View From The Glen

Friday, December 16, 2011

A Christmas Carol

This morning I drove the kids to school. The school band concert was last night, and though it was not a particularly late night, spirits were high afterwards and it was rather past bedtime when I finally got rid of settled the kids for the night. The kids like it when I drive them to school, probably because it doesn't happen very often. At least they DID like it. Not sure if that's still true.

You see Erik is reading A Christmas Carol for his grade 6 novel study, and I took advantage of our 20 minute drive to engage him in a discussion of the thematic importance of a story I have long loved. It's a bit of a challenge, eliciting expansive responses from my son, but hey, in a car, there is no escape. By the time we got to school, he was
  • able to comment intelligently on the significance of Scrooge's "transformation" and the three-fold process that got him there;
  • somewhat able to identify similarities and differences between 19th century social conditions and today;
  • tell me his favourite scenes and why they are important, and expand on how the lessons in A Christmas Carol could be applied to everyday life ("it's all about making the right choices and having the courage to change."); and
  • thinking that maybe taking the bus to school wasn't so bad after all. LOLOL
We watched the Jim Carrey A Christmas Carol the other week. I personally have a soft spot for the Muppet version. But my all time favourite - sorry Alistair Sim (who also stars in a great version) - is the 1970 musical film starring Albert Finney and Sir Alex Guinness.


2 comments:

Leanne Haines said...

Mom and Dad sent the kids the Muppet version this year and we watched it this afternoon. I forgot how much I love that one! I think I may dig the book out this evening and settle in for my annual reading. I look forward to having that conversation with my kids, but I'm afraid this year their most intelligent comments were on how Bob and Emily Crachitt's sons are frogs and daughters are pigs. Hmmm...food for thought...

Sasha said...

*snort* Yes, I imagine he might have less trouble making the bus in future :). That's hilarious.

And I love Sir Alec Guinness, I will have to check out that version!