Dickensians! discussion

This is the thread to discuss A Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens, which is our first Christmas read this year. It will be hosted by Petra, between 19th and 27th December.

**PLEASE ALLOW PETRA TO COMMENT FIRST. Thanks

Links to on-line versions of A Christmas Tree:

https://vsfp.byu.edu/index.php/title/...
http://www.free-short-stories.org.uk/...
https://www.dickens-online.info/some-... (this link includes all 4 of the stories we will be reading)

Summaries
Summary 1 starts HERE
Beginning of essay to: There is everything, and more

Summary 2 starts HERE
From: This motley collection of odd objects….
To: "he was ghastly, and not a creature to be alone with."

Summary 3 starts HERE
From: When did that dreadful Mask first look at me?
To:

Welcome to our reading of Charles Dickens' short reflections withing A Christmas Tree: by Charles Dickens.

I'm looking forward to spending time with you with delightful stories and our invigorating discussions of them.

The short stories are unillustrated. Any illustration, therefore, (and there are a few) are not original illustrations.

We will start our reading on Friday, December 19.
(I'm posting this segment early because I'm going out of town until our start date)

A Short History of the Christmas Tree

The evergreen fir tree has been used in pagan and Christian rituals for over a thousand years but its first use as a Christmas tree is unknown. The first documented case was in the town square of Riga the capital of Latvia in 1510. A plaque commemorates the tree in eight languages as the first New Year tree.

The custom was introduced into England during the Georgian period. Queen Charlotte, German wife of George III, is known to have had a decorated tree for her family as early as the 1790s, and there is also a record of a tree at a children's party given by a member of Queen Caroline's court in 1821. Queen Victoria herself remembered such trees in the 1830s, happily describing potted trees placed on round tables 'hung with lights and sugar ornaments'.

In 1848, a print showing Prince Albert and Queen Victoria with their children was published in the Illustrated London News. From this time onwards, the popularity of decorated fir trees spread beyond Royal circles and throughout society.

Trees were generally displayed on tables in pots, with gifts placed unwrapped underneath. The tree was decorated with wax candles, baskets of sweets, flags and little ornaments and gifts.

The imported German Springelbaum was the tree of choice until the 1880s, at which time the home-grown Norway Spruce became available. This made a larger tree more affordable, and people began placing trees on the floor.

The Springlebaum Christmas tree:

The Norway Spruce:

The Illustrated London News, Dec 21, 1850

A Christmas Tree by Charles Dickens

A Christmas Tree: by Charles Dickens is an essay of remembrance and reflection of the Christmas spirit, with some nostalgia thrown in.
Using the Christmas tree as the focus, Charles Dickens takes us through his thoughts, feelings and memories of this special time of year.

I've kept the summaries short to allow for each of us to allow the essay to wash over us and help us bring out our own memories and reflections without adding my own words, even inadvertantly.

As we read, we can reflect alongside Dickens and share his delight in the wonder of the Season.

A Christmas Tree Summary 1

The story begins with a description of a Christmas tree standing on a table. It is lit with little candles.

Gifts, toys, tasty treats and trinkets are under it and among its branches.

In 1848, a print showing the Royal couple with their children was published in the Illustrated London News.
Here is a colorized picture of the print.

You've found some wonderful illustrations for us, thank you Petra! My copy is has coloured illustrations by H.M. Brock.

Thanks, Jean. The original publications have no illustrations. I hope I've found some that reflect the intentions of this essay.

I loved this first section. It was, to me, full of wonder and a sense of festive excitement, what with all the gifts in and under the tree.

I particularily liked:
"there were jolly, broad-faced little men, much more agreeable in apperarnce than many real men - and no wonder, for their heads took off, and showed them to be full of sugar-plums"
I got a chuckle from that.

I enjoyed the listing of all the gifts in the tree. Gifts were the first baubles & decorations, it seems. That's something I didn't know.
Gifts weren't wrapped but hung open in the tree or under it. I can almost feel the excitement building in the kids when they saw gifts but didn't know which were theirs and couldn't play with them until Christmas.

There was an indication of, perhaps, the first Christmas ornament, in Dickens' description of fruit: (there was) "real fruit, made artificially dazzling with gold leaf". I imagine that these looked like Christmas ornaments hanging on the tree.

There's a Christmas magic in the last line, "as a pretty child, before me, delightedly whispered to another pretty chidl, her bosom friend, "there was everything, and more" "
This brings to me feelings of the excitement and anticipation building up as Christmas draws near.

The illustrations are wonderful! Thank you, Petra!
I'll be reading the essay all in one piece.

I love this essay--read it a few years ago. I'll be enjoying re-reading with you all, and appreciating all of the detail. Thank you for the background and the lovely illustrations, Petra! I love the ones of Victoria and Albert and family.

I have a question about this section. What is a teetotum? I could google it, but it's more fun if someone is familiar and wants to share. :-)

I looked that up, too, Kathleen, when I first read this essay. It's some type of spinning toy, like a top.
It would be interesting to find out how "teetotum" became the name for a spinning toy.

I am hoping that the illustrations help bring the essay to our lives and remind us of the magic of Christmas, a little bit.

The families gathered around the trees, the children jumping for joy and looking at the tree in wonder, brings to mind the magic of Christmas. All is good; all is possible.

The other thing that raised my eyebrows.....there are guns and swords on or under the tree...just sitting on the table!
Different times, for sure.

I’m looking forward to reading these Christmas stories with everyone and putting us in the spirit of Dickens’ Christmas! Thank you for finding all those illustrations, Petra. My, how I wish Dickens had included an illustration of all those lit candles and trinkets and toys and sweets “hiding behind the green leaves”, “dangling from innumerable twigs”, and “perched among the boughs” of the tree. The tree’s branches must have been enormous!

I was visualizing all of those beautifully detailed handmade ornaments and realizing that our present-day mass-produced ornaments would pale in comparison to them. Can you just imagine the look of awe on all those tiny faces!? This has really made me feel their joy!

Shirley, it would have been special had these stories contained illustrations. But, regardless, we'll do our best to fill that gap.

Yes, I also visualized the candles and the gifts hanging on the boughs. Like you, I wondered at the strength of the boughs on that tree.
The excitement felt by the children is in each of the illustrations. It brings back the magic of Christmas to see their excitement and joy. Those last words in this section ("it has everything and more") portrays the wonder that the children were feeling.

Rosemarie, thank you! (your comment wasn't visible ealier today....I wonder why?!)

Yes, read the essay as you wish but please comment only up to the current day's summaries.

I'm so glad that we have a good group already. I'm sure others will join in with us in the next few days.

A Christmas Tree Summary 2

A crowd of people gathered around the tree. The very young timidly in the arms of their mothers and nannies, the children admiring the wonders and beauty of the tree.

The narrator looks around the room and thinks of how all the things in existence on Earth have a time to shine and be remembered.

Later, when home alone and his family asleep, the narrator thinks back to his own childhood and the wonderful items he saw on Christmas trees in his past. He sees a vision of a tree in the middle of the room as he recalls the past Christmas seasons of his childhood.

Looking up to the top of the tree, he remembers the toys of his youngest days first: the acrobat that rolled on the floor until still, the jack-in-the-box, jumping frog (all toys that equally delighted & frightened), the cardboard lady in the blue dress, and the larger cardboard man.

The Tumbler



I think this is what Charles Dickens is describing.

The "infernal" snuff-box



This is what I envision the scary snuff-box figure that Dickens describes more closely resembles:

The Jumping Frog



(this isn't a toy from the 1850s. I couldn't find a picture of one that old. This is a "vintage" jumping frog that may be similar to what Dickens is describing)

The Cardboard Lady

The Larger Cardboard Man