Short Story: A Christmas Carol

“How did I get here?”- she kept repeating to herself. “What ever happened to that sweet girl I was once?” The sound of her own voice bounced from her head into in her ears as the echo of the daunting whisper of an accuser. “Oh, God, why did my parents have to leave me so soon?”- She lamented in silence- “What I am going to do now? I am not sure I can make it all alone on my own.”

A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens in 1843. Life for the lower class during this time was extremely hard because of enormous amounts of illnesses, young children worked and no education. A Christmas Carol was set in mid 19th century, during this time people had a really bad time; most of the people was unemployed and the people who were employed were paid deficiently, others were seasonal or casual, which meant they were when work was available so most of the families lived in poverty which means that they didn’t have access to nice food and clothes and children were also used for the family income so the children had to work in work houses. In contrast the rich people had access to doctors, plenty of food and didn’t have to

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom,” Marcel Proust said. This quote suggests how being grateful for the people that you feel close to, will make you feel happier. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote takes place during the Great Depression in a small Southern town. A seven year old boy named Buddy, and his friend are hit by the Great Depression. They do not have very many possessions, only basic necessities. The holidays are right around the corner so Buddy and his friend decide to make fruit cakes for all of their friends, even though they do not have much. They end up not having much money to get each other something for Christmas. In the end, they both decide that having each other is enough, and that they’re both very grateful for one other. One lesson that is taught in the story, is that often, people tend to only be grateful for materialistic things. However, in this story they’re grateful for one another. Similarly, in the short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry expresses the same theme of gratefulness through the development of the character traits and character conflicts. Both stories show that being grateful for the people that you feel close to, will make you feel happier.

Most Christmas stories are all about love, presents or Santa Claus. This story is far from things like that. This story is about twins and how one christmas turned their whole world up upside down. Let me stop talking and get straight to the story.

“Natalie!” She called again. Mrs. Hoffman went upstairs into Natalie’s room. She opened her curtains and pulled the covers off her bed.

The show I decided to attend was A Christmas Carol, which I had never seen before. I went with my father on Wednesday, November 15th to the Guthrie Theater, and I have also never been to a show at this theater. I had heard that the building was recently redone and it was beautiful. Everything inside was very elegant looking and I felt completely underdressed. The Wurtele Thrust Stage where the show was put on was a very cozy little room but had great visibility from every section. We sat very close to the lights on the balcony and I was able to clearly see the stage and everything going on. Every seat was filled from what I could see in the balcony.

It was the two days before Christmas. Santa was getting every excited for his trip and he was also getting very tired.

It was four days before when Christmas, Doug Walker turned on the radio to listen to the local traffic while he dressed for work. He listened as the announcer discussed a miracle in their small town, “Parents are in an uproar trying to convince their children Santa Claus doesn’t grant everyone’s Christmas’ wish. No one can explain the perfect gifts found on front porches all over the city.” Turning up the radio, Doug called out, “Hey, Nancy, did you hear about the ‘nutty’ things happening around here?”

Have you ever spent hours and hours making and decorating cookies only two days before Christmas? I have because every year on Christmas Eve my mom’s whole side of the family comes to our house for a party. I get to see some cousins that I barely ever get see. We spend the whole day from sunrise to sunset together. Seeing them is amazing because sometimes you don’t realize how much you miss someone until you finally see them again.

“Can you go ahead and get ready?” she asked, “We need to be at Granny’s in a few hours.”

"Did you hear that there are two families coming tomorrow? We might finally be leaving this place," Millie said with hope in her voice."

So Eve wiped the tears from her eyes and got ready for bed. When returning to her room Emily was sitting on her bed, "Emily!" She jumped onto her bed and hugged her doll, who was wearing the same exact nightgown. She laid her head on her pillow and drifted away.

Hello! I am Joshua Osborne. I am telling you this story of firstly I was having the world’s worst Christmas, then having the world’s best Christmas, hence the title ‘The change of the Christmases!’

We turned off the lights and went to sleep in our sleeping bags. I was still awake.

What do you and your family do on Christmas Eve? Do you consider what you do a tradition or maybe even a basic tradition? On Christmas Eve, most families end the night watching a Christmas movie or maybe baking some cookies. But my family does not necessarily go by that. Around ten o'clock my cousins and I gather around the top of my grandparents stairs, waiting for a knock on the door or the sound of bells with our Christmas onesie on. Every year “Santa” pays a visit to my grandparents house with gifts for everyone. Once we all get a present we open it up at the same time, I never saw anyone frowning. I enjoy how my family tradition is still alive and brings everyone together, and I hope this tradition will be carried on to my own children.