A Christmas Carol: Play Vs. Movie

A Christmas Carol: Play vs. Movie

Greed is an excessive desire, especially for wealth or possessions. It lives in everyone, but in varying amounts. When greed overpowers, people can become very lonely and unhappy. All they think about is their money and possessions. A prime example of this kind of behavior is the world-famous play, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Both the original play and the movie have many similarities in their plot, but there are some prominent differences as well.

In the play, A Christmas Carol, it begins with Jacob Marley, a ghost who lived a greedy life, introducing his business partner and the main character, Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, a greedy, wealthy, heartless, old man who thinks Christmas is a “Humbug” (Dickens

Scrooge, who has a perpetual scowl, is overworking his freezing employee, Mr. Bob Cratchit. When Scrooge finally releases him with a day off for Christmas (Bah, Humbug), his son, Tiny Tim, is waiting for him outside. Scrooge goes to a large building full with businessmen. He discusses corn prices with some before two do-gooders come and ask Scrooge to donate to the poor. He forcefully declines and goes to his house. There, Marley visits him and warns him that three spirits will visit him, the first at one, the second at two, and the third at three. Marley flies away. At one o’clock, the Ghost of Christmas Past appears. She shows him as a boy in his schoolhouse, reading. Then, with him older, his little sister, Fan, comes to bring him home. They then go to where he was Fezziwig’s apprentice. At quitting time, they set up a big party. After, Scrooge and Dick talk about a beautiful girl that Scrooge is in love with. In the next scene, a younger Scrooge, who just became rich, is talking to that girl. She says that he no longer loves her, but loves his money instead(Video, 1984). Scrooge is then shown how happy that woman was and what he missed. Past disappears and Scrooge goes back to bed. The clock strikes two and the Ghost of Christmas Present appears. He shows him a busy market place. then, they go to the Cratchits’ house. They are preparing their meager Christmas dinner. Scrooge asks Present if Tiny Tim will live. He replies that if thing go like they are, he will die. Scrooge demands Present to spare him, but he just mocks him with his own words, “Then let him die, and decrease the surplus population.” (Video, 1984). With that, they leave and go to his nephew’s Christmas party. They play a word game with similes. One of them was “Tight as-” “Your Uncle Scrooge’s Purse!” (Video, 1984). They then go to a dark, dismal, gloomy, place where a poor family camps. They