Charles Dickens, Marley's Chain and Theophylact of Ochrid

By John Sanidopoulos

 

When Jacob Marley makes his ghostly visit to Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens describes him as a transparent spirit bound by a chain. He describes the chain specifically as follows: "The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail; and it was made (for Scrooge observed it closely) of cash-boxes, keys, padlocks, ledgers, deeds, and heavy purses wrought in steel." When during their conversation Scrooge asks trembling why he was fettered, Marley replied: "I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it. Is its pattern strange to you?” Then Marley reveals to Scrooge that the chain he bears is much more ponderous: "Or would you know the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? It was full as heavy and as long as this, seven Christmas Eves ago. You have laboured on it, since. It is a ponderous chain!"

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The Reception of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" in Greece

By John Sanidopoulos

By the time A Christmas Carol was first translated into Greek in 1888, Charles Dickens was already known in Greece. Despite the high rate of illiteracy in the newly-formed Greek state (87.5% of men in 1840; 93.7% of women in 1870), Dickens began to be known in 1851. His works were published through the four main Greek literary journals by the intelligentsia of the time who wished to publish works that portrayed all social classes to diffuse knowledge and bring about social progress.

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Christmas Animation: "Cricket On The Hearth" (1967)

Cricket On The Hearth (1967) is a delightful, animated musical version of Charles Dickens' classic tale. A Cricket on the Hearth, tells the story of a poor toymaker and his daughter whom a helpful Cricket named Crocket befriends on Christmas morning. When tragedy strikes the family, it's Crocket who comes to the rescue and restores peace and happiness.

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Charles Dickens and Christianity

"My dear children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him." - Charles Dickens

The last work of Charles Dickens to be published was a private retelling of the Gospel narratives, titled The Life of Our Lord. It was written in 1849 specifically for his children that they may intimately know the life of Jesus Christ, and he ordered that it never be published. However, when all his children had died, it was made public after 85 years and published in 1934. Dickens respected and loved very much the Bible and Christ and sought to instill in his children the same reverence, though he was never dogmatic about it nor preachy of his personal views, since he opposed all manner of religious fanaticism.

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1971 Animated Version of "A Christmas Carol"

A Christmas Carol (1971) is a 25-minute animated cartoon adaptation of Charles Dickens' book which was originally shown on Dec 21, 1971 on ABC television in the United States.

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Marley's Bowels of Compassion (or Lack Thereof)

Charles Dickens writes in A Christmas Carol, describing the spirit of Jacob Marley when he appears to his business partner in life Ebeneezer Scrooge:

"Scrooge had often heard it said that Marley had no bowels, but he had never believed it until now."

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G.K. Chesterton's Biography "Charles Dickens" (1906)

I was about to write a personal essay on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, but I decided to leave that off for the future and replace it with a biographical sketch of the man who helped revive modern Christmas and good-hearted cheer despite the secular age we live in. I also recommend the reading titled Christmas According to Dickens by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts.

Chesterton's books and essays on Charles Dickens are among his best. Growing up in London Chesterton found Dickens his best guide to his own background and much of his philosophy came from Dickens's own "social gospel." To understand Chesterton you need to read his biography on Dickens. It will help you understand why he called himself a "disreputable Victorian".

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25 Worthwhile Quotes From Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's most memorable fictional characters and is generally regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period.

1. "A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self."

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