Gutenberg’s technology wasn’t lost, it just wasn’t applicable to business letters. Before Xerox machines, before typewriters with carbon paper, there was the lowly clerk, who sat there and copied things out in a “big round hand”.
No, it wasn’t the George C. Scott version. I haven’t seen the version where they take control of Fezziwig’s business in a long, long time. I may have only seen it once many years ago. It sounds like the version Markxxx describes called Scrooge.
In the George C. Scott version, Scrooge’s fiancé drops him because he’s “been replaced by an idol. A golden one.” Scrooge’s father disliked him because he blames Ebineezer for the death of Mrs. Scrooge. When he started out, E. Scrooge had little money. That’s when he was engaged to his fiancé. As he became successful, he wanted more and more money. At first he rationalized that he was making more money so that the couple could be comfortable. But in the scene at the park he admits (without saying it) that he would not seek out the girl now because she was not wealthy. “Our promise is an old one,” she says, “I release you.” So it seems that she left Scrooge not because he took over Fezziwig’s, but because he loved money more than he loved her.
I don’t suppose someone actually has a copy of the novel around and can look this up, rather than guessing? I would, buy I don’t have it; I hate reading Dickens. His books always made better movies. 
Nope, 'fraid not, and I am not sure how much that would help. My (not very clear) point is that I recall an essay by George Orwell in which he discusses the fact (or, perhaps Orwell’s opinion) that Dickens tended to be amazingly vague about the practicalities of people’s work activities.
So, it’s possible that one could read through the whole book without becoming much wiser.
And, although I haven’t given much detail, I thought it worth mentioning in case the Orwell essay (the name of which escapes me) rings a bell with anyone else. It’s just that it might be a shortcut to the passages in which the nature of Scrooge’s “business” is addressed. If I can work out more detail about this, I’ll post again.
Well, look what seasonal fun can be had.
http://www.classicbookshelf.com/Reader/BookReader.htm?code=4&book=a+christmas+carol
If the link works, it should be an online copy of the text. Actually, it began to look quite fun - I liked the bit about aynone who goes around with “merry Christmas in his heart ought to be boiled with his own pudding … and a stake of holly through his heart.”
The Orwell thing, I now think was entitled “Charles Dickens” and published in 1939 (or just possibly 1940).
A merry humbug to you all.
I may not be much help, as my best-loved (and best-known) version is the “Muppet Christmas Carol”. I recall a quote from that version, but I don’t know if it’s in the original text. I found it quite grim and evocative for a Muppet movie:
“Christmas is harvest time for the moneylenders.”
I have always had the impression, even before MCC, that Scrooge was primarily a moneylender, but that he had a hand in other businesses as well.
<< A misanthropic moneylender, whose name (one of Dickens’s most ingenious inventions) has become an eponym for `miser.’ >>
I wonder if that’s not arse-about, though. Dickens’ story was so popular that the name “Scrooge” became eponymous for “miser” or “pennypincher” and therefore people tend to assume Scrooge was a money-lender… from the images of counting money, and from other similar literary characters (Silas Marner, Merchant of Venice)?
Of course, modern versions – movies, cartoons, and what-not, feel the need to fill in Dickens’ work, which is so obviously inferior because it doesn’t tell us about Scrooge’s childhood, whether his father beat him, how his first girlfriend dumped him, how Donald Duck became his nephew, etc.
Check out this on-line version:
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new?id=DicChri&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0
I skimmed through it, and Scrooge is only described as a “man of business.” There is a comment that he is welcome on the “'Change” (the London Stock Exchange, I presume), so he may be involved in the sales of stocks and/or commodities. But no specific business is ever discussed or described.
Bob is Scrooge’s “15 shilling a week clerk.” He would have performed the duties we now associate with a secretary or administrative assistant–keeping accounts, preparing forms, etc. When we first see Bob, he’s copying letters. As pointed out above, this is what businesses used to do in the days before copiers and typewriters. A similar function is performed by the titular character in Herman Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener.”
Yes. Duck Duck Goose quoted from, and linked to, an on-line text of the novel in the fourth post in this thread. There is nothing to do but guess, since Dickens doesn’t specify exactly what their business is.
I re-read the book the other day. though I hadn’t seen this thread, so I wasn’t looking out for a precise description of their business, the book is fairly fresh in my mind. I cannot recall anything that indicates exactly what the nature of Scrooge and Marley’s business is, other than that
[ul]
[li]they had a warehouse;[/li][li]they employed a clerk, that is, a secretary / administrator / scrivener;[/li][li]they were based in the City of London (now ~Wall Street, but then a more general business district);[/li][li]the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows Scrooge some people with whom he had business connections, who are described as “business men” and “merchants”;[/li][li]they are also described as being “on the Change”, which I think just means a place where merchants meet to do business rather than the London Stock Exchange.[/li][/ul]
That’s it, as far as I can see. Nor is there any mention of what Fezziwig’s business is, either.
I am almost certain Scrooge owns the newspaper where I work (for 3 more days).
Well, when I played the part in junior high, I had the clear impression that his business involved forclosing on those who couldn’t afford to pay their debts. Whether this is debts to Scrooge personally, or whether he’s collecting for others (tax money, maybe?) I don’t know.
well, the only version I’ve bothered paying any attention to, was the Muppet Christmas Carol… it’s been a couple years, so I can’t be certain, but IIRC, Bob was writing out eviction notices, so I thought Scrooge owned rental homes, or gave mortgages…
Glenoled
I don’t think there’s any mention of this in the novel, though it’s always difficult to be certain that something isn’t there.
His miserly character is established by the narrator’s comments, his refusal to make a charitable donation when one is solicited, his conversation with his nephew, his treatment of Cratchitt and the comments of his former business associates made after his death.
People who are adapting the novel for the stage or screen seem intent on adding details of his business interests which suggest that the business itself is either unethical or distasteful. I’m not sure why, since it detracts from the subtlety of the original. In the novel, Scrooge is a wealthy miser. In many of the film versions he is a wealthy miser who has made his money unethically, which changes the moral complexion of the story somewhat.
Then again, Cartchitt isn’t a frog in the novel so I suppose they ought to be allowed some licence.
“Jacob” Marley, actually.
Sorry it took so long to dig this out. According to “The Annotated Christmas Carol” (annotated by Michael Patrick Hearn), p. 59 (note 9 to the first chapter):
“The Dickensian (April 1924) reported that Scrooge was a “financier”, “something in the nature of a company promoter or a moneylender.” Scrooge thus does not provide any actual services or goods; he deals only in the exchange of money.”
Sorry if I’ve duplicated someone else’s entry. I don’t know where “The Dickensian” comes by its intelligence.
The only version worth watching in my opinion.
Mr Fezziwig is visited by a man who tells him times are changing old ways of business are dying out and offers to buy him out, but he says he can’t see his way to selling out to the ‘vested interests’, he’ll die out if need be.
This visitor takes over the business eventually with Scrooge and Marley. He then appears to embezzle the company funds, Scrooge and Marley take the firm over to avoid a scandal.
They never really say what Fezziwig did.
My question is, what are the vested interests?
Sorry for the hijack.
I think they just threw this in in the movie to make Scrooge appear more heartless. At the end of the story, in this situation, wouldn’t he just be paying Bob Cratchit more, yet still engaging in a predatory business? I would think he would change his business practices as well, after learning the meaning of Christmas.
Johnny LA the version you describe sounds like the Alistir Sims version. I just saw that again and it fits the quotes exactly. Or the Scott version uses that too.
Interestingly enuff the older movie versions tend to give reasons why Scrooge is mean. No mum, uncaring father, the death of his sister and the betrayal of his love.
Get this guy on Oprah and what a sob story he’d tell today.
Bob Marley??? What was I thinking?
Maybe they should do a reggae version of Scrooge
According to What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: