CGM's Holiday Post: In Defense of Scrooge

Ok, so Scrooge was a tight-waded, miser who had no friends, only one nephew for family, and was pretty much disliked by all he came in contact with.  But does that make him a bad person? In this era of inclusiveness Scrooge has to be accommodated.

There's  a lot of Scrooge in all of us

Dickens's character build of Scrooge is perhaps misunderstood by readers and movie-viewers alike. There have been many iterations of the Scrooge character in films - at least thirty going back to the 1940s and before that on radio and on-stage.  Basically, Scrooge wanted to be left alone and asked for nothing of anyone - a rarity in today's gimme world.

Christmas has gravitated to a giving/receiving fest. With news broadcasters reporting how much money the average family will spend and on what items.  Tech toys and gaming are big this year, as are drones. Apparel not so much. Gift cards are prevalent (easy to get and give) and lots of stuff is bought on-line.  Amazon is booming. Their ship-to time is fast but they want to get it faster (they are in negotiation to lease 20 Boeing 767 cargo planes) and skip the slower  UPS and FEDEX delivery services. But I digress, let's get back to Scrooge.

Not a soul in 'The Christmas Carol' gives Scrooge anything.  Those he comes in contact with are unpleasant and some contemplate his demise. They talk of taking his bed linens and curtains and divvying up his other belongings upon his death. What would Bob Cratchit and his family do without Scrooge? Simply put, Scrooge is thrifty - a valued trait in this age of spending and debt accumulation. The U.S. Government could take a lesson or two from Scrooge on the value of a dollar. Not only that but Scrooge is diligently working on behalf of his clients, while saving on energy and air pollution by conserving the use of coal.

C. Dickens at work

His nephew, Fred, is a job-less spend-thrift who is planning on getting married, go figure. His one employee is a day-dreamer, who shows up late for work and tries to sneak out early, has six children, and a stay-at-home wife. Is Scrooge responsible for Cratchit's misguided life decisions.

Let's face it. Ebenezer Scrooge is a victim of Christmas just as many of us are today.  No one asked Scrooge what he wanted for Christmas. Everyone likes getting gifts - they mean 'someone cares about me' and most people like giving gifts as well.  Charities abound year-round and the requests for donations are everywhere - from the supermarket line to utility bill, not to mention the incessant TV commercials for needy children, pets, and various diseases and afflictions.

Scrooge gets a raw deal

Remember good-hearted, lovable, generous, old Fezziwig who goes bankrupt because he couldn't compete on price. Scrooge, on the other hand, was a financially secure, self-sufficient entrepreneur who was well respected in his business/social circles.  He was very successful in his money-lending and trading businesses. He was fair, honest, and shrewd - traits we hold in esteem.

I believe, more and more people are becoming closet Scrooges.  Secretly they admire his steadfastness against the 'buy me' commercialization of Christmas - which now starts right after Halloween - and shun the false hype that 'giving' is the best gift.

Actually, Scrooge needs no defending. If anything he deserves admiration.  He is an example to all of us that Christmas is not about those giving and others taking but about being forthright, honest, and steadfast all of the time.  Sure the holidays should be a happy time spent with family, friends, and neighbors but keep in mind that the majority of the world's populace doesn't celebrate Christmas.

In the end, Dickens has Scrooge succumbing to social pressures (via three ghosts and a dead business partner) and loosing the fight against the onslaught of  'commercial' Christmas. I like old Scrooge and the 'born-again' Scrooge - why not, it's Christmas!