Shocking True Story Behind Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ and Its Lasting Legacy

This week in history,

The story of Scrooge, the miserly character we might have encountered in textbooks, fairy tales, movies, plays, or musicals as children, is a timeless classic. With a grouchy personality and not an ounce of compassion, he encounters ghosts on Christmas Eve who show him his past, present, and future, transforming him into a completely new person. This story originates from “A Christmas Carol,” written by the great English author Charles Dickens and first published on December 19, 1843.

Dickens’ life was marked by hardship; his father’s imprisonment due to significant debt forced the 12-year-old Dickens to labor 10-hour days in a London shoe polish factory. Although the Industrial Revolution brought wealth to Britain in the early 19th century, it also came with social issues such as widening income inequality, urban poverty, and labor exploitation. These experiences profoundly influenced Dickens’ later works and served as the foundation for many of his stories.

At 15, Dickens began working as an office boy at a law firm, becoming a court stenographer and a newspaper reporter. In his spare time, he wrote literary pieces for magazines, and his first novel, “The Pickwick Papers,” published in 1836, became a success and made him well-known. His second novel, “Oliver Twist,” serialized in 1837 when he was 25, highlighted the struggles of a poor orphan boy and exposed the inequalities and dark side of industrialization in British society. This work solidified Dickens’ status as a popular author.

One of his masterpieces, “A Christmas Carol,” is set in London during the early days of the Industrial Revolution, a time of extreme income inequality. Written in just six weeks, the book used Scrooge’s transformation to remind readers of the true meaning of Christmas: love and sharing. Upon its release, the first print run of 6,000 copies sold out within five days, and the book became a globally beloved Christmas classic. Its popularity helped revive the fading traditions of Christmas. Workers often lacked the means to celebrate Christmas due to long hours and low wages. The phrase “Merry Christmas,” used in the book, also became widely popular again.

Following this, Dickens published a string of masterpieces, including Great Expectations, David Copperfield, and A Tale of Two Cities. His vivid depictions of lifelike characters and gripping narratives captivated ordinary people and even Queen Victoria. Many of his works were serialized weekly or monthly, and readers eagerly awaited each installment.

Starting in 1858, Dickens embarked on nationwide tours, giving readings of his works. His passionate and animated readings gained immense popularity as a natural storyteller, achieving great success in Britain and the United States. However, the demanding schedule took a toll on his health, and he passed away from a stroke in 1870 at the age of 58. His tombstone in Westminster Abbey reads, “He was a sympathizer with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England’s greatest writers is lost to the world.”