I’ve had this idea of reimagining classic novels, particularly the works of Dickens, to provide a different spin on their “moral” message.

The first would be A Christmas Carol…

Ah yes, the story of how a grouchy evil old miser is reformed and shown the true spirit of Christmas, right?

Well no actually I think there is another side to old Scrooge. Dickens intended him to be the villain who finds redemption in the “spirit of Christmas.”

Leave aside that Christmas is an entirely manufactured celebration with very little to do with ANY religion and consider this… Scrooge is a victim in a nightmarish dystopia of conformity.

Yes kiddie (or in the Muppet version bunny) kicking Scrooge is a victim!

How did I come to this conclusion? Because, like him, I’m a high functioning autistic.

Let us consider Scrooge’s early life. He quickly becomes obsessive with maths and accounting and works so hard that he chooses to stay at school rather than celebrate holidays (all holidays not just Christmas) with his family.

Going into the world of world he becomes as his boss Fezziwig puts it “the greatest financial mind in the city” but still his typical autistic tendencies toward excelling in his field above all else. Whilst Fezziwig throws extravagant parties wasting all of the money Scrooge has worked so hard to manage Fezziwig laughs it off and introduces him to Belle.

Ah yes… Belle… a “human” side to him.

Actually wrong again: Their meeting is forced, their relationship is the result of societal pressure on Scrooge and she eventually breaks with him because she doesn’t accept his driving passion.

Sounds to me like a textbook Aspergers “relationship.”

Ah you say… but… Scrooge is “reformed” is he not? Well only through emotional blackmail of 3 of malicious spirits that wouldn’t be out of place in a Japanese horror film. In fact come on Japanese horror directors, I want to see your excessively gory and inappropriately sexualised Christmas Carol.

Bring it on!

Anyway back to the point Scrooge has his unhappy Childhood and his forced “relationship” brought up by creepy kiddie spirit, then shown useless underling’s crippled kid and his own sick sister before finally being shown not only cute crippled kid’s death but his own.

Emotionally stable people would struggle not to break under that kind of pressure.

So in conclusion we have a poor hardworking autistic man forced into what he has always considered “pointless frivolity” by a society that demands you conform to their idea of “community.”

Bah humbug to that!