A Christmas Carol and an Examination of Conscience

An adaptation of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic has been a useful tool for Kate Taliaferro to consider her own Christmas spirit. 

This year, our family is reading Little Christmas Carol, a lightly edited version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. It’s illustrated by Joe Sutphin, and the editing done is to align the story with Sutphin's lovely woodland animal sketches. So, instead of a character warming his hands by a fire, in this version the character might be a rabbit warming his paws by a fire. It’s a delight and it has me reflecting on the many lessons we can learn from Ebenezer Scrooge and his epic transformation.  

Marley was dead, to begin with. 

After being introduced to Scrooge and understanding with no uncertainty that Jacob Marley is indeed dead, the reader is swiftly brought face to face with the aforementioned dead Marley. It’s as if Dickens is trying to remind his readers that while we might think a thing of the past is long gone, there are moments, places, and people who never really leave us. Marley was dead, Scrooge wasn’t giving him a second thought. Yet Marley is all over the first section of the book, even before his ghostly appearance.   

Marley is the shock that wakes Scrooge up from his dismally routine and cruelly simplistic life. But the shock isn’t what changes Scrooge. Even after hearing the horrors of Marley’s afterlife existence and discovering there is a way to change, still Scrooge is reluctant. “Couldn’t I take ‘em all at one, and have it over, Jacob?” (pg. 39). This is not the attitude of a penitent man, but one who is trying to get out of something unpleasant or difficult.  

Here was the first moment in which I felt A Christmas Carol could serve as a Christmas examination of conscience of sorts.   

• Where am I avoiding difficult tasks, especially ones I know are for my good? 
• Where am I hiding from unpleasant interactions with others? 
• How is the disposition of my heart toward my family and friends during this holiday season? 
• How have I spent (or plan to spend) my time leading up to Christmas and in the days that follow? 

The Ghost of Christmas Past 

Scrooge is indeed visited by the three ghosts of Christmas. The Ghost of Christmas Past provides him with quite a few opportunities to consider his past self, both as a child and as an adult. He is able to see Christmases that he didn’t have control over, such as during his boyhood when he was left alone and seemingly abandoned by family and friends at school. He also sees himself as an adult and in much more control of his circumstances.

In each scene, Dickens gives us a little glimpse into the beginnings of Scrooge’s transformation. He observes with fresh eyes the way his old boss treated his employees, which prompts Scrooge to reflect on his own business practices. The past can be a powerful ally when considering the actions we are taking today.   

• Have I reflected on Christmas’ from my childhood? How can these memories inform my Christmas this year? 
• Do I have any negative Christmas memories? Were they due to the actions of others, my own, or a combination? Is there anyone in my life I need to apologize to? 
• Do I have a Christmas mentor, someone who embodies the Christmas spirit that I would like to be inspired by this Christmas season? 

The Ghost of Christmas Present 

We had a lot of fun reading about the great feast that accompanies the Ghost of Christmas Present. We even had a charcuterie night where we pulled out all the stops to immerse ourselves in that overabundant exuberance the ghost brings to this section of the book. I really liked the way the ghost allows Scrooge to be a fly on the wall of the Cratchit’s Christmas. He doesn’t speak much, don’t interrupt the proceedings. They simply sit and observe the simplicity, the joy, and the normalcy of this family’s Christmas traditions.

It isn’t until the end of the section that the ghost leans into his teaching role. He shows Scrooge two small children, starved and exhausted. One the ghost called “Ignorance” and the other “Want.” He warned Scrooge to “most of all beware this boy [Ignorance], for on this brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased” (pg. 104).   

• Have I sat back this Christmas season to observe my family and the way we celebrate the season? 
• Have I considered the ways others around me celebrate? Have I judged them when their practices differ from my own? 
• Where do I allow ignorance to be the excuse for inaction? 
• In what ways have I reached beyond my own comfort zone to help others celebrate this season of life, love, and light? 

The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come 

This Ghost is probably the hardest to read about, because at this point Scrooge has really started to make a turning point. He no longer fights the spirit’s presence and seeks to understand what will happen next with openness, even a little bit of earnestness. Dickens was such a genius to make this ghost mute, so that Scrooge really has to figure things out on his own. And while we cannot foresee what will happen in our own future’s, we can use what we have learned from the past and present to consider what kind of trajectory we are on.  

• How is this Christmas preparing me for next Christmas? 
• What about this Advent and Christmas drew me closer to God? 
• What is a habit or practice I should let go of the next time Christmas is here? 
• In what ways can I expand my circle to include those on the fringes of my family and community? 

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Copyright 2024 Kate Taliaferro
Images: Canva