Atwood's View on 'Christmas Carol' and 'The Devil and Tom Walker'

Atwood's Analysis of 'A Christmas Carol'

“A Christmas Carol”, written by Charles Dickens in 1843, follows the journey of Ebenezer Scrooge as he strives for redemption and regains the optimistic outlook on life he once had. The story, set during the Victorian era, reveals the superficial nature of Victorian societal values with a focus on the inherent correlation between wealth and morality. The evolutions of many aspects that shape the society such as religion, philosophy, economics, and politics, as well as their relationships to money, are depicted throughout Charles Dickens’, “A Christmas Carol.” Margaret Atwood compares Scrooge to other fictional characters in her work “Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth.” By doing so, she highlights the ways in which the presence of Christian values in society dissipated during this time. A vast number of writers exhibited an aversion towards promoting religious values throughout the 19th century, and instead interpreted the world through a capitalistically motivated perspective. The emphasis on wealth and status as evident through works of Victorian writing was a reflection of the shallow values and widespread proclivity toward capital gain that existed throughout the era. Dickens demonstrates his disapproval for these societal disposition in his story, while Atwood analyzes the connection between the decline of Christianity in society and the rise of capitalism.

Atwood utilizes other fictional characters in comparison to Scrooge within her writing. One story she draws evidence from is Christopher Marlowe’s late-sixteenth-century classic, “Doctor Faustus”, highlighting the influence that other artists had upon Charles Dickens’, “A Christmas Carol.” 'Doctor Faustus' follows an almost identical plotline as the one in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”. Both characters sell their souls to the devil, consequently resulting in both characters being wealthy. However, the character’s objectives differ immensely. Doctor Faustus desires wealth to travel, gain knowledge, win the affection of women, and have the power to get back at his enemies. Despite his capitalist motives, Faustus isn’t portrayed to be a negative or selfish character; he instead has close friendships and is generous towards others with his money. On the other hand, Scrooge is the epitome of the Victorian perspective. He embodies the egocentric nature of capitalism, through his inconsiderate and self-serving characterization and tendencies to behave excessively miserly, which in turn isolate him from meaningful connections with others. The quintessential Christian views on the subject of wealth and morality, dictating that one should share their wealth and show empathy for others, are not present within Scrooge’s character, as a representation of the lack of these Christian morals in Victorian society.

Atwood's Analysis of 'The Devil and Tom Walker'

Atwood also analyzes Washington Irving’s short story, “The Devil and Tom Walker”, exploring the significance of Christianity when coping with the relationship between money and morality. Tom is described as the most miserly creature imaginable. Like the previous two characters, Tom also makes a deal with the devil, accepting money for a business deal under the conditions of an untrustworthy businessman. He attempts to bring Tom into the slave trade, but he refuses so they settle on moneylending. He makes his money off “the ruthless grinding of those in need, empty ostentation coupled with miserliness.” Tom and Scrooge are alike in many ways, however, the major difference is in how they reacted to their horrendous deeds. Tom comprehends how sinful his soul has become and subsequently shies away from the devil’s authority in his local church. On the contrary, Scrooge lacks faith of religious protection and vindication; his recovery is instead based on the core beliefs of capitalism. The two were both able to achieve a higher moral ground through different methods, therefore proving that the rise of western capitalism in the Victorian era has no correspondence with morality.