A Christmas Carol

An Offprint from

BEACHAM�S

GUIDE TO

LITERATURE

FOR

YOUNG

ADULTS

A Christmas Carol

BEACHAM'S GUIDE TO LITERATURE FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Editors Kirk H. Beetz Suzanne Niemeyer

Associate Editors Mary Esselman Jessica Dorman

Photo Editor Catherine McCarthy

Production Nancy Gillie-Patricia Price Elizabeth C. Gilbert

Design

Patricia DeAngelis

Library of Congress

Cataloging-in-Publication Data Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults

Includes bibliographical references.

Summary: A multi-volume compilation of analytical essays on and study activities for fictional and biographical works written for young adults. Includes a short biography for the author of each analyzed work.

1. Young adults�Books and reading. 2.Young adult literature�History and criticism. 3, Young adult literature�Bio-bibliography. 4.Biography (as a literary form) 5. Biography�Bio-bibliography.

[1. Literature�History and criticism. 2. Literature� B io- bib I iogra phy |

I. Beetz. Kirk H., 1952

|[ Niemeyer, Suzanne Z1037.A1G85 1989 028.T62         89-18048

ISBN 0-933833-11-3 Copyright ©, 1990. by Walton Beacham All rights to this book are reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or in any information or storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information write the publisher, Beacham Publishing. Inc., 2100 "S" Street, N.W.. Washington. D.C. 20008.

Printed in the United States of America First Printing, March 1990 Fifth Printing, November 1995

Sixth Printing, April 2001

PREFACE

♦

Books are vital training grounds for the dynamic and complex social future that faces every young adult. The books discussed in Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults will not only help young adults become comfortable with the challenges of language, but will help them become cosmopolitan�they will learn about the world at large as well as about themselves.

Selecting the titles to be covered in Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults was a long and difficult process. Our original list of topics was over four thousand titles long, then pared to a thousand. In paring this second list even further, we had five main considerations: 1) was the title a popular one that young people were likely to be curious about? 2) did the work possess literary merits that warranted calling it to the attention of young readers and their parents and teachers? 3) was the work a classic that had over time won a permanent young adult audience? 4) was the title a critically acclaimed work that had won awards such as the Newbery Medal? 5) was the book appropriate for a junior high or high school audience? Scholars, teachers, and librarians advised us about what books were of particular interest to young adults. The resulting list is about four hundred fifty titles long and covers a cross section of the complex world of young adult literature. The series is published as two sets: the first three-volume set covers mainstream novels and short story collections, historical novels, classics, biographies, autobiographies, and nonfiction; the second three-volume set covers science fiction, fantasy, adventure novels, myths, mysteries, and gothic novels. Periodically, individual volumes will be added to the series to pick up new titles or cover older titles that could not be included here.

Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults will likely have a large and disparate audience: young adults who just want to know more about their favorite books and authors, young adults who are researching term papers and book reports, teachers, librarians, parents, college students, and professors. An easy-to-follow format had to be devised that would provide the clarity that young readers require while providing detailed information and depth of thought to satisfy the interests of more experienced readers. In addition to carefully formatted title-by-title analyses, Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults contains two appendices in the third volume of each set. One appendix groups titles by themes, the other lists Newbery Medal winners and Newbery Honor Books that are included in the set. Also, each volume contains a glossary of frequently used literary terms. When literary terms, such as personification, are used, they are explained briefly in the text, but the glossary provides a more detailed description.

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The opening of each article gives the basic data for its subject: title of the work under discussion, date of first publication in English, and kind of work it is (e.g., novel, biography, short story). Following the opening data are:

♦ About the Author o

The basics of the author's life are laid out here, with particular attention to the events that shaped the writer's work or sensibilities. This section also discusses the author's critical and popular success.

♦ Overview *

This section emphasizes the appeal and contents of the book, while pointing out its value to readers. Teachers presenting the book in class may find this section particularly useful because it outlines some of the qualities that will interest young readers; this presentation is intended in part to encourage readers and capture their interest in the classroom.

♦ Setting *

Many books for young adults are intended to acquaint them with places they have never been and cultures they have never experienced. Novels about faraway lands, historical times, the inner city, and the farm, all serve to transport readers into the unfamiliar, helping them to broaden their outlook and to understand other cultures' similarities to and differences from their own culture. The "Setting" section explains the significance of place and time to the individual book, helping to acquaint readers with the special aspects of the setting (such as including additional historical background to explain the merits or weaknesses of a historical novel), as well as showing how the author uses place and time to develop themes and characterizations.

« Themes and Characters ♦

This section explains how the themes and characters are woven together to create a unified work of art. Some writings are more thematically complex than others, and the length of the "Themes and Characters" section varies accordingly. The object of this section is to give insight into a work's literary merits by taking a hard, in-depth look at how well rounded the characters are, how plausible they are, and how well they fit into the work's themes. This section is intended to provide serious critical treatment, thereby enriching a reader's appreciation of the literary work,

IV

♦  Literary Qualities ♦

Writings for young adults vary widely in the depth of literary techniques that they present, but most of the titles discussed in Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults feature well-developed characters and engrossing themes. The "Literary Qualities" section analyzes the techniques employed by authors to communicate with their readers. It explains the skill behind the artistry. By helping the reader better understand how an author communicates, this section shows the reader how he or she can write meaningfully and read more thoughtfully.

♦  Social Sensitivity ♦

Often books for young adults are controversial. For instance, some old classics for young readers contain racist undercurrents that were overlooked in less enlightened times. On the other hand, since the 1960s the subjects that books for young adults treat have broadened to include topics that were once thought to be strictly for adults, such as sex, drug addiction, and hatred toward one's parents. Some books are very violent, others are intensely frightening, and still others express doubts about the morals and ethics of religion, science, or society. The "Social Sensitivity" section alerts parents, teachers, and librarians to the possible pitfalls in a given title. Contributors to Beacham's Guide to Literature Jor Young Adults have been encouraged to ferret out even remote possibilities of potentially disturbing materials. The "Social Sensitivity" section not only points out potential pitfalls but analyzes the social context of a book and explains how the sensitive aspects of the book fit in with its setting, themes, characters, and plot. It should be noted that none of the contributors advocates censorship, and that, indeed, we oppose it. The "Social Sensitivity" section will alert adults to sensitive issues, but they should keep in mind that young adults crave books that talk to them honestly about their lives and the world around them�that they are deeply interested in the possibilities of nuclear war, their own sexual urges, broken homes, racism, the meanings of religious faith, and a host of other "real world" issues. The "Social Sensitivity'' section indicates how honestly and fully a title deals with socially sensitive subjects. Does the book pander to the young reader's immaturity and prejudices; does it sensationalize sensitive topics without conveying an understanding of them; or does it do a notably outstanding job of investigating and explaining a difficult social issue? This section gives meaningful answers.

♦ Topics for Discussion �

This section provides a list of thoughtful, sometimes provocative, topics and questions that may inspire classroom discussions among students, Parents as well as teachers may find Topics for Discussion" useful for stimulating discussion with young adult readers. The topics vary in difficulty, but they all suggest important aspects of the book,

v

© Ideas for Reports and Papers »

The analysis in Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults is designed to lead readers toward ideas for additional reading assignments, writing assignments, and in-class presentations. A librarian may use "Ideas for Reports and Papers" to guide students who are searching for report topics. This section provides suggestions for simple reports as well as complex term papers. Its purpose is to get students thinking about their topics and to offer them some guidance as to what approaches to the work in question will be most effective.

o Related Titles/Adaptations *

This section discusses books by the same author that share similarities with the main title. Often these books form part of a series, such as the Namia books by C. S. Lewis. In other cases, these may be books that have themes, settings, or characterizations In common. The object of this section is to give the reader some idea of what else is available that may help him or her gain a greater understanding of what the author is trying to say. In addition to related books, adaptations to stage, radio, television, and film are discussed, with an emphasis on how true to the original title the adaptations are.

o For Further Reference o

It is our hope that the articles in Beacham's Guide to Literature/or Young Adults will be but beginnings in a reader's search to understand literature. This bibliography includes annotations for each reference. Whenever possible, the books, essays, and reviews discussed in this section are ones that are easily available. In some cases, there is a wealth of published material on a particular author or a particular title; in those cases, "For Further Reference" guides the reader to the most helpful sources. On the other hand, much of the information contained in the articles in Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults is unique or nearly unique, limiting the scope of many of the bibliographies.

It is heartening that Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults provides much new material that cannot be found elsewhere, but it also serves as an indication of how very much more work needs to be done in studying the many meritorious works in young adult literature.

Kirk H. Beetz, Ph.D.

VI

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

♦

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following publishers, authors, and artists for their permission to reproduce copyrighted material.

AMERICAN HERITAGE/HARPER ft ROW, PUBLISHERS, INC. Photograph in Caesar by Irwin Isenberg.© 1964. Reprinted by permission of Harper & Row.

ATHENEUM PUBLISHERS. Cover painting by Debbi Chabrian for The Birds of Summerby Zilpha Keatley Snyder. © 1983. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum Publishers. Illustration by Alton Raible for The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. © 1968. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum Publishers. Cover painting © 1982 by James Shefrick for Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt. © 1982. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum Publishers. Illustration by E. L. Konigsburg for The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg. © 1968. Reprinted by permission of Atheneum Publishers.

BRADBURY PRESS. Cover illustration for Dell Yearling edition of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. © 1975. Reprinted by permission of the Bradbury Press.

THOMAS Y. CROWELL CO. Illustration by Donna Diamond for Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. © 1977. Reprinted by permission of Thomas Y. Crowell Co. Illustration by Jean Chariot for ...And Nou> Miguel by Joseph Krumgold. © 1953. Reprinted by permission of Thomas Y. Crowell Co.

DELACORTE PRESS. Cover design © 1980 by Leo McKee and cover illustration by Gordon Crabb for Footsteps by Leon Garfield. © 1980. Reprinted by permission of Delacorte Press.

DELL PUBLISHING CO., INC. Cover for The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. © 1974. Reprinted by permission of Dell Publishing Co. Illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky and cover for Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. © 1983. Reprinted by permission of Dell Publishing Co.

DELL/SIMON & SCHUSTER, INC. Cover for Cateh-22 by Joseph Heller. © 1976. Reprinted by permission of Dell/Simon & Schuster.

DOUBLEDAY PUBLISHING CO. Cover design by Gun Larson Bumsbo and Marballa mural by Laverne for Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl translated by B. M. Mooyaart-Doubleday from the Dutch. Reprinted by permission of Doubleday Publishing Co. © 1967. First published by Contact: Amsterdam. © 1947. Cover illustration by Milton Glaserfor The Cay by Theodore Taylor. © 1969. Reprinted by permission of Doubleday Publishing Co. Illustrations for The Door in the Wall by Marguerite deAngeli. © 1949. Reprinted by permission ofDoubleday Publishing Co.

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FARRAR, STRAUS & OIROUX, INC. Cover design by Jane Byers Bierhorst and cover illustration by Robin Eaton for Children of the Fox by Jill Paton Walsh. © 1978. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Photograph by Roman Vishniac in A Day of Pleasure by Isaac Bashevis Singer. © 1969. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

HARPER & ROW, PUBLISHERS, INC. Cover photograph © 1984 by Joshua Horwitz and cover design by Al Cetta, Cover © 1984 by Harper & Row for Cloudy-Bright by John Rowe Townsend. © 1984. J. B. Lippincott. Reprinted by permission of Harper & Row. Cover by Jay J. Smith for Dinky Hocker Shoots Smackby M. E. Kerr. © 1972. Reprinted by permission of Harper & Row. Cover art © 1984 by Ellen Thompson and cover © 1984 by Harper & Row for The Fighting Ground by Avi. J. B. Lippincott. © 1984. Reprinted by permission of Harper & Row.

HOLT, RINEHART & WINSTON. Portrait of Charlotte Bronte by George Richmond, 1850. Reprinted in Girl with a Pen by Elisabeth Kyle. © 1964. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart & Winston. Cover design by Fritz Kredel for Great Ambitions: A Story of the Early Years of Charles Dickens by Elisabeth Kyle. © 1966. Reprinted by permission of Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN CO. Illustrations by David Macaulay for Cathedral by David Macaulay. © 1973. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. Cover by Gilbert Riswold for The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. © 1961. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. Illustration by John O'Hara Cosgrave II for Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham. © 1955. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. Illustration by William Moyers for Crazy Horse by Doris Shannon Garst. © 1950. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. Cover illustration by Susan Meddaugh for Chase Me, CatchNobodyby Erik Christian Haugaard. © 1980. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Co. Illustration by Milton Johnson for TheBlackPearlby Scott O'Dell.© 1967. Reprinted by permission of Hough ton Mifflin Co.

ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC. Cover for Anthony Bums by Virginia Hamilton. © 1988. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf. Cover design by Paul Bacon for Davtta's Harp by Chaim Potok. © 1985. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf.

LITTLE, BROWN & CO., INC. Cover design by Michael Mitchell for The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. © 1951. Reprinted by permission of Little, Brown & Co.

LOTHROP, LEE AND SHEPARD BOOKS. Illustration by Ingrid Vang Nyman for Eskimo Boy by PipalukFreuchen. © 1951. Reprinted by permission of Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books.

MACMILLAN PUBLISHING CO. Photograph from Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind" Letters by Richard Harwell. © 1976. Reprinted by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co. Cover design by Leo Mauso for Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. © 1936. Reprinted by permission of the Macmillan Publishing Co. Illustration by Kate Seredy for Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink. © 1973. Reprinted by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co.

NEW AMERICAN LTORARY/VDXING PRESS. Photograph from Albert Einstein by

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Banesh Hoffman and Helen Dukas. © 1972. Reprinted by permission of New American Library /Viking Press.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. Illustrations by J. Landseer for A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol first published 1843. Reprinted by permission of Oxford University Press.

PANTHEON/RANDOM HOUSE. Illustration by Anthony Maitlaw for Blackjack by Leon Garfield. © 1968. Reprinted by permission of Pantheon /Random House.

PENGUIN BOOKS. A detail from "Montparno's Blues" by Kees Van Dongen reproduced for the cover of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The GreatGatsby originally published 1925. Reprinted by permission of Penguin Books.

PUTNAM/TEMPO BOOKS/GROSSET & DUNLAP. Cover for Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. © 1965. Reprinted by permission of the Putnam Publishing Group. Illustration by Everett Raymond Kinstler for Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. © 1963. Reprinted by permission of the Putnam Publishing Group. Illustration by Jody Lee for Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. © 1983. Reprinted by permission of the Putnam Publishing Group.

CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS. Cover painting by Paul Bacon for Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. © 1948, Reprinted by permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. Cover illustration by N. C. Wyeth for The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson. © 1944. Reprinted by permission of Charles Scribner's Sons. Cover design by Homi Werner (adapted from a quilt design of the period) for A Gathering of Days by Joan W. Bios. © 1979. Reprinted by permission of Charles Scribner's Sons.

TIME, INC., BOOK DIVISION. Cover design by Jerome Martin for All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. © 1963. Reprinted by permission of Time, Inc., Book Division.

VIKING PRESS. Illustration by Atanas Katchamakoff for Dobry by Monica Shannon. © 1959. Reprinted by permission of Viking Press. Illustration by Robert Lawson for Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray. © 1972. Reprinted by permission of Viking Press.

VOYAGER/HARCOURT BRACE JOVANOVICH. Cover illustration for Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes. © 1979. Reprinted by permission of Voyager/Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.

HENRY Z. WALCK, INC. Cover illustration by C. Walter Hodges for The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. © 1954. Reprinted by permission of Henry Z. Walck.

WESTERN PUBLISHING CO. Illustration by Tony Chen for Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. © 1986. Reprinted by permission of Western Publishing Co.

WILLIAM MORROW & CO., DJC. Cover illustration © 1987 by Fredericka Ribes for After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer. © 1987. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow & Co.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Lucten L. Agosta California State University, Sacramento

Cara Akerley

U.S. Naval Academy

Emily J. Alward University of Kentucky

David J. Amante University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Kwaku Amoabeng State University of New York at Stony Brook

Andrew J, Angyal Elon College

Mary H. Appleberry

Stephen F. Austin State University

Stanley Archer

Texas A&M University, College Station

Karl Avery

Margaret Ann Baker Iowa State University

Rebecca Barnhouse University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Craig Barrow University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Diana Barrow University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Kirk H. Beetz

National University, Sacramento

Mary G. Bernath Bloomsburg University

Catherine Blanton

Kathleen A. Boardman University of Nevada-Reno

Mary K. Boyd

University of Missouri-Rolla

Harold Branam

Sidney Brown University of Virginia

Carl Brucker

Arkansas Tech University

Glenn S. Bume University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Edgar L. Chapman Bradley University

William Condon University of Michigan

John W. Conlee

College of William and Mary

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John J. Conlon

University of Massachusetts-Boston

Susan Gamess

David L. Cowles Brigham Young University

Gloria L. Cronin Brigham Young University

Hazel K. Davis

J. Madison Davis Pennsylvania State University, Behrend College

James E. Davis Ohio University

Frank Day Clemson University

Paul J. deGategno

North Carolina Wesleyan College

Rosanne F. Donahue University of Massachusetts at B

William Ryland Drennan University of Wisconsin Center-Baraboo/Sauk County

Mary Esselman

Paul Ettenson

State University of New York at Old Westbury

Ronald V. Evans University of West Florida

Cynthia J. Faughnan

Lawrence B. Fuller Bloomsburg University

Kathy Johnson Gale

Greg Garrett Baylor University

Joe Glaser

Western Kentucky University

Kenneth B. Grant University of Wisconsin Center-Baraboo/Sauk County

Marlene San Miguel Groner State University of New York at Farmingdale

Lenore J. Gussin

Lyman B. Hagen Arkansas State University

Jay L. Halio University of Delaware

Maryhelen C. Harmon University of South Florida

Stephen M. Hart Westfield College, University of London

William J. Heim University of South Florida

Terry Heller Coe College

Dixie Elise Hickman

Elbert R. Hill

Southeastern Oklahoma State

University

Shula Hirsch Five Towns College

xi

Elvin Holt

Southwest Texas State University

Elizabeth A. Holtze

Metropolitan State College, Denver

Linda Howe

Caroline C. Hunt College of Charleston

Veda Jones

William E. Judd

Ohio Wesleyan University

Richard S. Keating U.S. Air Force Academy

Kara K. Keeling Indiana University

Ann Kelly

U.S. Naval Academy

James M. Kempf Frostburg State University

Meena Khorana Coppin State College

Barbara King

Reyn Kinzey

Virginia Commonwealth University

Catherine E. Kirkland University of Pennsylvania

Lynne Klyse

California State University. Sacramento

Carrol Lasker

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Leon Lewis

Appalachian State University

Henry J. Lindborg

Marian College of Fond du Lac

Mary Lowe-Evans University of West Florida

George M. Luker

U.S. Air Force Academy

George E. McCelvey Western Kentucky University

A. Abigail McCormick Estill County (Kentucky) Public Library

Fred B. McEwen Waynesburg College

David D. Mann Miami University, Ohio

Susan Garland Mann Indiana University Southeast

Jill P. May Purdue University

Laurence W, Mazzeno Mesa State College

Etta Miller

Texas Christian University

Joseph R. Millichap Western Kentucky University

Robert E. Morsberger California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Gerald W. Morton

Auburn University at Montgomery

Charmaine Allmon Mosby                         June H. Schlessinger

Western Kentucky University                    University of North Texas

Mattie J. Mosley

Louisiana State University-Shreveport

John Mulryan

St. Bonaventure University

Suzanne M. Munich

Harold Nelson

Minot State University

James M. O'Neil The Citadel

Reba Pinney Ohio University

Daniel R. Porterfield

David Powell

Western New Mexico University

Rhoda Preston

Catherine Price Valdosta State College

Edward C. Reilly Arkansas State University

Kathleen Rout

Michigan State University

Dale Salwak Citrus College

Boria Sax Pace University

Bernard S. Schlessinger Texas Woman's University

Ernst W. Schoen-Rene California State University, Chico

Richard D. Seiter

Central Michigan University

Lynne P. Shackelford Furman University

Jonathan C. Smith Hanover College

H, R. Stoneback State University of New York-New Paltz

Jane A. Stoneback

Elizabeth Q. Sullivan State University of New York College of Technology at Farmingdale

Ruth Anne Thompson Pace University

Elyse Trevers Five Towns College

Laurie L. Walker

University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University

Robbie Jean Walker

Auburn University at Montgomery

Alan T. Watters California State University, Sacramento

Robert C. Wess

Southern College of Technology

A Christmas Carol

Novella 1843

--------------------♦--------------------

Author: Charles Dickens, 1812-1870

Major Books for Young Adults

Oliver Twist, 1837-1839                               Hard Times, 1854

A Christmas Carol 1843                              A Tale of Two Cities, 1859

David Copperfwld, 1850                               Great Expectations. 1860-1861

ISBN 0-933833-11-3 Copyright ©, 1990. by Walton Beacham All rights to this book are reserved. No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or in any information or storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information write the publisher, Beacham Publishing. Inc., 2100 "S" Street, N.W.. Washington. D.C. 20008. All Rights Reserved.