Dickens' Christmas Spirit
It has been argued that Charles Dickens is responsible for the revival of the Christmas spirit during the nineteenth century. Charles Dickens has probably had more influence on the way the Christian world celebrates Christmas today than any other person. Dickens is well known for his Christmas philosophy, which manifests itself through his novel, A Christmas Carol. This novel, undoubtedly one of Dickens' greatest pieces of work, show us in detail, the author's Christmas philosophy of affection and hope towards mankind. Although Dickens achieved much success from this novel, it can be argued that he segregates a large part of the population that does not share his philosophies of Christmas.In order to understand Dickens' success during the nineteenth century, a historical background must first be discussed. At the beginning of the Victorian period, the celebration of Christmas was in decline. The medieval Christmas traditions that combined the celebration of the birth of Christ with the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia had come under intense scrutiny by the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell. The Industrial Revolution, in full swing in Dickens' time, also allowed workers little time for the celebration of Christmas.
The Dickens philosophy also makes us believe that Christmas is a time for giving, sharing, and kindness towards our fellow man. It was my understanding that Christmas was to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a wonderful notion to be kind to our fellow man during the holiday season. Why do people have to change simply because it is Christmas?Just because I do not celebrate Christmas, does this mean that I am exempt from the "holidays?" Less than thirty per cent of the entire world's population celebrates Christmas. As mentioned before, I see Christmas as a time for extreme capitalism and commercialism. Even in today's twenty-first century, the idealized Christmas, which Dickens sought, is not what the holiday season is about. Christmas has taken on a very capitalistic and commercial role in our society. For most people who celebrate Christmas, for instance, is it understood that one is expected to prepare a turkey dinner for Christmas day. Being a Jew, I have an objective point of view about Christmas. Christmas today, does not seem at all the way Charles Dickens describes it. This works against Dickens as a novelist.
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