A Christmas Carol Adapted by Bruce McManus From the novel by Charles Dickens

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2 A Christmas Carol Adapted by Bruce McManus From the novel by Charles Dickens CONTENTS THEATRE ETIQUETTE... 3 CHARACTERS... 4 ABOUT CHARLES DICKENS... 4 SYNOPSIS... 5 HISTORICAL CONTEXT... 6 THE POOR LAWS... 6 RAGGED SCHOOLS... 7 VOCABULARY... 8 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STUDENTS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS FOR DRAMA STUDENTS CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS WORKS CITED

3 THEATRE ETIQUETTE The theater is so endlessly fascinating because it's so accidental. It's so much like life. Arthur Miller Arrive Early: Latecomers may not be admitted to a performance. Please ensure you arrive with enough time to find your seat before the performance starts. Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices: Please TURN OFF your cell phones/ipods/gaming systems/cameras. We have seen an increase in texting, surfing, and gaming during performances, which is very distracting for the performers and other audience members. The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited. Talking During the Performance: You can be heard (even when whispering!) by the actors onstage and the audience around you. Disruptive patrons will be removed from the theatre. Please wait to share your thoughts and opinions with others until after the performance. Food/Drinks: Food and hot drinks are not allowed in the theatre. Where there is an intermission, concessions may be open for purchase of snacks and drinks. There is complimentary water in the lobby. Dress: There is no dress code at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats in the theatre. We also strive to be a scent-free environment, and thank all patrons for their cooperation. Leaving During the Performance: If an audience member leaves the theatre during a performance, they will be readmitted at the discretion of our Front of House staff. Should they be readmitted, they will not be ushered back to their original seat, but placed in a vacant seat at the back of the auditorium. Being Asked to Leave: The theatre staff has, and will exercise, the right to ask any member of the audience to leave the performance if that person is being disruptive. Inappropriate and disruptive behaviour includes, but is not limited to: talking, using electronic devices, cameras, laser pointers, or other light- or sound-emitting devices, and deliberately interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.). Talkbacks: All Tuesday evening performances, student matinees and final matinees at Royal MTC feature a talkback with members of the cast following the show. While watching the performance, make a mental note of questions to ask the actors. Questions can be about the story, the interpretation, life in the theatre, etc. Enjoy the show: Laugh, applaud, cheer and respond to the performance appropriately. Make sure to thank all the artists for their hard work with applause during the curtain call. 3

4 CHARACTERS Ebenezer Scrooge the greedy, selfish and cold-hearted owner of a London accounting firm Jacob Marley Scrooge s deceased but equally greedy business partner Bob Cratchit Scrooge s clerk, a kind and humble man with a large family Tiny Tim Bob Cratchit s young son, who has suffered from a disability since birth The Ghost of Christmas Past an apparition with a glowing head, the first spirit to visit The Ghost of Christmas Present an enthusiastic and majestic apparition, the second spirit to visit The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come a silent and solemn phantom, the third and final spirit to visit Fred Scrooge s nephew, a cheerful man with an undeniable love for Christmas Fanny Scrooge s beloved younger sister and Fred s mother Mr. Fezziwig the merchant with whom Scrooge apprenticed during his younger years Belle the woman with whom young Scrooge fell deeply in love with ABOUT CHARLES DICKENS Charles Dickens is much loved for his great contribution to classic English literature. He was the quintessential Victorian author. His epic stories, vivid characters and exhaustive depiction of contemporary life are unforgettable. 1 By Jeremiah Gurney (Heritage Auction Gallery) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Charles Dickens ( ) was one of England's greatest Victorian novelists. Like many others, Charles began his literary career as a journalist, working with The Mirror of Parliament and The True Sun. In the year of 1833, he became a parliamentary journalist for The Morning Sun. This higherranking position gave him access to new contacts in the press, which allowed him to publish a series of sketches entitled Sketches by Boz, under a pseudonym. In 1836, he published his first novel; the highly successful Pickwick Papers. Charles was also a theatre enthusiast. He wrote several plays and performed for Queen Victoria in His passion for social issues also proved to be inexhaustible, as he spent time abroad lecturing in the United States about slavery. A Christmas Carol is one of his most famous works and is now one of the most frequently adapted books in history. His other novels include: Oliver Twist, The Old Curiosity Shop, David Copperfield and A Tale of Two Cities. Most of Dickens' works are characterized by attacks on social evils, injustice and hypocrisy. 1 BBC: The History of Charles Dickens 4

5 SYNOPSIS Ebenezer Scrooge is an old, miserly owner of a London accounting firm. On Christmas Eve, the ghost of his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley, appears before him. During this chilling encounter, Marley reveals the reason for his visit: to prevent Scrooge from a fate similar to his. Jacob Marley was as greedy and self-serving as his partner, for which he was punished after death. His spirit had been condemned to walk the Earth weighed down by heavy chains. Marley informs Scrooge that three different spirits will visit him, and Scrooge falls into a deep sleep. Scrooge awakens just moments before the Ghost of Christmas Past comes to visit. The spirit takes Scrooge on a journey to see Christmases past. Remaining invisible, Scrooge witnesses his childhood school days, his apprenticeship with Mr. Fezziwig and his engagement to Belle. Although they loved one other, the engagement came to an end when Scrooge was no longer content living as a poor man. Belle soon believed that there was no room for her in his heart, and Scrooges ability to love another was eclipsed by his lust for wealth. Scrooge is deeply moved by what he has seen and expresses regret before the Ghost of Christmas Past returns him to his bed. The Ghost of Christmas Present, who is a majestic and enthusiastic apparition, takes Scrooge through London to show him what Christmas will be like that year. Scrooge watches his clerk, Bob Cratchit, and his large family prepare a meager feast in their modest home. He sees Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit s son, whose kindness and humility brings warmth to Scrooges heart. Then, the ghost brings Scrooge to his nephew s house for their Christmas party. Despite the guests making fun of him, Scrooge finds the party delightful, and pleads with the spirit to let him stay until the end. When the day comes to a close, that spirit shows Scrooge two children, Ignorance and Want, who have been living under his coat. Before vanishing, the spirit urges Scrooge to beware Ignorance, most of all. Soon after the Ghost of Christmas Present vanishes, a dark spirit approaches. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge a series of scenes pertaining to an unnamed man s recent death. He witnesses things such as businessmen discussing the dead man s riches, people on the streets selling his personal effects, and a poor couple expressing relief at the death of this man. The spirit brings them to a graveyard and, to Scrooge's shock, points at a headstone with his name on it. Desperate for an alternate fate, Scrooge promises the spirit that he will let go of his selfish, greedy, cold-hearted ways and pledges to honour Christmas. Grateful that he has been returned to his present life and determined to redeem himself, Ebenezer Scrooge runs out onto the street, looking for ways to share his Christmas spirit. He sends a giant turkey to the Cratchit house for their Christmas feast, and attends Fred s party. Many years pass, and Scrooge still remains faithful to his promise. He treats Tiny Tim like his own son, provides gifts to help the poor and, most importantly, treats fellow human beings with newfound kindness and generosity. 5

6 HISTORICAL CONTEXT Published on December 19th, 1843, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol became the most successful book of that holiday season. By Christmas, it had sold six thousand copies and eight stage adaptations were in production within two months of publication. To this day, it remains one of the most iconic and frequently adapted books of all time. It sheds light on many social issues during the Victorian period, including the Poor Laws and how society treated its children. THE POOR LAWS The Poor Laws were a system of laws put into place to protect and support poor people of England. In 1815, the Poor Law simply required each parish to take care of its own poor. If you proved to be unable to work, you were provided with some money to help you get by. However, the cost of the Poor Law rapidly increased per year. By 1830, it cost about 7 million to support the poor, and criticism toward the Laws increased as the costs did. The money to support the poor was raised by extra taxes on middle and upper class people, which eventually caused growing resentment. They complained that the money enabled lazy people who did not want to work. Some critics also suggested that the allowance system encouraged poor people to have children that they could not afford to look after on their own. Another criticism of the Poor Law was that employers started to reduce their workers wages because they knew they would be supplemented by the Poor Law allowance. After years of complaints, the Poor Law Amendment Act was passed in 1834 by the British Parliament. The amendment eliminated the allowance system in order to reduce the cost of helping the poor. Parishes were grouped into unions, and each union was required to build a workhouse. Except in special circumstances, people could now get help only if they were willing to leave their homes and live at the workhouse. People were given food and clothing in exchange for a long, backbreaking day of manual labour. Families were purposely split up in the workhouses and had to follow strict rules. The workers were also fed only bread and watery soup. The conditions in the workhouses were made to be terrible so that only those who desperately needed help would go there, and others would seek their own employment. It was hoped that less people would rely on state welfare. Despite intending to appease the middle and upper class, the Poor Law Amendment Act did not sit well with everyone. It sparked controversy in England, which further resulted in Anti-Poor Law committees and riots. Poor Law commissioner James Kay-Shuttleworth supported the amendment because he believed that people were only poor because of their own foolishness. On the other hand, political campaigner Richard Oastler wrote countless pamphlets and letters to newspapers saying that the amendment was cruel and unchristian. The biggest workhouse scandal to hit the headlines came from the Andover Workhouse, where half-starved inmates were discovered to be eating flesh from the bones they were employed to crush to make fertilizer. In response to the situation in Andover, the government implemented stricter rules and also set up regular inspections at every workhouse. Most people did not have to go to a workhouse; however, it did become a big threat if you were suddenly unemployed or sick. Workhouses started to fill up with more orphans, the old and the ill. It s easy to see why the New Poor Law was highly frowned upon by many; it punished people who were poor through no fault of their own. 6

7 The Decline of the Poor Laws Going into the 20 th century, the Poor Law policies changed drastically, eventually leading to its abolition. To put the financial responsibilities of supporting the Poor Laws upon whole unions instead of individual parishes, the Union Chargeability Act was passed in Two years later, the Reform Act of 1867 increased the welfare legislation. This legislation required support from local authorities, so the Poor Law Board was replaced with a Local Government Board in Furthermore, County Councils were formed in 1888 and District Councils in This meant that, unlike health and income maintenance, public housing developed outside the scope of the Poor Laws. Infirmaries and workhouses remained the responsibility of the Boards of Guardians until This change was due to a newfound attitude towards the nature and causes of poverty; an attitude that their society was to be responsible for protecting its less fortunate. The Liberal government undertook a series of reforms in 1906 and 1914, which established social services without the stigma of the Poor Laws. These included old age pensions, national health insurance and laws to protect children from abuse and unsafe work. Moving forward from that period, fewer people were covered by the original Poor Law system. The burden of poor relief was not equally shared by rich and poor areas but fell heavily on areas where poverty was at its worst. This became a central issue in the Poplar Rates Rebellion, led by George Lansbury and others, in Workhouses were officially abolished by the Local Government Act of From April 1930 and onwards, Unions were abolished and their responsibilities fell upon county councils and boroughs. However, some workhouses persisted into the 1940s. The remaining responsibilities of the Poor Laws were given to local authorities, before final abolition in RAGGED SCHOOLS By 1841, almost 2 million people lived in the city of London. However, only a fraction of this population was able to receive formal education, which resulted in a mostly illiterate workforce and higher prison rates. London was seen as an Imperial Capital in the British Empire, but was truly made up of poor and unschooled individuals. The difficult situation fueled the anxieties of Victorian writers and their readers. Dickens feared that, without accessible education, London would become, a vast hopeless nursery of ignorance, misery and vice; a breeding place for the hulks and jails. 2 Want and Ignorance from A Christmas Carol. By John Leech [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Field Lane Ragged School Dickens visited Field Lane Ragged School after reports from the Childrens Employment Commission were published. These parliamentary reports described the horror of child labour in Britain. The first report described low pay, long hours and dangerous work conditions. The second report, published the following year, included interviews with children who worked in the various trades. This report caught Dickens' attention and further sparked his interest in child poverty. In 1846, Dickens ventured on an eye-opening trip to Field Lane Ragged School. The school consisted of only two or three small rooms where the children all huddled together on a bench. Students attending Ragged Schools were taught orally by voluntary teachers, because they were not to be trusted with books. The 2 Charles Dickens, A letter on ragged schooling, The Daily News, (4th February 1846) 7

8 struggles faced by these children, along with the religious and economic illiteracy the Ragged Schools planned to stem, inspired the child-like figures of Want and Ignorance in A Christmas Carol. Although the systems in Ragged Schools still had many flaws and issues to be addressed, they provided a pathway to a new educational movement. Britain's fee-paying schools often selected their students based on academic ability, wealth and/or religion. However, Ragged Schools introduced a new concept; to teach children for free and provide a place where all were welcome. The Ragged School Union was soon established to promote a desire to learn within the students. By the 1850s, Field Lane consisted of a day school and two night schools. The day schools taught lessons regarding reading, writing, counting and the Bible. One of the night schools was for adults, and the other was for boys who were employed during the day. Classes in shoemaking and tailoring were available for boys, and sewing for girls. Further adding to the mix of its academic and vocational courses, Field Lane also fed and clothed their students. They ran a night refuge, provided parenting lessons for mothers and hosted a Bible school during the weekends, but the school still only had limited success. The 1857 Industrial Schools Act enabled anyone to send children between the ages of 7-14 to attend a boarding school for up to two years. Although the parents/guardians of these children were supposed to pay for the cost of Ragged Industrial Schools, most of them were in jail or simply could not afford it. This resulted in the schools relying on charity donations and government grants. Throughout the second half of the 19th century, the poorest in society remained hesitant regarding the popularity of Ragged Schools. The Ragged School Union's Annual Report for 1857 revealed that, out of Londons half a million children, only 21,500 had attended lessons or used their services. At Field Lane, 563 children were registered for their day school, but only 275 of them were consistently attending. The Ragged School Union then concluded that they were far from accomplishing even half of what they intended to, and they knew the quality of education was questionable. It would take another nine years before Parliament agreed that Ragged Schooling alone would not be able to solve all of their societal issues. Universal, compulsory schooling was then introduced in London under the 1870 Education Act. This ensured that every child had a right to attend any school they desired. By Georges Cruikshank [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons 8

9 VOCABULARY Aggrieved Troubled or distressed in spirit Aversion Bailiff Behemoth Benevolence Blind Man s Bluff Bluster Callousness Colossus Commend (myself) Compensation Condiment Contrived Counting-House Cynicism Demeanour Destiny Detain Dock Domesticated Forbearance Half-a-crown Harp on Humbug Humiliating Hypocrite A strong dislike towards something, with a desire to avoid or turn from it An official employed by a British sheriff to serve writs and make arrests Something of monstrous size, power or appearance An inclination to perform kind or charitable acts A variant of tag in which the player who is It is blindfolded To talk or to act with noisy threats Feeling or showing no sympathy for other Something that is abnormally large To commit to the care of another Money received as payment for a service A substance used to flavour or complement food Obviously planned or calculated, not spontaneous or natural The place in which a business firm carries accounting operations Believing in, or showing the belief that people are motivated by selfish concerns The way in which one behaves An event or course of events that will inevitably happen in the future To keep from proceeding To deduct from ones wages Animals which are tamed and taught to live with humans A good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence The English coin equivalent to 2 shillings or 6 pence To talk about something to an excessive and/or tedious degree A pretense or hoax; something that pretends to be what it is not Causing awareness of one s shortcomings A person who professes beliefs or opinions that he does not hold Indifferent Showing no care or concern in attitude or action 9

10 Illuminating Imp Legacy Liberality Lilt Meanness Midas Miserly Mockery Obligation Poor Laws Plum Pudding Port Sack Salvation Shirk Specter Toil Treadmill Trifled Union Workhouse Victuals Vocation Wastrel Wellspring Yes and No Clarifying or making something understandable A little malignant spirit, a young or inferior demon A gift Generosity, charity A light or lively manner of moving or walking The quality or state of being selfish or stingy The fabled king of Phrygia who turned all that he touched into gold Of persons or behaviour, characterized by a lack of generosity Scornfully contemptuous ridicule A social, legal or moral requirement The laws which determined who received a certain kind of welfare A steamed cake-like dessert made with dried fruit and spices A rich, sweet, fortified wine Strong wines from Spain and the Canary Islands, imported to England in the 16 th and 17 th centuries Deliverance from the power or penalty of sin To neglect a duty or responsibility A ghost Exhausting labour or effort An instrument of punishment; prisoners walked around a platform pushing the spokes of a large cylinder Something or someone dealt with as if it were of little significance or value Publicly supported institutions for the destitute Food A person s job or line of work An idler or loafer, a waster of money An abundant source A parlor game, similar to Twenty Questions, in which players try to guess what one person has in mind by asking questions that must be answered by Yes or No 10

11 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STUDENTS 1. Choose one of the following quotes from the play, write an essay about the ideas expressed, how it relates to you personally and how it makes you feel. o o o o o Life is full of things that can t be bought or sold but are necessary to live. Christmas is one of them. I give myself to its spirit, a kind, forgiving, charitable pleasant time, when men and women seem to open their hearts freely to their best nature and think of people high and low, rich and poor, as fellow passengers on the road to the grave. A time where the world seems a happy place. I can see the gain in that though there's not a single extra copper piece in my pocket." - Fred "None of us could ever get mud from his shoe, and I reckon he had every penny he ever earned. He never gave and he never spent. I would be happier sleeping in a graveyard than in that dreary dark place of his." - A beggar "Business! Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business: charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the ocean of my true business life." - Jacob Marley "He were a bit thoughtful on the way home till he finally said he was glad to have his crutch. And why are you glad of that Tim I asked him? Well, he says, it gives everyone else a chance to see how lucky they are, and count their blessings and go back home to dinner thankful for what they have and in a proper spirit to celebrate the season." - Bob Cratchit "I mean to give him the same chance every year, whether he likes it or not. He may harp at Christmas till he dies, but I will wear him down eventually, if I visit year after year, saying uncle Scrooge, how are you, come and eat with us. It will remind him that he has a family and that it is a holiday and it will remind us how fortunate we are not to be him. So, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, wherever he is." Fred 2. A Christmas Carol is sometimes referred to as an allegory. What does this mean? What do each of the three ghosts, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge himself represent? 3. Write a short story that could possibly be a sequel to the original novel. Think about things such as how Scrooge lived his life after the experience, and what kind of impact he had on the people around him. FOR SOCIAL STUDIES STUDENTS 1. Describe to what extent A Christmas Carol is social commentary. Research Dickens' contribution to social reform in Victorian England. 2. Does the Victorian Christmas portrayed in the play have any resemblance to Christmas as celebrated by our modern society? Are there lessons learned by Scrooge that remain valuable in today's society? 3. Make a timeline of Scrooge s life. 11

12 FOR DRAMA STUDENTS 1. Research the elements of a Victorian Christmas. Have a traditional Victorian Christmas feast in your class complete with food, games and songs. Each student should develop a character based on the play and interact with others at the feast as that character. 2. Have each student write and perform a monologue about the winter holiday they celebrate, as a character they have developed based on the play. 3. Victorian England was a society of extremes: rich/poor, powerful/powerless, etc. Discuss how the actors portrayed status in terms of physicality. Mime your own scene in pairs and explore how to tell the audience about status. CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS Social Studies Grade 3 Communities of the World KC-005 Recognize that people around the world have basic human rights KG-029 Identify ways in which community services can help people acquire their basic rights VC-003 Respect the equality of all human beings KC-006 Explain the importance of fairness and sharing in groups and communities VC-001 Support fairness in social interactions Grade 7 People and Places in the World KI-006 Identify diverse cultural and social perspectives regarding quality of life KI-007 Describe the impact of discriminatory attitudes and practices on the quality of life KG-037 Identify universal human rights and explain their importance VC-001 Respect the inherent dignity of all people KP-040 Compare and contrast various types of power and authority KP-041 Explain the relationship between power and access to wealth and resources KH-031 Identify historical events that continue to affect a society of Europe or the Americas VH-010 Appreciate history as an important way to understand contemporary life English Language Arts Explain opinions Use strategies and cues to comprehend and respond personally and critically to texts Experience various texts Appreciate the artistry of texts Explain how various techniques and elements are used in texts to create particular effects & 5 Access and make sense of information & 4 Record information and develop new understanding Attentive listening and viewing Relate texts to culture 12

13 Dramatic Arts DR-CR2 The learner experiments with, develops, and uses ideas for creating drama/ theatre DR-C1 The learner develops understandings about people and practices in the dramatic arts DR-C2 The learner develops understanding about the influence and impact of the dramatic arts DR-R1 The learner generates initial reactions to drama/theatre experiences DR-R2 The learner critically observes and describes drama/theatre experiences DR-R3 The learner analyzes and interprets drama/theatre experiences WORKS CITED BBC. History of Charles Dickens. < BBC Schools. British History - People and Poverty. < British Library. Ragged Schools. < British Library. The Origins of A Christmas Caorl. < Charles Dickens Info. Learn About A Christmas Carol. < New World Encyclopedia. Poor Law. < The National Archives Poor Law. < 13