Disney's movie ’A Christmas　Carol’　by 2009

’A　Christmas Carol ' is movie  by 2015

Works Cited （参考文献）

Music893. "Disney's クリスマス・キャロル." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Oct. 2009. Web. 07 June 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbnu28_d7QI>.


FoxInternationalHEJP. "クリスマス・キャロル （字幕版）." YouTube. YouTube, 31 Jan. 2015. Web. 07 June 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53_d9-ToW-k>.

III. About the Author： Charles Dickens (1812～1870）
　Infancy in Portsmouth and London (1812-17)　

　　
　　　　　　　　

Born on 7th February 1812 at a house in Mile End Terrace, Portsmouth, Hampshire. His father, John Dickens, worked as a clerk in the pay office of the Royal Dockyard. Family moved to London in 1815 when John was posted there.

Happy boyhood in Kent (1817-22)

Father posted first to Sheerness, then to Chatham Royal Dockyard, Kent. Pleasant, formative boyhood years for Charles. His experiences in Chatham and neighbouring Rochester inspired much of his adult work.

London, Prison and the Blacking Factory (1822-27)

His schooling interrupted when he followed the family to London, his father having been recalled there. Put to work in late 1823 at a blacking factory, and his father imprisoned for debt in early 1824: these humiliations provided a mainspring for his subsequent ambition.. Left factory in 1823/4, for his final two years of schooling.

Making the most of a modest beginning (1827-29)

His education over at the age of 15. Employed by a firm of solicitors. Made a great impression as a lively character, a skilled mimic, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of London. Studied shorthand and was later to achieve an exceedingly high standard.

Established in journalism (1829-33)

Started as a freelance reporter of law cases. Admitted as reader at the British Museum Library in 1830. Became a parliamentary reporter in 1831.

Success as a short story writer (1833-36)

First short story published in 1833. Continued his success as a reporter, joining the The Morning Chronicle in 1834. Married in 1836.

Fame and dynamic progress as an author (1836-40)

Became household name through the publication in instalments of Pickwick Papers, 1836-37. Left The Morning Chronicle in 1836. Editor of new magazine, Bentley's Miscellany, from 1837 to 1839. Wrote Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby and shorter pieces.

Loss of touch and spectacular recovery (1840-43)

After completing The Old Curiosity Shop and the much less popular Barnaby Rudge in 1841, set off to visit the United States during the first half of 1842. On his return, wrote American Notes for General Circulation, which was received badly in the USA and lukewarmly in the UK. Martin Chuzzlewit, begun at the end of 1842, was not immediately popular. Reputation re-established with publication of first Christmas story, A Christmas Carol.

Maturing as a successful author (1843-50)

Christmas stories, minor works, visits to France and Italy, amateur dramatics and other activities assumed greater importance, but two major works completed. Dombey and Son, begun in 1846, and David Copperfield, begun in 1849, were more serious and more carefully thought out than previous novels.

Established as publisher/editor/author (1850-58)

Became joint owner and editor of a new weekly journal, Household Words, in 1850. Contributed three major works during this period: Bleak House, Hard Times and Little Dorrit. Purchased Gad's Hill Place in 1856. Separated from his wife in 1858.

A new role and a new journal (1858-67)

Gave first public readings of his works in 1858. Established in 1859 a new weekly journal, All The Year Round, which replaced Household Words. Serialisation of A Tale of Two Cities began with first number. Contributed two other major works during this period: Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend. Readings assumed greater importance. Involved in major rail accident, 1865. Last Christmas story published in 1867.

Final bursts of energy (1867-70)

With failing health, devoted much of his energy to exhausting reading tours, visiting the USA for a second time in 1867/68. Completed nearly half of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Died at Gad's Hill on 9 June 1870. Buried in Westminster Abbey, London.

Works Cited(参考文献）

"Message from the President." Dickens Fellowship. Dickensfellowship.org, n.d. Web. 1 June 2016. <www.dickensfellowship.org>.  

IV. My Reaction

A. Reaction Point - theme(物語の主旨、主題）

• Theme is story's point .
• A Christmas Carol theme is on the basis of the main character Scrooge, past, present, and future of the three ghosts come to visit. Scrooge is have been deceiving the people until now, and people is lie, is the future of Christmas know that he is not. Dawn with the start of the Christmas, Scrooge who know that you can change your future is determined to try change yourself.

　 ・This work is human, someday if bad things are told to come back on their own.

B. Reaction Point - Character(登場人物）

• Character is human nature and personality.
• A Christmas Carol is main character, Scrooge and ghost, Murray.
• Scrooge is selfish and stingy person.

C. Reaction Point - appeal(～を引きつける、魅力）

• Appeal is entreaty,ask, protest, favorite to people.
• A Christmas Carol's appeal is Scrooge is change. And he is surrounded by a lot of people. Scrooge is become to be known as the person who knows the most Christmas to enjoy in London.
• Also the story of the last is not to get used to the happiness of feeling.

D. My General Opinion

I read 'Christmas Carol' is very interesting and fun. The book is life's lesson. And human live is necessary . Other Charles Dickens's work is read too. This book is everyone read, and anybody to understand.