tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post4015071624110674652..comments2024-03-04T18:05:44.182-05:00Comments on Through a Glass Brightly: Kindred Spirits: A Juxtaposition of Dante & DickensKathrynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-28030466952848835512017-05-06T10:10:51.358-04:002017-05-06T10:10:51.358-04:00Dear Kathryn,
I know I come last in the appreciati...Dear Kathryn,<br />I know I come last in the appreciation of your post; nonetheless, I wanted you to know how much brilliant and intriguing I've found your analysis, so that I have linked it in my blog about comparative literature called "Asterismi letterari" (Literary asterisms), in a comparison between <i> A Christmas Carol </i> and Mozart's <i> Don Giovanni </i>.<br />Really hope you don't mind it (I know I probably should have asked first),and to read from you again.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Valeria Dragovalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06347287125830826353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-27268916729452517182014-01-14T12:05:02.174-05:002014-01-14T12:05:02.174-05:00Wow, just scrolling through some comments -- I rea...Wow, just scrolling through some comments -- I really enjoy the comments on this blog, Kathryn. My uncle just gave me Death Comes for the Archbishop for Christmas, and now I am inspired to start reading it asap. But I should know better; my uncle always gives me incredible books. He hasn't failed me yet!Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03625746219907319100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-34213772775310622112014-01-01T21:48:21.748-05:002014-01-01T21:48:21.748-05:00Thanks, Kendra! So what'd you think of the end...Thanks, Kendra! So what'd you think of the ending of ACC? Did you wind up watching the Muppet version? <br /><br />Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-39122144787643943252014-01-01T21:46:49.862-05:002014-01-01T21:46:49.862-05:00Thank you for this, Fr. Mike! Yes to all of it. :)...Thank you for this, Fr. Mike! Yes to all of it. :)Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-73066124680363091142013-12-27T01:15:34.807-05:002013-12-27T01:15:34.807-05:00Sorry for the deleted comments. I fouled it up a ...Sorry for the deleted comments. I fouled it up a few times. I hope you can find the time to keep the posts coming! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05969355954984954740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-81438432829175169562013-12-27T01:14:54.188-05:002013-12-27T01:14:54.188-05:00Katy,
I've never heard anyone discuss the af...Katy, <br /><br />I've never heard anyone discuss the affinities of A Christmas Carol and the Commedia before, but it seems very clear, as though it should have been obvious (the most brilliant insights are always like that!). It seems to me that they are both stories of conversion. For that reason the DC is often put in a lineage of works extending from the Gospels, to St. Aug's Confessions, through the great modern novels of Cervantes, Dostoevsky, and Proust. I guess A Christmas Carol should be included in that list. I would say further that CC is a story of resurrection, even bodily resurrection. If memory serves, one of the dreams indicates that Tiny Tim would have died were it not for the change in Scrooge's heart. This bodily recovery is akin, I think, to the healings performed by Christ in the Gospels and then the disciples in The Acts of the Apostles. Scrooge arises from his dream prepared to go out into a broken world in order to work for its healing. <br /><br />Fr. Mike Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05969355954984954740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-9093627484518358442013-12-21T09:13:47.993-05:002013-12-21T09:13:47.993-05:00Thank you so much Kathryn. It is realy a breath of...Thank you so much Kathryn. It is realy a breath of fresh air to read such an intelligent blog. There are so many angry and offensive blogs out there. A friend suggested I start one myself, but honestly, after reading some blogs, I was afraid to. I'm also glad that there seems to be a community of folks interested in Dickens' spiritual and moral beliefs. Susan JhiradAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-61515825873409860482013-12-21T03:23:33.818-05:002013-12-21T03:23:33.818-05:00Kathryn,
Impressive as usual. We are reading A Ch...Kathryn,<br /><br />Impressive as usual. We are reading A Christmas Carol aloud to the kids this year, but we're not done yet. I am a big fan of Dickens, but I've always assumed that A Christmas Carol (along with A Visit From St. Nicholas) are at least somewhat to blame for the general secularization and sentimentalization of Christmas. But I was getting that from adaptations of A Christmas Carol, and not from the source. I am interested to see if Scrooge's repentance in the book is deeper than a natural one, simply based on the unpleasant consequences of his actions. I suppose imperfect contrition is better than no contrition at all. <br /><br />I'd like to voice my support for Mickey's Christmas Carol as well. They really manage to squeeze the essence of the story into 24 minutes, and I've been pleasantly surprised at how many direct quotes from the book are in it.<br /><br />Finally, did you see this on mental floss? <a href="http://mentalfloss.com/article/15531/how-charles-dickens-saved-christmas" rel="nofollow">How Charles Dickens saved Christmas<br /></a><br /><br />KendraKendra Tierneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04212829372556908004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-39580702597236847602013-12-20T19:43:50.666-05:002013-12-20T19:43:50.666-05:00WOW, Professor Jhirad. I am thrilled that your wor...WOW, Professor Jhirad. I am thrilled that your work exists and that you read my post! I can't wait to explore your site and get my hands on that book. Thanks so much for commenting. I'm honored!Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-25434263881728048692013-12-20T13:53:11.721-05:002013-12-20T13:53:11.721-05:00I agree with your comparison entirely, Kathyrn. Wh...I agree with your comparison entirely, Kathyrn. While as you say, nobody has absolutely proven a direct influence of Dante on Dickens, Dickens did mention Dante in his book Pictures From Italy and possessed volumes of Dante illustrations in his library. He also knew some Italian. More important, however, is their common Christian moral system, derived from the Bible, a belief in sin and rdemption, heaven and hell. By coincidence, I have just published a book on the parallels between Dickens and Dante, Dickens' Inferno: The Moral World of Charles Dickens, Leapyear Press, which is available through Amazon.com and on Kindle. It uses the method of dropping Dickens' villains into their descending circles of Dante's Inferno. It also has single chapters on characters who might belong in Purgatory, like Pip in Great Expectations, and of course angels like Nell and little Dorrit, who would certainly be found in the Paradiso. My website dickensinferno.com gives a sample chapter and more information, as well as links to Dickens' novels and Dante's Inferno, for those who might be interested.<br />Susan Jhirad, Ph.D.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-9144265647620190162013-12-20T08:42:22.996-05:002013-12-20T08:42:22.996-05:00YES. The Muppets are quite Chestertonian, aren'...YES. The Muppets are quite Chestertonian, aren't they? I love it. <br /><br />That quote comes about 1/3 of the way into "Dickens and Christmas" which I link to in the top of the post. Read the whole thing when you have a chance. Great stuff. Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-62223077065045752332013-12-20T08:38:54.890-05:002013-12-20T08:38:54.890-05:00Thank you, Kirk! I have not heard Patrick's St...Thank you, Kirk! I have not heard Patrick's Stewart's version but I will get on that. Seems like the perfect thing to listen to in the car next time we take a Christmastime road trip. Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-9243599679790359052013-12-20T08:37:40.851-05:002013-12-20T08:37:40.851-05:00You're quite welcome! I'm ashamed to say t...You're quite welcome! I'm ashamed to say that I have not yet read Death Comes to the Archbishop, but your intriguing comment inspires me to move it up in the bucket list. Thank you!Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-28294516547539410312013-12-20T08:35:25.210-05:002013-12-20T08:35:25.210-05:00Thank you for this, Joe! Such excellent points. I ...Thank you for this, Joe! Such excellent points. I thought about describing all of the parts from the Comedy which illustrate the particular sins of Scrooge, but I was worried that it would add too much length. (I really think someone could write a whole book about this idea--perhaps myself someday?) Thank you for your concise and helpful bit about usury. And yes, the spirit of the Medieval world which still haunts England is the reason that I love it as much as I do. I pray for England to return to the Church all the time. The Venerable Bede prophesied that it would happen. Here's hoping!Kathrynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11934318631043633214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-43975392949235740502013-12-19T12:35:23.487-05:002013-12-19T12:35:23.487-05:00So great Kathryn! I love Chesterton and the Muppet...So great Kathryn! I love Chesterton and the Muppets...you could probably write a post on how the Muppets are Chestertonian...but I digress. I especially enjoy the comparison of Beatrice to the ghost of Christmas future. Both powerful images for different reasons. Where is the last Chesterton quote from? I don't remember having read it but I think that comparison between English and Continental spirituality is perfect, (so I hope I would have remembered it if I had read it before.)Christy from fountains of homehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11130888193737436970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-63990718474072760242013-12-19T08:32:16.853-05:002013-12-19T08:32:16.853-05:00Dear Kathryn,
This was really excellent! What a b...Dear Kathryn,<br /><br />This was really excellent! What a beautiful post. And I definitely agree that the Muppet Christmas Carol is the best movie version. Have you heard the Patrick Stewart one-man performance? It's on CD, and it's magnificent.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />KirkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-86913208868058378352013-12-19T07:43:28.874-05:002013-12-19T07:43:28.874-05:00This was a delightful blog entry. Thank you so mu...This was a delightful blog entry. Thank you so much for sharing this! I have a favorite book, Death Comes for the Archbishop, by Willa Cather. I read a great article once that showed many remarkable parallels to the Divine Comedy for Cather's novel. http://cather.unl.edu/cs001_divcomedy.html It's by John J. Murphy. (I've given the web address here). If you've read Cather's novel, you will love the article. If you haven't read Death Comes for the Archbishop, please do read it. You'll love it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479456596712646789.post-46123655483234821312013-12-18T10:45:41.455-05:002013-12-18T10:45:41.455-05:00Great blog. I wonder if in a wider way, Dickens mi...Great blog. I wonder if in a wider way, Dickens might be drawing from Dante in the sense of Flannery O'Connor and the Christ haunted south. He loves because England is haunted by all the beautiful things of the Middle Ages that she has suppressed in suppressing Catholicism. One thing that comes to mind is usury. Scrooge is the great example of a usurer. In a sense, he is a Faustian character as well. Dickens throughout his career seems to lament the plight of the English worker, the one who suffers from the deeds of the usurer. Dante places the usurers in the Inferno and their punishment is that they are always looking at the sacks of money tied around their necks. Well, those are the rambling thoughts that immediately come to mind. But, a great blog.Joe Philipowiczhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13866485681043195891noreply@blogger.com