Palo Alto Weekly

Tue



Wed



Thu



Fri























Home

News

Top Stories

Recent News

Obituaries

School documents

Special Publications

Town Square

Blogs

Meet our Bloggers

Most Recent Posts

A&E





Town Square





Dickens Told the Tale of Today's Poor











Dickens Told the Tale of Today's Poor



By Ted Rudow III, MA



Friday December 06, 2013

In a very real sense, Dickens popularized many aspects of the Christmas we celebrate today, including great family gatherings, seasonal drinks and dishes and gift giving. Even our language has been enriched by the tale. Who has not known a Scrooge, or uttered "Bah! Humbug!" when feeling irritated or disbelieving. And the phrase "Merry Christmas!" gained wider usage after the story appeared.







"A Christmas Carol" may become an even more relevant tale as people cope with what is expected to be an economically bleak holiday season. Fast-forward to 2013, and America is in an acute economic crisis. There are a number of similar themes, including the increasing gap between the rich and poor.







People in the working class are losing their homes or struggling to heat their homes, and we're going into the holiday season with anticipated layoffs and high unemployment. For many, it looks like a pretty dreary Christmas. The message in "A Christmas Carol" also says it's not just good enough to donate money, but individuals need to get involved, as Scrooge learns in the end. This is a message we can all keep in mind this year. You never lose by giving.







Mountain View Voice

The Almanac



© 2013 Palo Alto Online

All rights reserved.