Response Essay to “What the Dickens?” by Jerome Weeks “What the Dickens?” by Jerome Weeks analyzes elements of A Christmas Carol that can’t be translated on stage or in a film. He discusses how strong features of the book are nearly impossible to convey in a production as well as Dickens is able to include them in his book. Weeks also talks about different things movies or plays have done to bring A Christmas Carol to life and if the changes were successful or not.
Jerome Weeks has a sarcastic writing style and his sarcastic comments show the irony of Dickens’ introduction because his first sentence is “Marley was dead: to begin with.” Weeks discusses how, although simple, Dickens’ opening sentence was strong and unique about describing someone who’s dead. Weeks also compares A Christmas Carol to Hamlet and discusses how both openings contain death to lead to rebirth. Weeks
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Weeks also states that many directors shy away from discussing the social issues when adapting A Christmas Carol as a play or a movie. Weeks says this is because “poverty and hunger and crippling diseases don 't make for the kind of festive holiday fare that delights subscribers” (Weeks). This piece fits into our course inquiry because the article is Weeks comparing book elements to elements in adaptations and how they compare and contrast. Weeks also mentions that overall, plays and movies can’t achieve elements of the book. For example, plays can’t have Marley’s face as a doorknocker or portray the Ghost of Christmas Past as a character with 20 legs. Overall, the article provides a unique perspective on A Christmas Carol because Weeks analyzes the adaptations from the point of view of a theatre critic instead of a casual viewer. He is able to point out details that most people look over such as the loss of Dickens’ narration in many