Dickens 'A Christmas carol'

Discussion in 'Art & Culture' started by foghorn, Dec 13, 2020.

  1. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.


    How come Scrooge lets his clerk, Bob Cratchit, have Christmas day off, yet, Scrooge's nephew Fred keeps his maid working on Christmas day.

    And, to top it, there's more work for the maid then usual, a dinner party.


    If you ask me, I would say those Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to come, visited the wrong man, it should have been Fred the slave driver.
     
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  3. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Without context, it is impossible to judge.

    For all you know, his maid has no family to share Christmas with except Fred's. And he gave her the entire previous week off.
     
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  5. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    After all that extra cleaning up on Christmas Day she needed it.
     
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  7. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Well, it is her job.
    Without Fred, she would be homeless and starving.
     
  8. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    Or, she could be working for a better employer, like the new later improved Scrooge, and not have her position exploited by the likes of Fred.
     
  9. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    As I said, without context, it is impossible to judge.

    You can't assume malfeasance based solely on your own cynicism.
     
  10. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    That's exactly what she did, after the holidays. Before, her choices were Fred's house or none, because the old man was too cheap to hire a maid. Even then, you should see the 20 years of dirt she'll be facing! And Scrooge had to let off the office and warehouse staff because the law forbade business on holy days, though it could not control domestic arrangements.
     
  11. (Q) Encephaloid Martini Valued Senior Member

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    Isn't that where Boxing Day came about, where the Masters serve the servants for a day, thus the servants do get a day off, it's just not Christmas day?
     
  12. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    No it was normal for servants to serve on Christmas Day. It was the following day, Boxing Day, that they were allowed to visit their own families. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_Day

    So Fred is just doing the expected thing, for that era.
     
  13. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    No, the boxing refers to packing up the leftover food to be distributed among the poor. Since it was servants who did the packing, no doubt they saved out some tidbits for their own aged parents and little siblings.
     
  14. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    From your link:

    And that is the old boxes, now empty, the masters and mistress presents came in.

    No, on that day the master and mistress of the house took it in turn to box the servants ears.

    Besides, I take it back what I said earlier about the new improved Scrooge, he should have said something about it on the day, instead of going along it with it all.
    This only reflects the flip flop loose morals of the author, Dickens kept a mistress in a house in Peckham, South East London.
     
  15. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    This is a joke, right?
     
  16. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    I forgot, there are Canadians on this site.

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

     
  17. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Hey. Canadians have Christmas too.

    But I'm pretty sure no one's boxing any ears.
    And I'm pretty sure Fred's servants were happy to be employed.

    Ultimately, there is a different expectation for holiday shifts between domestic house work and a clerk in a business office.
    The comparison you make in the OP is not apt.
     
  18. Jeeves Valued Senior Member

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    What's Dickens' sex life have to do with it?
     
  19. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Scrooge's housekeeper was working on Christmas Day. Remember how she freaked out when he turned nice?
     
  20. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    Your thinking of the film. Alastair Sim as Scrooge.
    But, have you read the book? I bet you have. Your thinking of the Charwoman.
    In the book she appears only at the time when she is ''selling'' Scrooge's bed curtains.
    I know in the film she also appears on Christmas morning at Scrooge's house.
    In the book Scrooge awakes, is grateful and merry for the chance to start over, opens the window and orders the bird for bob via the little lad, shaves then goes out.
    Here's a Christmas present Sideshow... At Gutenberg.

    https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46/46-h/46-h.htm
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2020
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  21. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Is this thread still about Fred and his ersatz slaves?
     
  22. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    In meander mode I guess.
    Title ''Dickens A Christmas Carol''
    Got anything else you would like to say?
    How about reporting it for being in the Arts and Farts section.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2020
  23. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    That seems needlessly defensive for an innocent question.

    I think we resolved the topic. Fred's servants weren't slaves.
    I'm just asking if we've moved on.
     

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