Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol - Why You Should Read the Actual Text | Dr. Joe Meyer #59

It's the season for Dickens' A Christmas Carol. With all of the various adaptations (Alistair Sim, Patrick Stewart, Muppets and Michael Cain) which one should you choose this year? Well, I'm going to make the case that you should be reading A Christmas Carol instead. I'm going to talk about three aspects of Charles Dickens' a Christmas Carol that are often neglected: Jacob Marley's true cause for suffering; Fan meeting Ebenezer Scrooge at the school; and how time functions in the story. We get different accounts of time from Jacob Marley, the ghost of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Does this miracle actually happen all in one night, or is Charles Dickens doing something more interesting here with time? We talk about Cain and Abel, Milton's Satan, and I make my plea for people to stop letting politics get in the way of family. If you find the discussion interesting at all, consider subscribing to the channel. We're trying to bring civility back to discourse one conversation at a time. And, we can certainly use your help. 

// WEBSITE //

Head over to the website to learn more about me and to contact me. https://theneutralgroundpodcast.com/

//MUSIC//

From YouTube Audio: DJ Williams 

// EPISODE OUTLINE //

00:00 Introduction

01:37 My favorite adaptation: Alistair Sim 1951 Christmas Carol

02:34 The three sections we need to look at

03:07 Brief summary of A Christmas Carol

03:54 Section 1: Jacob Marley's Visit and why he's really suffering

05:10 Am I My Brother's Keeper? The Cain and Abel Story

08:31 Marley and Satan from John Milton's Paradise Lost

14:43 Section 2: Fan visits Ebenezer Scrooge at school

21:20 A New way to view Fred, Scrooge's Nephew

24:02 Section 3: What is going on with the time in A Christmas Carol?

30:36 My quick plea to those of you who are not talking to loved ones because of politics

32:41 My closing thoughts

// EPISODE SUGGESTIONS //

1. Why we crave narrative? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVqv1...

2. What we don't hear about incel culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynYdp...

3. Why not violence? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohhht...

4. The need for the heroic narrative - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoCLH...

5. Why are we fascinated with psychopaths? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQgL1...

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I realize that you do not have to do any of this. Therefore, even f you do just one of those items listed, I am genuinely grateful. Try to keep one foot firmly planted on the Neutral Ground, and have a great day.

#christmascarol #scrooge #dickens #christmas #christmasmovies #christmasspecial