Abstract

Published in 1843, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol planted itself squarely into a society that depended upon physical labor and valued able-bodiedness. The crutch-bearing Tiny Tim is iconized for his angelic nature and positive outlook on his impairment, prompting critical conversation about narrative prosthesis and poster children, yet the other illustrations of disability in the novella are rarely explored. Contrary to the tendency of disability scholars to conclude that A Christmas Carol leans too heavily into the trope of inspirational disability or diminishes disabled agency, Dickens's incorporation of disability actually extends far beyond Tim as each member of the Cratchit family is disabled by the actions (and inactions) of Ebenezer Scrooge and thus presents a rich conversation about the embodiment of disability. Rooted in Tobin Siebers's scholarship on the theory of complex embodiment, this thesis traces societal factors, physical implications, and emotional effects present in the text, pointing toward the need for reciprocity and shared responsibility in care systems, as well as encouraging reader reflection on the societal structures in which they exist. Much of this reader reflection stems from the five-part musical structure of the text, in which the refrain unmistakably draws attention to the relationship between Scrooge and Bob Cratchit. It is through this intricate relationship that the societal factors of complex embodiment are most clearly evidenced, and are, in many ways, where the social has direct affect upon the physical. Because the final repetition of the refrain, found in the fifth stave, details the removal or mitigation of each disabling factor imposed on the Cratchits--without healing Tiny Tim from his impairment--it is clear that this novella's representation of disability is largely unique, both among Victorian literature and among contemporary conversations about disability. The use of carol in the title likewise functions as a call-to-action for readers to take part in a communal overturning of structures that repeatedly cause harm to, and create stigmas regarding, disabled individuals. Ultimately, this thesis seeks to present the ways in which viewing life through the lens of disability studies reveals a much more complex and nuanced existence than assumed ability allows for. A Christmas Carol, via this understanding, prompts an exploration of embodiment rooted in all aspects of social and physical constituents that reveals a sophisticated and inclusive model of identity.

Degree

MA

College and Department

Humanities; English

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2025-04-14

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13581

Keywords

disability, Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, carols, complex embodiment, social model of disability, medical model of disability, music, communities of care, refrain

Language

english

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