One of the traditions in our household around Thanksgiving is to watch Miracle on 34th Street. But then as we drift to Christmas we begin to watch the different versions of "A Christmas Carol" - I do not know how many times or versions I have seen it - but I like it every time. It is an inane story - but one with redeeming qualities. Scrooge is a bit too miserly. His redemption is a bit too complete. But I still like it every time I see it. My favorite is still the Alistair Sim version.
But after Pierre is rescued in War and Peace he goes through a similar transformation. Both characters, Pierre and Scrooge, are narrow in their orientation before their transformation. Scrooge is focused on money/business and Pierre flits from one fad to another. Both go through an experience - Scrooge the three spirits and Pierre the experience of being captured in the war and then going through the privations of captivity. Both emerge from the experience able to understand the small wonders of life and able to judge life from a much more balanced perspective. The parallels are interesting.
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