1. A Christmas Carol:
book and film adaptation
Alexandra Parra Barker
Pablo Pitarch Safont

2. CONTENTS
• Introduction
• Biography
• Literary Style
• Book information
• Film information
• Differences
• Discussion

3. INTRODUCTION
• A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
• A Christmas Carol (1984)
• Why this topic?

4. BIOGRAPHY
• February, 7 1812
in Porstmouth,
England
• Work at Warren's
Blaking Factory.
• Bad parenting.
• Newspaper's
reporter → Boz

5. BIOGRAPHY (II)
• First real success
→ The Pickwick
Papers.
• He wrote complex
novels at an
outstanding rate.
(e.g. Oliver Twist)
• He also read his
works aloud.
• He died on June
9, 1870

6. BIOGRAPHY (III)
• He was one of the best and most
popular writers in history.
• His works have been screened, at least
200 times.
• He wrote approximately 20 novels,
large amount of short stories and some
non-fiction, poetry and plays.

7. LITERARY STYLE (I)
• His writing was designed to “fill space”
• Lots of repetition and long lists
• Rhythmic and designed to be read aloud
• Many of his characters are either
hilariously comic or heart-breakingly
sentimental

8. LITERARY STYLE (II)
• Houses to symbolise the people who
inhabit them
• Dives straight into stories to capture
attention
• Mixture of fantasy and realism
• Marking of the separation between
privileged and under privileged

9. LITERARY STYLE (III)
• Descriptions:
– Satire, flourishing his gift for caricature
was his forte.
– Eye for detail
– Powerful adjectives and metaphors,
imagery, personification, similes...
– Presenting people, surroundings and
weather in ways to reinforce each other
– Exaggerations
– Development of arresting names

10. LITERARY STYLE (IV)
• Marcus Stone (Our Mutual Friend) recalled
that the author was always “ready to describe
down to the minutest details the personal
characteristics, and life history of the
creations of his fancy.”
• Dickens's public readings revolutionised the
literary world.

11. BOOK INFO
• Written in 1843 by Charles Dickens
• Summary:
– An old miser who makes excuses for his
uncaring nature learns real compassion when
3 ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.
• Main topics:
– Chritstmas, charity, rich vs. poor, change,
repentance, etc.

12. CHARACTER LIST
• Ebenezer Scrooge
• Jacob Marley
• The Portly Gentlemen
• Fred
• Cratchit family: Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim
• The Ghost of Christmas Past
• The Ghost of Christmas Present
• The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
• Fezziwig
• Belle
• Fan

13. FILM INFO
• TV release 1984
• 100 minutes
• Director: Clive Donner
• Writers: Roger O. Hirson (based upon
the book by Charles Dickens)
• Stars: George C. Scott, Frank Finlay and
Angela Pleasence

14. DIFFERENCES

15. SETTING
CHAPTER ONE
• In the book the men asking for money
go to his office, in the film they meet at
a party.
• In the book the carol singers are
outside Ebenezer's workplace.
• In the book he has dinner in a tavern.
• In the book Scrooge sees the carriage
in his house, but in the film he sees it in
the street.

16. SETTING
CHAPTER ONE

17. SETTING (II)
CHAPTER THREE
• In the book there is a voice callin
Scrooge only once, when he is next to th
door; but in the film this still happens whe
he is on the bed.

18. SETTING (III)
CHAPTER FOUR
• In the book, before visiting Bob's house,
they visit another family.

19. CHARACTERS
CHAPTER TWO
• In the book, the first ghost is reduced
to child proportion and also changes
form, in the book does not.

20. PLOT
CHAPTER ONE
• Change in the presentation of Marley's
death.
• The time in which the third spectre is
expected changes.

21. PLOT (II)
CHAPTER TWO
• There is something weird with time in
the book that is not appreciated in the
film.
• Scrooge's repentance.
• The film introduces the time when
Scrooge felt in love and the fact that his
father hold a grudge against him
because her mother died in labour.

22. PLOT (III)
CHAPTER THREE
• In the book, Ebeneezer prepares for the
coming of the second ghost.
• Change in the order of visits (Bob,
nephew, homeless vs overseas)
• In his nephew house they play different
games.

23. PLOT (IV)
CHAPTER THREE
In his agony, he caught the spectral hand.
It sought to free itself, but he was strong
in his entreaty, and detained it. The
Spirit, stronger yet, repulsed him.
Holding up his hands in a last prayer to
have his fate reversed, he saw an
alteration in the Phantom's hood and
dress. It shrunk, collapsed, and dwindled
down into a bedpost” (FICAR VIDEO)

24. PLOT (V)
CHAPTER FIVE
• In the book, Ebenezer cries, but in the
film he does not.
• In the book he shaves, in the film he
does not.

25. DISCUSSION
• Why the changes?
– Maybe because of time.
– To make it more attractive to the public.
– Impossibility of the year for recreating
some effects.

26. CONCLUSION

27. Thank you for your attention
and
Merry Christmas