Hear me out This happens in all version of the story. Scrooge is treated like a jerk for wanting Bob to work on Christmas day, but after his Dream he wakes up on Christmas day goes out on the Town and Everyone else is working.
This sonic transducer is I suppose some kind of audio-vibratory-physio-molecular transport device
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In the time the book was written (and consequently when the film versions are usually set), certain shops would stay open Christmas morning so that the less well-off citizens could have their meals cooked. Grocers and butchers particularly would keep Christmas hours, as this was before the time of preservatives and uniform refrigeration, so if you wanted to prepare your Christmas dinner in the morning, you bought your ingredients day-of. Also, it was much more common for families to buy only enough food for a day or two, then return to market as the need arose. If all the shops closed on Christmas Day, there wouldn't be any food for the lower and middle classes.
Additionally, there's generally seen to be a division in labor, even now, between those who work retail positions or in food service versus those who work in offices and other non-service positions. If a modern day factory worker was asked to work Christmas Day, it would be a huge favor, whereas if a waitress is asked to work Christmas Day, it's considered acceptable.
Excellent answer ladyblakeny! Very informative :-)
shareI actually thought that Bob did a great job explaining "there will be no one to do business with" and Scrooge thought about it for a second and then said "take the day off"
also if you have ever worked in fast food, or a gas station or 7-11 or any place like that, they offer the Christmas day shifts to the people that want them (generally single people without kids, college students and what not) and people want to work them because you get double time.
Scrooge is a successful capitalist who is continually pestered and shamed by those who think he should bail out the irresponsible (e.g., his former boss who made bad business decisions, and the breeder Cratchit with his five children). He is treated like a jerk for not caving in to those who constantly annoy him because the story's author was an advocate of socialism.
shareWas the butcher shop open or did the boy have to call the butcher away from Christmas festivities, or was the butcher Jewish, or does the story even say? And who else was working?
share