document_title: Wonder Woman (2017 film)

question_text: who plays ares in the new wonder woman movie

text: Wonder Woman (2017 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In present-day Paris, Diana Prince receives a photographic plate of herself and four men taken during World War I, prompting her to recall her past. Daughter of Queen Hippolyta, Diana was raised on the hidden island of Themyscira, home to the Amazonian warrior women created by Zeus to protect mankind. Hippolyta shares the Amazonian history with Diana, including how Ares, Zeus's son, became jealous of humanity and orchestrated its destruction. When the other gods attempted to stop him, Ares killed all but Zeus, who wounded Ares and forced his retreat. Zeus left the Amazons a weapon, the "Godkiller", to prepare them for Ares' return.

text: Initially forbidding Diana to train as a warrior, Hippolyta allows her sister Antiope to train Diana, but only if the training is more rigorous that any other warrior. In 1918, Diana, now a young woman, rescues American pilot Captain Steve Trevor when his plane crashes off the Themyscira coast. The island is soon invaded by a German cruiser pursuing Trevor. The Amazons kill the crew, but Antiope sacrifices herself to save Diana. Steve is interrogated with the Lasso of Hestia, where he reveals that a war is consuming the outside world, and that he is an Allied spy. He has stolen a notebook of the Spanish chief chemist Isabel Maru, who is attempting to engineer a deadlier form of mustard gas, under the orders of General Erich Ludendorff. Diana believes Ares is responsible for the war. She arms herself with the "Godkiller" sword, the lasso, and her armor before leaving Themyscira with Steve to find and destroy Ares.

text: In London, they deliver Maru's notebook to the Supreme War Council, where Sir Patrick Morgan is trying to negotiate an armistice with Germany. Diana translates Maru's notes and reveals that the Germans plan to release the deadly gas at the War Front. Although forbidden by his commanders to act, Steve, with secret funding from Sir Patrick, recruits spy Sameer, marksman Charlie, and smuggler Chief to help prevent the gas from being released. When the team reaches the Western Front in Belgium, they are halted by the enemy lines. Diana goes alone through No Man's Land and captures the enemy trench, allowing the Allied forces to help her liberate the village of Veld. The team briefly celebrates, while Diana and Steve grow closer romantically.

text: The team learns a gala will be held at the nearby German High Command. Steve and Diana each infiltrate the party, with Steve intending to locate the gas and destroy it while Diana intends to kill Ludendorff, believing that he is Ares and killing him will end the war. Steve stops her to avoid jeopardizing the mission, and Ludendorff unleashes the gas on Veld, killing its inhabitants. Outraged, and blaming Steve for intervening, Diana pursues Ludendorff to a base where the gas is being loaded into a bomber aircraft bound for London. Diana fights and kills Ludendorff but is confused when his death does not stop the war.

text: Sir Patrick appears and reveals himself as Ares. He tells Diana that although he has subtly given humans ideas and inspirations, as well using Ludendorff and Maru as pawns, it is ultimately their decision to cause violence as they are inherently corrupt. She attempts to kill Ares with the Godkiller sword but he destroys it. Ares reveals Diana to be the "Godkiller", as the daughter of Zeus and Queen Hippolyta, but he fails to persuade her to help him destroy humankind to restore paradise on Earth. While the two battle, the others on Steve's team destroy Maru's laboratory. Steve pilots the bomber carrying the gas to a safe altitude and detonates it, sacrificing himself in the process. Ares attempts to direct Diana's rage and grief at Steve's death by convincing her to kill Maru, but memories of her experience with Steve cause her to realize that mankind has good within it. She spares Maru and redirects Ares' lightning into him, killing him. Later, the team celebrates the end of the war. In the present day, Diana sends an email to Bruce Wayne thanking him for the photographic plate of her and Steve, and reaffirms her new mission to protect and give love to the world.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Gal Gadot as Diana:

text: Chris Pine as Steve Trevor:

text: Robin Wright as Antiope:

text: Danny Huston as General Erich Ludendorff:

text: David Thewlis as Ares:

text: Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta:

text: Elena Anaya as Isabel Maru / Doctor Poison:

text: Lucy Davis as Etta Candy:

text: Saïd Taghmaoui as Sameer:

text: Ewen Bremner as Charlie:

text: Eugene Brave Rock as Chief Napi:

text: Lisa Loven Kongsli as Menalippe:

text: Additionally, Mayling Ng, Florence Kasumba, Madeleine Vall Beijner, Hayley Jane Warnes and Ann Wolfe portray Orana, Acantha, Egeria, Aella and Artemis, respectively, all of whom are Amazons.[61][62][63][64] James Cosmo appears as Field Marshal Haig, Steffan Rhodri appears as Colonel Darnell, and Dutch model Doutzen Kroes portrays the Amazon Venelia.[63] Samantha Jo was cast as the Amazonian Euboea, and previously played the Kryptonina, Car-Vex, in Man of Steel.[65] Zack Snyder also makes a brief cameo appearance in the film as an unnamed soldier.[66]

text: Production[edit]

text: Background[edit]

text: Development for a live action Wonder Woman feature film began in 1996, with Ivan Reitman attached as producer and possible director.[67] In 1999 the project became attached to Jon Cohen, who adapted Wonder Woman for producer Joel Silver, with the hope that Sandra Bullock would star.[68] By 2001, Todd Alcott was hired to write the screenplay, with Silver Pictures backing the project.[69] At that time, performers such as Mariah Carey and Catherine Zeta-Jones were also rumored to be possible candidates for the role of Wonder Woman.[70] Leonard Goldberg, however, focused on Bullock[71] who said that she was approached for the role. In addition, wrestler Chyna also expressed interest. Lucy Lawless, the star of Xena: Warrior Princess, was also under consideration, though she stated that she would have been more interested if Wonder Woman was portrayed as a "flawed hero."[72] The screenplay went through various drafts written by Alcott, Cohen, Becky Johnston, and Philip Levens,[73] and by August 2003, Levens had been replaced by screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis.[74]

text: In March 2005, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures announced that Joss Whedon would write and direct the film,[75] with a reported salary was of $2 to $3 million.[76] Since Whedon was directing Serenity at the time, and required time to research Wonder Woman's background, he did not begin the screenplay until late 2005.[77][78][79] Early drafts of his screenplay included Steve Trevor as the narrator, a fierce battle between Diana and her mother over Trevor's welfare, and after leaving Themyscira, his need to frequently rescue a Diana rendered helpless by the modern world.[80] Whedon was not able to complete a final version of his screenplay however, and left the project in 2007.[81][82]

text: Although Whedon stated in May 2005 that he would not cast the part of Wonder Woman until he finished the script,[83] actors such as Kate Beckinsale were linked to the part.[84] In 2010 however, Whedon admitted that he did have an actress in mind for the part, stating that "Wonder Woman was basically Angelina Jolie."[80][85] A few years later in May 2017, Indie Ground Films leaked a version of Whedon's script in-progress online.[86] Some reacted negatively to it on social media in June 2017, shortly after the release of Patty Jenkins version of the film.[87][88][89][90][91] When asked about this response to his script, Jenkins said in a June 2017 interview that she has not read it and that Whedon is "in the DC universe now, and I don't think there's any reason to go there […] It was what it was. I'm lucky that I'm the person who got to do it. But I don't see what would be beneficial about comparing what he would've done versus what I would have done."[92][93]

text: A day before Whedon's departure from Wonder Woman, Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures purchased a spec script for the film written by Matthew Jennison and Brent Strickland. Set during World War II, the script impressed executives at Silver Pictures.[82] However, Silver stated that he had purchased the script because he did not want the rights reverting; while stating the script had good ideas, Silver did not want the film to be a period piece.[94] By April 2008, Silver hired Jennison and Strickland to write a new script set in contemporary times that would not depict Wonder Woman's origin, but explore Paradise Island's history.[95] In November 2008, Beyoncé met with representatives from DC Comics and Warner Bros., to discuss her interest in portraying Wonder Woman.[96]

text: In 2010, Warner Bros. stated that a film was in development, along with films based on DC Comics superheroes the Flash and Aquaman.[97] Both Wonder Woman and Aquaman were still under consideration for solo film subjects as of June 2013.[98] DC Chief Diane Nelson said Wonder Woman "has been, since I started, one of the top three priorities for DC and for Warner Bros. We are still trying right now, but she's tricky."[99] On October 5, 2013, WB chairman Kevin Tsujihara said he wanted to get Wonder Woman in a film or on TV.[100] Shortly afterward, Paul Feig said he had pitched the studio an idea for Wonder Woman as an action-comedy film.[101][102] The studio then began to search for female directors to direct the film.[103] While Michelle MacLaren was the studio's initial choice to direct (and while she initially indicated interest),[104][105][106] she eventually left the project due to creative differences.[107]

text: Development[edit]

text: In 2015, Patty Jenkins accepted an offer to direct Wonder Woman,[108] based on a screenplay by Allan Heinberg and a story co-written by Heinberg, Zack Snyder, Geoff Johns and Jason Fuchs.[109] Of this version, Gadot stated that,

text: for a long time, people didn't know how to approach the story. When Patty and I had our creative conversations about the character, we realized that Diana can still be a normal woman, one with very high values, but still a woman. She can be sensitive. She is smart and independent and emotional. She can be confused. She can lose her confidence. She can have confidence. She is everything. She has a human heart.[5]

text: This version was conceived of as a prequel to the first live-action, theatrical appearance of Wonder Woman, in the 2016 film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,[110] placing Wonder Woman in the 1910s and World War I (a decision which differs from her comic book origins as a supporter of the Allies during World War II).[111] As for story development, Jenkins credits the stories by the character's creator William Moulton Marston in the 1940s and George Perez's seminal stories in the 1980s in which he modernized the character.[112] In addition, it follows some aspects of DC Comics' origin changes in The New 52 reboot, where Diana is the daughter of Zeus.[10][113] Jenkins cited Richard Donner's Superman as an inspiration.[114]

text: Casting[edit]

text:
"I remember when I read in the news that Wonder Woman had been cast and my heart sank […] I'm sure we wouldn't have made the same choice. And then I started paying attention to her, and watching her and looking at her and it was just unbelievable. Frankly, I think they did a better job than I could have because I don't know that I would have scoured the earth as hard to find her […] They were looking for all the same things I would have looked for—all the values that Wonder Woman stands for exuding from someone in an honest way, and boy did they find it […] She shares every quality with Wonder Woman and that's no joke. It's one of those rare things. You need someone who can appear to be Wonder Woman on screen […] Every once in a while, there's superhero casting that transcends, because that person is so authentic to the character that it becomes identified with them, like Lynda Carter or Christopher Reeve."

– Director Patty Jenkins[115] in response to the interview questions: "Let's talk a bit about Gal. You inherited her from Zack Snyder. Was it difficult to not get to choose your own Wonder Woman?" and "What is it about Gal that makes her such a good fit?"

tag: div

text: In late 2013, Zack Snyder cast Gal Gadot in the role of Wonder Woman for the 2016 film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice over Élodie Yung and Olga Kurylenko.[116][117][118][119] Some fans initially reacted to this choice by criticizing Gadot's appearance.[120] Snyder would later comment on his decision to cast Gadot, stating that he

text: tested a bunch of actresses, as you can imagine. But the thing with Gal is that she's strong, she's beautiful, and she's a kind person, which is interesting, but fierce at the same time. It's that combination of being fierce but kind at the same time that we were looking for.[121]

text: Gadot described Diana as having "the heart of a human so she can be emotional, she's curious, she's compassionate, she loves people. And then she has the powers of a goddess. She's all for good, she fights for good."[5] She also said that Diana has "many strengths and powers, but at the end of the day she's a woman with a lot of emotional intelligence".[122] As to how her character is different from her appearance in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Gadot said "We go back 100 years to when she's more naive", further explaining, "She's this young idealist. She's pure. Very different to the experienced, super-confident, grown-up woman you've seen".[123] Gadot underwent a diet and training regimen, practiced different martial arts and gained 17 pounds of muscle for the role.[124][125] Gadot was previously offered a different role (as a villain) in Man of Steel, which she declined because she was pregnant at the time; this allowed her to later be cast as Wonder Woman in the film's follow-up.[126] Gadot signed a three-picture deal.[118] She was only paid a base salary of $300,000 for the film itself.[127]

text: Chris Pine was cast as Steve Trevor,[19][128] a character he described as a "rogue-ish, cynical realist who's seen the awful brutish nature of modern civilization" and added that he is a "worldly guy, a charming guy".[129] He signed a multi-picture deal.[19] Lucy Davis' performance as Etta Candy is the first live-action cinematic portrayal of the character.[130] As well, Elena Anaya's performance as Doctor Poison is the cinematic debut of that character. Nicole Kidman was in negotiations for the role of Queen Hippolyta, but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with Big Little Lies.[131][132]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Production began on November 21, 2015,[133][134] under the working title Nightingale.[135][136] Among the film sets were Lower Halstow, Kent,[137] Australia House,[138] and the Sassi di Matera,[139] Castel del Monte[139] and Camerota[140] in Southern Italy. Matthew Jensen was the director of photography,[141] filming in the United Kingdom, France and Italy.[142] Production in London ended on March 13, 2016.[143] On March 20, 2016, filming was underway in Italy. In late April, filming took place at a museum in France, where a Wayne Enterprises truck was spotted alongside Gadot.[144] Production ended on May 9, 2016.[145] Patty Jenkins and director of photography Matt Jensen revealed that the film's look was inspired by painter John Singer Sargent.[146] Reshoots took place in November 2016, while Gadot was five months pregnant. A green cloth was placed over her stomach to edit out her pregnancy during post-production.[147]

text: To find the perfect location to shoot the Amazon island of Themyscira, the birthplace of Wonder Woman herself, the film's producers searched all over the world, finally settling on the Amalfi Coast: a stretch of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, located in the Province of Salerno in Southern Italy.[148] It was chosen because most beaches in the world that sit below big cliffs disappear beneath the tide for part of every day. Production designer Aline Bonetto and her location manager Charles Somers considered 47 countries and visited several of them before they found what they were looking for. Bonetto explained that, "Italy had beautiful weather, a beautiful blue-green sea, not too much tide, not too much wave. Our effects team added some cliffs in post-production, and it was the perfect way to go".[149]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: Bill Westenhofer served as the visual effects supervisor for the film[150] and Martin Walsh served as editor.[141]

text: Music[edit]

text: On November 3, 2016, Rupert Gregson-Williams was hired to write and compose the film's music.[151] He was joined by Evan Jolly, Tom Howe,[152] Paul Mounsey,[153] and Andrew Kawczynski,[154] who provided additional music. The soundtrack was released on CD, digital, and vinyl the same day as the film.[155]

text: Australian musician Sia sang a song for the film, titled "To Be Human", featuring English musician Labrinth. Written by Florence Welch and Rick Nowels, the track is also featured on the soundtrack.[156]

text: Additional music featured in the film are: "Another Little Drink Wouldn't Do Us Any Harm" by Clifford Grey and Nat Ayer and performed by Edgar Trevor and Cecil Cooper; "Molly O'Morgan" written by Fred Godfrey and Will Letters and performed by Ella Retford; "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams; "Sous les ponts de Paris" written by Jean Rodor and Vincent Scotto and performed by Lucienne Delyle; "I'll Walk Beside You" written by Edward Lockton and Alan Murray and performed by Ewen Bremner; "Green Grow the Rushes, O" written by Robert Burns and performed by Ewen Bremner; and "Schatzwalzer Op. 4" written by Johann Strauss II and performed by the Berlin String Quartet.[157] Also features samples from the movie's soundtrack "Is She with You" from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice composed by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL.

text: Release[edit]

text: Wonder Woman had its world premiere on May 25, in Los Angeles.[158] The film's London premiere, which was scheduled to take place on May 31, 2017 at the Odeon Leicester Square, was cancelled due to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.[159] The film had its Latin America premiere in Mexico City on May 27. It was released in most of the world, including in IMAX,[160] on June 2, 2017, after originally being scheduled for June 23.[161][162] Belgium, Singapore and South Korea received the film first, with May 31 openings.[163][164][165] On April 17, it was announced that Wonder Woman would be released in China on June 2, the same day as its North American release.[166]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: The success of the superhero television series Supergirl informed the marketing and promotion strategy used for Wonder Woman.[167] According to Time Warner chief marketing officer Kristen O'Hara, they wanted to approach the Wonder Woman marketing campaign in a light manner, similar to how they did with Supergirl. O'Hara elaborated that the modest campaign route they took for Supergirl aided in establishing a large central fanbase among women well in advance of the series, which reportedly generated 5 million female superhero fans in one week.[167] They were then able to model over time, and grow that audience leading up to the 15-months-later release of Wonder Woman.[167] Though neither the film nor the series are aimed exclusively at women, the latter's campaign gave them their first opportunity to begin collecting data about female superhero fans.[167] In May 2017, a promo for Wonder Woman was released during the season finale of Supergirl, featuring a remix of the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) wearing Wonder Woman's boots.[168] The promo included an appearance by Lynda Carter, star of the 1970s Wonder Woman, who plays the American president on Supergirl.[168]

text: The costs for television advertisements for Wonder Woman are higher in comparison to that of previous DCEU film Suicide Squad. Warner Bros. has spent over $3 million on advertisements for Wonder Woman, whereas they spent $2.6 million on advertisements for Suicide Squad.[169]

text: Ticket selling site Fandango reported that Wonder Woman rounded the final leg of its marketing campaign as the most anticipated blockbuster of summer 2017, according to a poll conducted by 10,000 voters, the biggest survey in company history.[170] Separately, Fandango also found that 92% of people surveyed said that they are looking forward to seeing a film that features a standalone woman superhero, and 87% wished Hollywood would make more women-led superhero films.[171]

text: In May 2017, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick drove her No. 10 car with a Wonder Woman paint scheme at the Go Bowling 400 in Kansas and at the Monster Energy Open in Charlotte.[172]

text: Home media[edit]

text: The film was released on Digital HD on August 29, 2017 and on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray and DVD on September 19, 2017.[173]

text: Controversies[edit]

text: Bans[edit]

text: On May 31, Wonder Woman was banned in Lebanon after the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of Israel asked the Lebanese government's Ministry of Economy and Trade to block the film because its star, Gal Gadot, had served in the Israeli military.[174] The Lebanese government did not, however, ban Gadot's Fast & Furious films which did screen in Lebanon.[175][176] On June 7, Variety reported that a Tunisian court suspended the theatrical release of Wonder Woman after a lawsuit brought by the Al-Chaab party and the Tunisian Association of Young Lawyers to have the film blocked due to Gadot's Israeli citizenship, military service, and public comments in support of the Israeli military during the 2014 war in Gaza.[177] Jordan was reportedly also considering a ban of the film and suspended screenings pending a decision,[178] but on June 11, Al Bawaba reported that the government decided not to do so, as there was no legal precedent for it.[179]

text: Women-only screenings[edit]

text: Some men were unhappy with women-only screenings held at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, with some opponents of the gender-restricted screening stating on platforms such as Facebook that such screenings were discriminatory against men.[180][181][182]

text: A gay Albany Law School professor initiated a complaint with Austin's Equal Employment and Fair Housing Office claiming discrimination against male prospective customers and employees of the theater.[183] The chain responded with an online statement saying the event "may have created confusion—we want everybody to see this film" and announced a similar event at their Brooklyn location. Tickets sold out in less than an hour, prompting the chain to schedule additional screenings.[180] On July 18, Alamo Drafthouse proposed settlement offers of a Wonder Woman DVD to the complainants, stating "Respondent did not realize that advertising a 'women's only' screening was a violation of discrimination laws"[184]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: As of October 8, 2017[update], Wonder Woman has grossed $412.4 million in the United States and Canada and $408.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $821.2 million, against a production budget of $149 million.[4] Estimates for the number the film needed to surpass internationally in order to cover its production and promotional costs and break even ranged from $300 million[185] to $460 million.[186]

text: North America[edit]

text: In May 2017, early tracking had Wonder Woman opening with $65–75 million, and possibly as high as $105 million.[187][188][189][190][185] The film opened Friday, June 2, 2017, across 4,165 theaters and made $38.7 million on its opening day, including $3.7 million in IMAX. It was the biggest single-day gross for a woman-directed film, ahead of the $35.9 million opening Friday of Catherine Hardwicke's Twilight in 2008 and the biggest opening day for a woman-led comic book superhero film, ahead of Ghost in the Shell ($7 million).[191] This included $11 million it made from Thursday previews, also the best start for a film directed by a woman, surpassing Fifty Shades of Grey's $8.6 million which was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, and the third-biggest of the year, behind Beauty and the Beast and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Of that, $1.5 million came from IMAX screenings.[192][193]

text: Earning a total of $103.3 million on its opening weekend, the film recorded a number of records: the biggest domestic opening of all time for a female director (surpassing previous record holder Fifty Shades of Grey by Sam Taylor-Johnson), the biggest DC Comics release without Batman or Superman (ahead of Constantine), the sixth-biggest non-sequel comic book superhero debut ever, as well as the sixth-biggest June debut weekend.[194] Its three-day opening alone made it the highest-grossing woman-led comic book superhero film ever (surpassing Ghost in the Shell).[195] It was also the 16th superhero film to cross $100 million in its domestic box office launch.[196] About 9% ($9 million) of the opening weekend came from IMAX screenings from 343 theaters.[197] In its second week the film grossed $58.5 million, again topping the box office. It marked a 43.3% drop for its second weekend at the box office, better than the average 50–60% decline superhero films tend to see, and was a better second weekend than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($51.3 million) and Suicide Squad ($43.5 million).[198] In its third weekend it grossed $40.8 million, finishing second behind newcomer Cars 3 ($53.5 million). It was the second-best third weekend ever for Warner Bros. and was nearly double what Batman v Superman ($23.3 million), Suicide Squad ($20.9 million) and Man of Steel ($20.7 million) made in their third weekends. It earned $24.9 million and $15.7 million in its fourth and fifth weekends, respectively, dropping just 39% and 36% despite facing rough competition from opening films Transformers: The Last Knight and Despicable Me 3.[199] It eventually became the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, surpassing the previous records of Jennifer Yuh Nelson's Kung Fu Panda 2 and Phyllida Lloyd's Mamma Mia!.[8] By August 8, the film had garnered $400 million in ticket sales, becoming the second female-fueled film (after Disney's Beauty and the Beast), Warner Bros.' third-biggest movie (after Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises), holding the record of the highest origin superhero film; supplanting the previous record held by Spider-Man (2002) and also becoming the highest-earning film with a female director in terms of domestic earnings, surpassing Frozen (2013).[200][201]

text: International[edit]

text: Internationally, the film was released day-and-date with its North American debut in 55 markets (72% of its total release), and was projected to debut with anywhere between $92–118 million.[185] It ended up opening to $125 million, including $38 million in China, $8.5 million in Korea, $8.4 million in Mexico, $8.3 million in Brazil and $7.5 million in the UK.[202] In its second week of release, the film brought in another $60 million, including holding the top spot on France, the UK, Australia and Brazil.[203] As of June 25, 2017, the biggest markets of Wonder Woman outside North America are China (US$90 million) followed by Brazil (US$34 million), UK (US$28 million) and Australia (US$24 million). In the Philippines, it broke 2017 box office record for highest-earning non-holiday opening day—earning $4.7 million and becoming the 6th-most successful commercial film of all time as well overtaking the record set by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[204][205][206] The film opened in its last market, Japan, on August 25 and debuted to $3.4 million, helping the international gross cross the $400 million mark.[207]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: Wonder Woman received largely positive reviews, with some critics calling it the best film in the DC Extended Universe, and praising Jenkins' direction, performances, chemistry of Gadot and Pine and musical score.[7][211] On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 92% based on 346 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot's charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion."[212] It is the highest-rated superhero film on the site.[213][note 1] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating, the film has a score of 76 out of 100, based on 50 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[214] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[215]

text: Critics commented favorably on Gadot's performance and Chris Pine's Steve Trevor.[216][217][210] Andrew Barker of Variety found the film to be more lighthearted than recent DC Comics films: "Never prone to stewing in solitude, and taking more notes from Richard Donner than from Christopher Nolan, Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman provides a welcome respite from DC's house style of grim darkness—boisterous, earnest, sometimes sloppy, yet consistently entertaining—with star Gal Gadot proving an inspired choice for this avatar of truth, justice, and the Amazonian way."[218] Vox stated "Trevor is the superhero girlfriend comic book movies need".[219] The San Francisco Chronicle's Mick LaSalle lauded the performances of Gadot, Pine, Huston, and Thewlis while commending the film's "different perspective" and humor.[220] Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times described Gadot's performance as inspirational, heroic, heartfelt and endearing and the most "real" Wonder Woman portrayal.[221]

text: A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that it "briskly shakes off blockbuster branding imperatives and allows itself to be something relatively rare in the modern superhero cosmos. It feels less like yet another installment in an endless sequence of apocalyptic merchandising opportunities than like … what's the word I'm looking for? A movie. A pretty good one, too."[222] Michael Phillips of Chicago Tribune compared the film to Captain America: The First Avenger, noting that as with "the first Captain America movie over in the Marvel Comics universe, DC's Wonder Woman offers the pleasures of period re-creation for a popular audience. Jenkins and her design team make 1918-era London; war-torn Belgium; the Ottoman Empire; and other locales look freshly realized, with a strong point of view. There are scenes here of dispossessed war refugees, witnessed by an astonished and heartbroken Diana, that carry unusual gravity for a comic book adaptation."[223] Katie Erbland of IndieWire commended its thematic depth, explaining that "Wonder Woman is a war movie. Patty Jenkins' first—and we hope not last—entry into the DC Expanded Universe is primarily set during World War I, but while the feature doesn't balk at war-time violence, it's the internal battles of its compelling heroine that are most vital."[224] Alonso Duralde of TheWrap similarly felt that, "Diana's scenes of action are thrilling precisely because they're meant to stop war, not to foment it; the idea of a demi-god using love to fight war might sound goofy in the abstract, but Jenkins makes the concept work."[225] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post praised Gadot and Pine's performances as well the film's detailed plot and narrative while comparing of some slow-motion action sequences to The Matrix.[226] Stephanie Zacharek of Time magazine hailed the film as a "cut above nearly all the superhero movies that have been trotted out over the past few summers" while praising Gadot's performance as "charming" and "marvelous" and commending Jenkins' direction of the film as a step forward for women directors in directing big-budget blockbuster films in Hollywood.[227]

text: Elise Jost of Moviepilot observed that "Gadot's take on Wonder Woman is one of those unique cases of an actor merging with their story, similar to Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark. Gal Gadot is Wonder Woman, and Wonder Woman is Gal Gadot."[210] Jost praised Gadot's interpretation of Wonder Woman as the one in which Gadot "absolutely nails the character's unwaveringly positive outlook on life. She's a force of nature who believes in the greater good; her conviction that she's meant to save the world is stronger than her bullet-deflecting shield. She's genuine, she's fun, she's the warm source of energy at the heart of the movie."[210] The Federalist suggests that Wonder Woman is "a story of Jesus". "The movie is wrapped up in faux Greek mythology, true, but there's no mistaking the Christology here."[228] "Perhaps Christ in the form of a beautiful and kick-ass Amazon is all that our contemporary society can handle right now", stated M. Hudson, a Christian feminist.[228] On HuffPost cultural critic, G. Roger Denson, who regards the superhero genre as a source of contemporary "Mainstream Mythopoetics" ("the making of new yet vitally meaningful, if not symbolic, stories filled with imagery reflecting, yet also shaping and advancing, the political, legal, moral and social practices of today"), wrote that the "No Man's Land" scene "that people are crying over in theaters and raving about afterward happens to be among the most powerfully mythopoetic scenes ever filmed at the same time it is one of the oldest myths to have been utilized by artists and writers after it had been invented by early military strategists and leaders." Specifically "used by director Patty Jenkins", the scene raises "the esteem for powerful yet compassionate women as heroes and leaders to a level equal with that of men for having won over a huge and adoring popular audience around the world".[229]

text: Steve Rose in The Guardian criticized the film for failing to explore the material's potential for "patriarchy-upending subversion".[230] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone criticized the film's over-reliance on exposition: "Wonder Woman is hobbled by a slogging origin story and action that only comes in fits and starts. Just when Gadot and director Patty Jenkins…are ready to kick ass, we get backstory."[231]

text: "Gas was intended to win the war. On that much Wonder Woman is absolutely right." said David Hambling in Popular Mechanics.[232] Rachel Becker of The Verge stated that despite the scientific liberties of using a "hydrogen-based" chemical weapon as a plot device, the film succeeds in evoking real and horrifying history. "First off, mustard gas is such a horrible, terrifying weapon, it doesn't need to be made more potent. But if you were a chemist bent on raining destruction on the Allied forces, you wouldn't do it by replacing the sulfur atom in mustard gas with a hydrogen atom. You'd know that sulfur is the linchpin holding together this poisonous molecule."[233]

text: Feminist debate[edit]

text: Wonder Woman has been the subject of a discussion regarding the appearance and representation of female power in general, and of female action heroes in particular[234] since her initial 1941 appearance in Sensation Comics,[234] as she was created to document "the growth in the power of women", while wearing "a golden tiara, a red bustier, blue underpants and knee-high, red leather boots."[235] She was blacklisted a year later in 1942 in the "Publications Disapproved for Youth" because, the group behind the list argued, she was "not sufficiently dressed".[235][236]

text: A few decades later, Second-wave feminist Gloria Steinem's[237] Ms. Magazine debuted in 1972 with an image of Wonder Woman on the cover. Historian Tim Hanley suggested that this move shifted "the focus away from female superiority to sisterhood and equality, essentially making her a mascot of the women's movement".[234][238][239] This perception shifted over the years, however, as demonstrated in December 2016 when the United Nations decided to drop the title of "honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls" which it had given to Wonder Woman a few months before in a ceremony that included Lynda Carter and Gal Gadot (and had referenced the DCEU films that included the character).[240] The title was dropped in response to claims that Wonder Woman undermines female empowerment due to "an overtly sexualised image at a time when the headline news in United States and the world is the objectification of women and girls".[241][242][238] Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins responded to the U.N.'s decision by stating that she thinks "it's sexist to say you can't have both".[243]

text: The debate continued with the release of Jenkins' 2017 film, Wonder Woman, which according to the BBC had "some thinking it's too feminist and others thinking it's not feminist enough".[244][245][246][247][248] Kyle Killian found an inherent contradiction in the construction of Wonder Woman as "a warrior" whom, she states, is also highly sexualized. Killian thus suggests that these elements "should not be the focus of a kickass heroine—her beauty, bone structure, and sexiness—if she is to be a feminist icon".[249] Theresa Harold concurred, comparing Wonder Woman to Katniss Everdeen (of The Hunger Games), who "didn't have to wear a teenager's wet dream of a costume to fight in".[250] Christina Cauterucci also felt that Wonder Woman's ability to be considered a "feminist antidote" was undermined by her "sex appeal".[251]

text: Jenkins disagrees with this line of critique, however. She has stated that she was raised by a Second wave "feminist mother",[252][253] who taught her to be "both super aware that there had been sexism but also: 'Congratulations – thank you, now I get to do whatever I want, Mom!'"[252] Jenkins thus notes that it is this upbringing which has led her to question a feminist critique of Wonder Woman’s costume.[254] When she was working on her own version of Wonder Woman's "Gladiator" re-design of the outfit (in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)[255] Jenkins decided that Wonder Woman (as well as the other Amazons) "shouldn't be dressed in armor like men [...] It should be different [...] I, as a woman, want Wonder Woman to be hot as hell, fight badass, and look great at the same time – the same way men want Superman to have huge pecs and an impractically big body."[15] Jenkins also notes that she is "frustrated" by the critique of Wonder Woman's appearance, stating "when people get super critical about her outfit, who's the one getting crazy about what a woman wears? That's who she is; that's Wonder Woman."[253]

text: Critics such as Valerie Estelle Frankel support Jenkins' vision. Frankel argues that the film subverts the male gaze,[254] stating that the construction of Wonder Woman tends to shift every few decades as it reflects the state of feminism during different time periods, including Third-wave feminism (which reflects Jenkins' approach).[254][256][257] Zoe Williams offers a similar argument stating that while Wonder Woman "is sort of naked a lot of the time" it isn't, at the same time, "objectification so much as a cultural reset: having thighs, actual thighs you can kick things with, not thighs that look like arms, is a feminist act".[258] Williams then juxtaposes Wonder Woman to past female action heroes such as Sarah Connor, Ellen Ripley, and Lara Croft, whom she suggests were all constructed for the male gaze, in which a "female warrior becomes a sex object", (a point which she argues that Jenkins directly references in the film).[258] Gloria Steinem thought that the film "was very good" as it made Wonder Woman's "Amazon origin story clear; she was stopping war, not perpetuating it." Steinem also noted that she knew "some women were disappointed by all the makeup, but I may be desperate—I was just happy that the Amazons had wild hair!" Her only complaint lay in the choice to eliminate the World War II setting as the Wonder Woman comic book developed in response to existing comics that were "so sadistic and racist that there was a congressional hearing on the subject".[259] Gal Gadot concurs with Jenkins, arguing that the character "is a feminist"[260] as "feminism is about equality and choice and freedom. And the writers, Patty and myself all figured that the best way to show that is to show Diana as having no awareness of social roles. She has no gender boundaries. To her, everyone is equal."[261] In contrast, other critics refer to Jenkins' vision of Wonder Woman as "an implausible post-feminist hero".[236][262]

text: American director James Cameron continued this debate through his critique of the representation of female power in Jenkins' film. In an August 2017 interview with The Guardian, Cameron qualifies Jenkins' vision of Wonder Woman as "an objectified icon" and called the film "a step backwards". In contrast, he states, his character Sarah Connor (from his Terminator films) "was not a beauty icon. She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother, and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit."[263] Jenkins stated in response that Cameron's "inability to understand what 'Wonder Woman' is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman". She further argued "there is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman" because "if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we aren't free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven't come very far have we."[264] Reaction to this debate was mixed. Julie Miller sided with Cameron whom she states refers to himself as "a pretty hardcore feminist" and who told Vulture that "I have no problem writing a script in which the males become subservient to the females, which is what happens in Aliens [...] It's up to Ripley to win the day." In contrast, Miller argues that Jenkins and Gadot envisioned Wonder Woman as "a woman who exuded both femininity and strength, along with genuine confusion as to why men would treat women differently than they do other men".[265] Susannah Breslin also agreed with Cameron, describing Jenkins' Wonder Woman as "a Playmate with a lasso" and "female power with no balls".[266] Others were more critical of Cameron's critique.[267] An article in Newsweek suggested that Cameron's films include "lot of objectification", and included quotes from Hollywood celebrities such as Jesse McLaren who commented that "James Cameron's just confused there's a female hero whose motivations aren't centered around motherhood."[268] Noah Berlatsky found areas of agreement between both Cameron and Jenkins, stating that while Cameron's objection is "an old point that's been made over and over for decades", Jenkins film isn't "solely focused on objectifying Gal Gadot for a male audience".[269]

text: A few weeks later in September, Cameron reiterated his criticism in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. He compared Gal Gadot's representation of the character to Raquel Welch's films in the 1960s,[270] and reinforced a comparison with Linda Hamilton's portrayal of Sarah Connor. He argued that Connor was "if not ahead of its time, at least a breakthrough in its time" because though she "looked great", she "wasn't treated as a sex object".[270] He also stated that he while he "applaud[s] Patty directing the film and Hollywood, uh, 'letting' a woman direct a major action franchise, I didn't think there was anything groundbreaking in Wonder Woman. I thought it was a good film. Period."[270] Former Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter responded to Cameron's Hollywood Reporter interview by asking him to "Stop dissing WW." Like Jenkins, she suggests that while Cameron does "not understand the character" she does. She also refers to Cameron's critiques as "thuggish jabs at a brilliant director" that "are ill advised" as the "movie was spot on". Carter also states that she has the authority to make these observations because she has "embodied this character for more than 40 years".[271][272][273] A month later, Jenkins responded to Cameron's comments once again in an interview with Variety, stating that she "was not upset at all" as "everybody is entitled to their own opinion. But if you're going to debate something in a public way, I have to reply that I think it's incorrect."[274] Tricia Ennis was also critical of Cameron's statements, stating that "while he may consider himself a feminist and an ally to women, [he] is not very good at it" as being an ally means using his position of privilege "without silencing the voices of those you're trying to help". She also states that it "is not enough to simply call yourself a feminist. It's not even enough to create a strong female character [...] You have to bring women to the table. You have to let them speak. You cannot speak for them. But speaking for women is exactly what Cameron is doing through his comments [...] Cameron is using his position of power as a respected producer and director to silence women."[275]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Award
Date of ceremony
Category
Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
Result
Ref.

IndieWire Critic's Poll
December 19, 2016
Most Anticipated of 2017
Wonder Woman
Nominated
[276]

Golden Trailer Awards
June 6, 2017
Best of Show
Won
[277]
[278]

Best Fantasy / Adventure

Best Summer 2017 Blockbuster Poster

Teen Choice Awards
August 13, 2017
Choice Action Movie
[279]
[280]
[281]

Choice Action Movie Actor
Chris Pine

Choice Action Movie Actress
Gal Gadot

Choice Movie Ship
Gal Gadot & Chris Pine
Nominated

Choice Liplock
Chris Pine & Gal Gadot

Choice Summer Movie
Wonder Woman

Choice Summer Movie Actor
Chris Pine

Choice Summer Movie Actress
Gal Gadot

Dragon Awards
September 3, 2017
Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie
Wonder Woman
Won
[282]

text: Sequel[edit]

text: Originally signed for three feature films, with Wonder Woman and Justice League being her second and third films, Gadot signed an extension to her contract for additional films.[283] Jenkins initially signed for only one film,[284] but in an interview with Variety, Geoff Johns revealed that he and Jenkins are writing the treatment for a Wonder Woman sequel and that he has a "cool idea for the second one". At the 2017 San Diego Comic Con, Warner Bros. officially announced a sequel would be released on December 13, 2019, and would be titled Wonder Woman 2.[9][285][286] Later, Jenkins was officially signed to return as director, with confirmation that Gadot will be returning as the titular role.[287] On August 19, 2017, actress Geena Davis stated that she would like very much to play a role in Wonder Woman 2 and that she is in talks with Jenkins about that matter.[288] Days later, the studio hired Dave Callaham to co-write the film's script with Jenkins and Johns.[289]

text: Notes[edit]

text: Jump up ^ This is by an adjusted Tomatometer with at least 20 reviews each that, uses a weighted Bayesian based formula to account for the differences in ratings.


document_title: List of U.S. states and territories by area

question_text: what is the third smallest state in america

root

text: Area by state/territory[edit]

text:
Total area[2]
Land area[2]
Water[2]

State/territory
Rank
sq mi
km²
Rank
sq mi
km²
 % land
Rank
sq mi
km²
 % water

 Alaska
7000100000000000000♠1
665,384.04
1,723,337
7000100000000000000♠1
570,640.95
1,477,953
7001857600000000000♠85.76%
7000100000000000000♠1
94,743.10
245,384
7001142400000000000♠14.24%

 Texas
7000200000000000000♠2
268,596.46
695,662
7000200000000000000♠2
261,231.71
676,587
7001972600000000000♠97.26%
7000800000000000000♠8
7,364.75
19,075
7000274000000000000♠2.74%

 California
7000300000000000000♠3
163,694.74
423,967
7000300000000000000♠3
155,779.22
403,466
7001951600000000000♠95.16%
7000600000000000000♠6
7,915.52
20,501
7000484000000000000♠4.84%

 Montana
7000400000000000000♠4
147,039.71
380,831
7000400000000000000♠4
145,545.80
376,962
7001989800000000000♠98.98%
7001260000000000000♠26
1,493.91
3,869
7000102000000000000♠1.02%

 New Mexico
7000500000000000000♠5
121,590.30
314,917
7000500000000000000♠5
121,298.15
314,161
7001997600000000000♠99.76%
7001490000000000000♠49
292.15
757
6999240000000000000♠0.24%

 Arizona
7000600000000000000♠6
113,990.30
295,234
7000600000000000000♠6
113,594.08
294,207
7001996500000000000♠99.65%
7001480000000000000♠48
396.22
1,026
6999350000000000000♠0.35%

 Nevada
7000700000000000000♠7
110,571.82
286,380
7000700000000000000♠7
109,781.18
284,332
7001992800000000000♠99.28%
7001360000000000000♠36
790.65
2,048
6999720000000000000♠0.72%

 Colorado
7000800000000000000♠8
104,093.67
269,601
7000800000000000000♠8
103,641.89
268,431
7001995700000099999♠99.57%
7001440000000000000♠44
451.78
1,170
6999430000000000000♠0.43%

 Oregon
7000900000000000000♠9
98,378.54
254,799
7001100000000000000♠10
95,988.01
248,608
7001975700000099999♠97.57%
7001200000000000000♠20
2,390.53
6,191
7000243000000000000♠2.43%

 Wyoming
7001100000000000000♠10
97,813.01
253,335
7000900000000000000♠9
97,093.14
251,470
7001992600000000000♠99.26%
7001370000000000000♠37
719.87
1,864
6999740000000000000♠0.74%

 Michigan
7001110000000000000♠11
96,713.51
250,487
7001220000000000000♠22
56,538.90
146,435
7001584600000000000♠58.46%
7000200000000000000♠2
40,174.61
104,052
7001415400000000000♠41.54%

 Minnesota
7001120000000000000♠12
86,935.83
225,163
7001140000000000000♠14
79,626.74
206,232
7001915900000000000♠91.59%
7000900000000000000♠9
7,309.09
18,930
7000841000000000000♠8.41%

 Utah
7001130000000000000♠13
84,896.88
219,882
7001120000000000000♠12
82,169.62
212,818
7001967900000000000♠96.79%
7001170000000000000♠17
2,727.26
7,064
7000321000000000000♠3.21%

 Idaho
7001140000000000000♠14
83,568.95
216,443
7001110000000000000♠11
82,643.12
214,045
7001988900000000000♠98.89%
7001330000000000000♠33
925.83
2,398
7000111000000000000♠1.11%

 Kansas
7001150000000000000♠15
82,278.36
213,100
7001130000000000000♠13
81,758.72
211,754
7001993700000000000♠99.37%
7001420000000000000♠42
519.64
1,346
6999630000000000000♠0.63%

 Nebraska
7001160000000000000♠16
77,347.81
200,330
7001150000000000000♠15
76,824.17
198,974
7001993200000099999♠99.32%
7001410000000000000♠41
523.64
1,356
6999680000000000000♠0.68%

 South Dakota
7001170000000000000♠17
77,115.68
199,729
7001160000000000000♠16
75,811.00
196,350
7001983100000000000♠98.31%
7001290000000000000♠29
1,304.68
3,379
7000169000000000000♠1.69%

 Washington
7001180000000000000♠18
71,297.95
184,661
7001200000000000000♠20
66,455.52
172,119
7001932100000099999♠93.21%
7001110000000000000♠11
4,842.43
12,542
7000679000000000000♠6.79%

  North Dakota
7001190000000000000♠19
70,698.32
183,108
7001170000000000000♠17
69,000.80
178,711
7001976000000000000♠97.60%
7001240000000000000♠24
1,697.52
4,397
7000240000000000000♠2.40%

 Oklahoma
7001200000000000000♠20
69,898.87
181,037
7001190000000000000♠19
68,594.92
177,660
7001981300000000000♠98.13%
7001300000000000000♠30
1,303.95
3,377
7000187000000000000♠1.87%

 Missouri
7001210000000000000♠21
69,706.99
180,540
7001180000000000000♠18
68,741.52
178,040
7001986100000000000♠98.61%
7001320000000000000♠32
965.47
2,501
7000138990000099999♠1.39%

 Florida
7001220000000000000♠22
65,757.70
170,312
7001260000000000000♠26
53,624.76
138,887
7001815500000000000♠81.55%
7000300000000000000♠3
12,132.94
31,424
7001184500000000000♠18.45%

 Wisconsin
7001230000000000000♠23
65,496.38
169,635
7001250000000000000♠25
54,157.80
140,268
7001826900000000000♠82.69%
7000400000000000000♠4
11,338.57
29,367
7001173109999900000♠17.31%

 Georgia
7001240000000000000♠24
59,425.15
153,910
7001210000000000000♠21
57,513.49
148,959
7001967800000000000♠96.78%
7001220000000000000♠22
1,911.66
4,951
7000322000000000000♠3.22%

 Illinois
7001250000000000000♠25
57,913.55
149,995
7001240000000000000♠24
55,518.93
143,793
7001958700000000000♠95.87%
7001190000000000000♠19
2,394.62
6,202
7000413000000000000♠4.13%

 Iowa
7001260000000000000♠26
56,272.81
145,746
7001230000000000000♠23
55,857.13
144,669
7001992600000000000♠99.26%
7001450000000000000♠45
415.68
1,077
6999740000000000000♠0.74%

 New York
7001270000000000000♠27
54,554.98
141,297
7001300000000000000♠30
47,126.40
122,057
7001863800000000000♠86.38%
7000700000000000000♠7
7,428.58
19,240
7001136200000099999♠13.62%

 North Carolina
7001280000000000000♠28
53,819.16
139,391
7001290000000000000♠29
48,617.91
125,920
7001903400000000000♠90.34%
7001100000000000000♠10
5,201.25
13,471
7000966000000000000♠9.66%

 Arkansas
7001290000000000000♠29
53,178.55
137,732
7001270000000000000♠27
52,035.48
134,771
7001978500000000000♠97.85%
7001310000000000000♠31
1,143.07
2,961
7000215000000000000♠2.15%

 Alabama
7001300000000000000♠30
52,420.07
135,767
7001280000000000000♠28
50,645.33
131,171
7001966100000000000♠96.61%
7001230000000000000♠23
1,774.74
4,597
7000339000000000000♠3.39%

 Louisiana
7001310000000000000♠31
52,378.13
135,659
7001330000000000000♠33
43,203.90
111,898
7001824800000000000♠82.48%
7000500000000000000♠5
9,174.23
23,761
7001175200000000000♠17.52%

 Mississippi
7001320000000000000♠32
48,431.78
125,438
7001310000000000000♠31
46,923.27
121,531
7001968900000000000♠96.89%
7001250000000000000♠25
1,508.51
3,907
7000311000000000000♠3.11%

 Pennsylvania
7001330000000000000♠33
46,054.35
119,280
7001320000000000000♠32
44,742.70
115,883
7001971500000000000♠97.15%
7001280000000000000♠28
1,311.64
3,397
7000285000000000000♠2.85%

 Ohio
7001340000000000000♠34
44,825.58
116,098
7001350000000000000♠35
40,860.69
105,829
7001911500000000000♠91.15%
7001140000000000000♠14
3,964.89
10,269
7000885000000000000♠8.85%

 Virginia
7001350000000000000♠35
42,774.93
110,787
7001360000000000000♠36
39,490.09
102,279
7001923200000099999♠92.32%
7001150000000000000♠15
3,284.84
8,508
7000768000000000000♠7.68%

 Tennessee
7001360000000000000♠36
42,144.25
109,153
7001340000000000000♠34
41,234.90
106,798
7001978400000000000♠97.84%
7001350000000000000♠35
909.36
2,355
7000216000000000000♠2.16%

 Kentucky
7001370000000000000♠37
40,407.80
104,656
7001370000000000000♠37
39,486.34
102,269
7001977200000000000♠97.72%
7001340000000000000♠34
921.46
2,387
7000227990000099999♠2.28%

 Indiana
7001380000000000000♠38
36,419.55
94,326
7001380000000000000♠38
35,826.11
92,789
7001983700000000000♠98.37%
7001390000000000000♠39
593.44
1,537
7000162990000000000♠1.63%

 Maine
7001390000000000000♠39
35,379.74
91,633
7001390000000000000♠39
30,842.92
79,883
7001871800000000000♠87.18%
7001120000000000000♠12
4,536.82
11,750
7001128200000000000♠12.82%

 South Carolina
7001400000000000000♠40
32,020.49
82,933
7001400000000000000♠40
30,060.70
77,857
7001938800000000000♠93.88%
7001210000000000000♠21
1,959.79
5,076
7000612000000000000♠6.12%

 West Virginia
7001410000000000000♠41
24,230.04
62,756
7001410000000000000♠41
24,038.21
62,259
7001992100000099999♠99.21%
7001500000000000000♠50
191.83
497
6999790000000000000♠0.79%

 Maryland
7001420000000000000♠42
12,405.93
32,131
7001420000000000000♠42
9,707.24
25,142
7001782500000000000♠78.25%
7001180000000000000♠18
2,698.69
6,990
7001217500000000000♠21.75%

 Hawaii
7001430000000000000♠43
10,931.72
28,313
7001470000000000000♠47
6,422.63
16,635
7001587500000000000♠58.75%
7001130000000000000♠13
4,509.09
11,678
7001412500000000000♠41.25%

 Massachusetts
7001440000000000000♠44
10,554.39
27,336
7001450000000000000♠45
7,800.06
20,202
7001739000000000000♠73.90%
7001160000000000000♠16
2,754.33
7,134
7001261000000000000♠26.10%

 Vermont
7001450000000000000♠45
9,616.36
24,906
7001430000000000000♠43
9,216.66
23,871
7001958400000000000♠95.84%
7001460000000000000♠46
399.71
1,035
7000416000000000000♠4.16%

 New Hampshire
7001460000000000000♠46
9,349.16
24,214
7001440000000000000♠44
8,952.65
23,187
7001957600000000000♠95.76%
7001470000000000000♠47
396.51
1,027
7000424000000000000♠4.24%

 New Jersey
7001470000000000000♠47
8,722.58
22,591
7001460000000000000♠46
7,354.22
19,047
7001843100000000000♠84.31%
7001270000000000000♠27
1,368.36
3,544
7001156900000000000♠15.69%

 Connecticut
7001480000000000000♠48
5,543.41
14,357
7001480000000000000♠48
4,842.36
12,542
7001873500000000000♠87.35%
7001380000000000000♠38
701.06
1,816
7001126500000000000♠12.65%

 Delaware
7001490000000000000♠49
2,488.72
6,446
7001490000000000000♠49
1,948.54
5,047
7001782900000000000♠78.29%
7001400000000000000♠40
540.18
1,399
7001217100000000000♠21.71%

 Rhode Island
7001500000000000000♠50
1,544.89
4,001
7001500000000000000♠50
1,033.81
2,678
7001669200000000000♠66.92%
7001430000000000000♠43
511.07
1,324
7001330800000000000♠33.08%

 District of Columbia
7002100000000000000♠
68.34
177
7002100000000000000♠
61.05
158
7001893300000000000♠89.33%
7002100000000000000♠
7.29
19
7001106700000000000♠10.67%

 Puerto Rico
7002100000000000000♠
5,324.84
13,791
7002100000000000000♠
3,423.78
8,868
7001643000000000000♠64.30%
7002100000000000000♠
1,901.07
4,924
7001357000000000000♠35.70%

 Northern Mariana Islands
7002100000000000000♠
1,975.57
5,117
7002100000000000000♠
182.33
472
7000923000000000000♠9.23%
7002100000000000000♠
1,793.24
4,644
7001907700000000000♠90.77%

 United States Virgin Islands
7002100000000000000♠
732.93
1,898
7002100000000000000♠
134.32
348
7001183309999999999♠18.33%
7002100000000000000♠
598.61
1,550
7001816700000000000♠81.67%

 American Samoa
7002100000000000000♠
581.05
1,505
7002100000000000000♠
76.46
198
7001131600000000000♠13.16%
7002100000000000000♠
504.60
1,307
7001868400000000000♠86.84%

 Guam
7002100000000000000♠
570.62
1,478
7002100000000000000♠
209.80
543
7001367700000000000♠36.77%
7002100000000000000♠
360.82
935
7001632300000000000♠63.23%

 Minor Outlying Islands[3][a]
7002100000000000000♠
16.00
41
7002100000000000000♠
16.00
41
—
7002100000000000000♠
—
—
—

 Contiguous United States
Total
3,120,426.47
8,081,867
7002100000000000000♠
2,954,841.42
7,653,004
7001946900000000000♠94.69%
7002100000000000000♠
165,584.6
428,862
7000530990000099999♠5.31%

 50 states and D.C.
Total
3,796,742.23
9,833,517
7002100000000000000♠
3,531,905.43
9,147,593
7001930200000000000♠93.02%
7002100000000000000♠
264,836.79
685,924
7000698000000000000♠6.98%

 All U.S. territory
Total
3,805,943.26
9,857,348
7002100000000000000♠
3,535,948.12
9,158,064
7001929100000000000♠92.91%
7002100000000000000♠
269,995.13
699,284
7000709000000000000♠7.09%

tag: table

text: Area by division[edit]

text: All divisions presented below are as configured by the United States Census Bureau.

tag: p

text:
Total area[2]
Land area[2]
Water[2]

Division
Rank
sq mi
km²
Rank
sq mi
km²
 % land
Rank
sq mi
km²
 % water

East North Central
7000500000000000000♠5
301,368.57
780,541
7000600000000000000♠6
242,902.44
629,114

7000200000000000000♠2
58,466.13
151,427

East South Central
7000700000000000000♠7
183,403.89
475,014
7000700000000000000♠7
178,289.83
461,769

7000900000000000000♠9
5,114.60
13,247

Middle Atlantic
7000800000000000000♠8
109,331.89
283,168
7000800000000000000♠8
99,223.32
256,987

7000600000000000000♠6
10,108.57
26,181

Mountain
7000200000000000000♠2
863,564.63
2,236,622
7000200000000000000♠2
855,766.98
2,216,426

7000800000000000000♠8
7,797.65
20,196

New England
7000900000000000000♠9
71,987.96
186,448
7000900000000000000♠9
62,668.46
162,311

7000700000000000000♠7
9,299.50
24,086

Pacific
7000100000000000000♠1
1,009,687.00
2,615,077
7000100000000000000♠1
895,286.33
2,318,781

7000100000000000000♠1
114,400.67
296,296

South Atlantic
7000600000000000000♠6
292,990.46
758,842
7000500000000000000♠5
265,061.97
686,507

7000300000000000000♠3
27,928.49
72,334

West North Central
7000300000000000000♠3
520,355.80
1,347,715
7000300000000000000♠3
507,620.08
1,314,730

7000500000000000000♠5
12,735.72
32,985

West South Central
7000400000000000000♠4
444,052.01
1,150,089
7000400000000000000♠4
425,066.01
1,100,916

7000400000000000000♠4
18,986.00
49,174

text: Area by region[edit]

text: All regions presented below are as configured by the United States Census Bureau.

text:
Total area[2]
Land area[2]
Water[2]

Region
Rank
sq mi
km²
Rank
sq mi
km²
 % land
Rank
sq mi
km²
 % water

Midwest
7000300000000000000♠3
821,724.38
2,128,256
7000300000000000000♠3
750,522.52
1,943,844

7000200000000000000♠2
71,201.86
184,412

Northeast
7000400000000000000♠4
181,319.85
469,616
7000400000000000000♠4
161,911.78
419,350

7000400000000000000♠4
19,408.07
50,267

South
7000200000000000000♠2
920,446.37
2,383,945
7000200000000000000♠2
868,417.82
2,249,192

7000300000000000000♠3
52,028.55
134,753

West
7000100000000000000♠1
1,873,251.63
4,851,699
7000100000000000000♠1
1,751,053.31
4,535,207

7000100000000000000♠1
122,198.32
316,492

text:
U.S. states by total area

U.S. states by land area

U.S. states by water area

U.S. states by water percentage

Alaska is the largest state by total area, land area, and water area. It is the 7th largest country subdivision in the world.[citation needed]

The area of Alaska is 7001180000000000000♠18% of the area of the United States and 7001210000000000000♠21% of the area of the contiguous United States

The second largest state, Texas, is only 7001400000000000000♠40% of the total area of the largest state, Alaska

Rhode Island is the smallest state by total area and land area

San Bernardino County is the largest county in the contiguous U.S. and is larger than each of the nine smallest states; it is larger than the four smallest states combined.

Michigan is second (after Alaska) in water area, and first in water percentage

Florida is mostly a peninsula, and has the third largest water area and seventh largest water area percentage

tag: ul


document_title: Lucinda Dryzek

question_text: who played young elizabeth swann in pirates of the caribbean

text: Lucinda Dryzek

text: Career[edit]

text: She started acting at the age of eight and has since appeared in several film, television and theatre productions. Dryzek has played Katy in the BBC family sitcom Life of Riley,[2] now in its third series, since 2009. She is also known for her role as Young Elizabeth Swann in 2003 film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.[3][4]

text: Her credits include three British television series, appearances in The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and several pantomimes, and roles in feature and made-for-television movies. She has also acted in TV series Help! I'm a Teenage Outlaw as Lady Devereux/DeeDee.[4] She had supporting roles in the TV show Five Days[5] and in the film City of Ember.[3]

text: Dryzek has joined the cast of Holby City as F1 doctor Jasmine Burrows,[2] the half-sister of established character Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel). She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 July 2016,[6] and last on 20 June 2017.

text: Filmography[edit]

text: Film[edit]

text:
Year
Film
Role
Notes

2003
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Young Elizabeth
[3]

2008
City of Ember
Lizzie Bisco
[3]

text: Television[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes
Refs

1999
Home Farm Twins
Natalie 'Nat' Baker (2005)

2001 - 2002
Micawber
Lily Micawber
4 episodes
[7]

2002
Silent Witness
Cassie Dalton
2 episodes
[8][9]

2003
The Queen's Nose
Gemma
6 episodes
[10][11][12][13][14][15]

2005
Tom Brown's Schooldays
Charlotte
television movie

2006
Vital Signs
Lexie Bradley
5 episodes
[16]

Love Lies Bleeding
Young Joanne
television movie

Doctor Who
Melissa
Episode "School Reunion" (2.3)
[17][4]

2004 - 2006
Help! I'm a Teenage Outlaw
Deedee / Lady Devereux
13 episodes
[4]

2007
Five Days
Tanya Wellings
3 episodes
[5]

Forgiven
Older Sophie
television movie

The Whistleblowers
Lizzie Spencer
Episode "Starters" (1.5)

2008
10 Days of War
Yasmin
Episode "Failure Is Not an Option" (1.7)
[18]

Coming Up
Eva
Episode "Thinspiration" (6.7)
[4]

Spooks: Code 9
Alice Hamilton
(1.5)

2008 - 2009
Parents of the Band
Lucy
4 episodes
[4]

2009
Doctors
Harriet Jonas
Episode "If You Love Somebody" (11.92)
[19]

2009 - 2011
Life of Riley
Katy Riley
20 episodes
[2]

2011
Outnumbered
Victoria
(4.6)
[20]

2012
Cardinal Burns
Olivia
6 episodes

2013
Stella
Leah
6 episodes
[2]

Quick Cuts
Becky
3 episodes
[21]

2014
Midsomer Murders
Amy Strickland
Episode "Wild Harvest" (16.3)
[22]

2015
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Flora Greysteel
2 episodes
[2]

2016–2017
Holby City
Jasmine Burrows
Former Series Regular
[2]


document_title: Life in Pieces

question_text: who plays the exterminator in life in pieces

text: Life in Pieces

text: Premise[edit]

text: The series chronicles the lives of three generations of the Short family as they go about their daily lives in Los Angeles County. Each episode is told as four short stories, one for each branch of the Short family.[8]

text: Episodes[edit]

text: SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNielsen ratingsFirst airedLast airedRankAvg. viewership (inc. DVR)  (in millions)122September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21)March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)3010.53[9]222October 27, 2016 (2016-10-27)May 11, 2017 (2017-05-11)408.15[10]322November 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)May 17, 2018 (2018-05-17)448.27[11]

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main[edit]

text: Colin Hanks as Greg Short:[12]

text: Betsy Brandt as Heather (Short) Hughes:[12]

text: Thomas Sadoski as Matthew "Matt" Short:[12]

text: Zoe Lister-Jones as Jennifer "Jen" Collins Short:[12]

text: Dan Bakkedahl as Dr. Timothy "Tim" Hughes, M.D.:[12]

text: Angelique Cabral as Colleen Brandon Ortega:[12]

text: Niall Cunningham as Tyler Hughes:[12]

text: Holly Barrett as Samantha "Sam" Hughes:[12]

text: Giselle Eisenberg as Sophia Hughes:[12]

text: James Brolin as John Bertram Short:[12]

text: Dianne Wiest as Dr. Joan (Pirkle) Short:[12]

text: Hunter King as Clementine Hughes: (recurring season 1, main seasons 2–)[13]

text: Ana Sophia Heger as Lark Short: (main seasons 3–)

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Ann Guilbert as Shirley "GiGi" Pirkle: Mother of Dr. Joan (Pirkle) Short; widow (husband was Winston); lived at Hidden Harbor (Retirement Community), then lived at Rocking Hill Nursing Home. Following Guilbert's death in June 2016, the GiGi character's death was written into "Eyebrow Anonymous Trapped Gem" as a tribute, and all four stories of the episode revolved around GiGi.
Jordan Peele as Chad: Ex-fiancé of Colleen.  Chad had some legal troubles and hired Jen's law firm to represent him. He rented his share in Colleen's apartment to Dougie, who was part of his legal team (she's currently Colleen's roommate).
Fortune Feimster as Dougie: A coworker of Jen; daughter of Jen's boss; member of legal team hired by Chad; Colleen's roommate since the season 1 finale, "Crytunes Divorce Tablet Ring".  Dougie is loud, boisterous, uncouth and abrasive physically and emotionally.  Despite that, she showed a more vulnerable side when she came out of the closet to Colleen and Matt.  She had her very first lesbian kiss with Heather, Tim's wife.  When Matt moved in with Colleen and Dougie, it was discovered that Matt wrestled in high school and both he and Dougie went undefeated in their high school careers.  In the season 2 premiere, "Annulled Roommate Pill Shower", Dougie challenged Matt to a wrestling match to determine whether or not she has to move out of the apartment.  Dougie won the match using her patented "hook, line, and sinker" move to keep her spot in the apartment.
Martin Mull as Gary Timpkins: neighbor and patient of Joan; a recent widower
Susan Park as Dr. Sally Hong: Jen's OB/GYN
Tonita Castro as Tonita: Colleen's grandmother. Tonita was very close to Colleen's ex-fiancée, Chad.
Mercedes Ruehl as Mia: Colleen's mother. Married four times. Colleen fears she is turning into her mother.
Bella Shepard as Lexie: one of Samantha's friends
Ashley Wolff as Jenna: one of Samantha's friends
Andrew McKeough as Jayden
Martin Starr as Oscar: an exterminator; a field worker for "Scram! Trappers" animal control & pest removal
Stephnie Weir as Bernadette
Rhys Darby as Teddy
Megan Mullally as Mary-Lynn: mother of Clementine; sister and partner of Spencer
Nick Offerman as Spencer: brother and partner of Mary-Lynn; parent ("uncle-dad") of Clementine
Josh Groban as Ian: an Irish salesman of guitars at a music store who often flirts with his female customers
Russell Peters as Dr. Tak Oh, M.D.: coworker of Tim; widower (wife was Jackie)
Wayne Federman as Dr. Saul Antro
Angela Malhotra as Nurse Silvie: coworker of Tim
Cary Elwes as Professor Sinclair Wilde: Joan's creative writing teacher since "Dinner Professor Steps Lesbian"
Anne Stedman as Sangria: Colleen's stepmom
Matt Cornett as Ryan: Samantha's boyfriend

text: Broadcast[edit]

text: The show debuted on September 21, 2015 on CBS.[14] The first five episodes aired on Mondays, before it was moved on November 5, 2015, to a new time slot of 8:30 p.m. ET/PT (7:30 p.m. CT) on Thursdays, directly after CBS finished its NFL broadcasts.[15] In the United States, the first season airs on Netflix, with the second season also being available in Canada.[16]

text: In the UK all seasons are available on Amazon Prime and is shown season by season on Comedy Central.

text: Home media[edit]

text: Fox Home Entertainment released region-free, MOD versions of the first two seasons on Amazon on May 22, 2018.[17][18] This was followed by the third season being released on June 12, 2018.[19]

text: Reception[edit]

text: The first season on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 62% approval rating with an average rating of 6.6/10 based on 39 reviews. The website's consensus reads "Life in Pieces strong cast delivers funny, offbeat stories even if they're not always relatable".[20] On Metacritic, the series holds a score of 64 out of 100 based on 24 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[21]

text: Ratings[edit]

text:
Season

Timeslot (ET)

Episodes

Premiered

Ended

TV season

Rank

Viewers(in millions)

Date

Premiereviewers(in millions)

Date

Finaleviewers(in millions)

1

Monday 8:30 p.m. (1–5)Thursday 8:30 p.m. (6–22)

22

September 21, 2015 (2015-09-21)

11.28[22]

March 31, 2016 (2016-03-31)

7.23[23]

2015–16

30

10.53[9]

2

Thursday 9:30 p.m.

22

October 27, 2016 (2016-10-27)

5.96[24]

May 11, 2017 (2017-05-11)

5.97[25]

2016–17

40

8.15[10]

3

22

November 2, 2017 (2017-11-02)

6.67[26]

May 17, 2018 (2018-05-17)

4.95[27]

2017–18

44

8.27[11]


document_title: A Christmas Carol

question_text: what is the first ghost that visited scrooge

text: A Christmas Carol

text: Plot[edit]

text: Dickens divided the book into five chapters, which he labelled "staves".

text: Stave one[edit]

text: The story begins on a cold and bleak Christmas Eve in London, seven years after the death of Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge, an old miser, hates Christmas and refuses an invitation to Christmas dinner from his nephew Fred. He turns away two men who seek a donation from him in order to provide food and heating for the poor, and only grudgingly allows his overworked, underpaid clerk, Bob Cratchit, Christmas Day off with pay to conform to the social custom.

text: At home that night, Scrooge is visited by Marley's ghost, who wanders the Earth, entwined by heavy chains and money boxes, forged during a lifetime of greed and selfishness. Marley tells Scrooge that he has one chance to avoid the same fate: he will be visited by three spirits and he must listen to them or be cursed to carry chains of his own, much longer than Marley's chains.

text: Stave two[edit]

text: The first of the spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to Christmas scenes of Scrooge's boyhood and youth, reminding him of a time when he was more innocent. The boyhood scenes portray Scrooge's lonely childhood, his relationship with his beloved sister Fan, and a Christmas party hosted by his first employer, Mr. Fezziwig, who treated Scrooge like a son. They also portray Scrooge's neglected fiancée Belle, who ends their relationship after she realises that Scrooge will never love her as much as he loves money. Finally, they visit a now-married Belle with her large, happy family on a recent Christmas Eve.

text: Stave three[edit]

text: The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to a joy-filled market of people buying the makings of Christmas dinner and celebrations of Christmas in a miner's cottage and in a lighthouse. Scrooge and the ghost also visit Fred's Christmas party. A major part of this stave is taken up with Bob Cratchit's family feast and introduces his youngest son, Tiny Tim, a happy boy who is seriously ill. The spirit informs Scrooge that Tiny Tim will die soon unless the course of events changes. Before disappearing, the spirit shows Scrooge two hideous, emaciated children named Ignorance and Want. He tells Scrooge to beware the former above all and mocks Scrooge's concern for their welfare.

text: Stave four[edit]

text: The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, shows Scrooge a Christmas Day in the future. The ghost shows him scenes involving the death of a disliked man. The man's funeral will only be attended by local businessmen if lunch is provided. His charwoman Mrs. Dilber, his laundress, and the local undertaker steal some of his possessions and sell them to a fence named Old Joe. When Scrooge asks the ghost to show anyone who feels any emotion over the man's death, the ghost can only show him the pleasure of a poor couple in debt to the man, rejoicing that his death gives them more time to put their finances in order. After Scrooge asks to see some tenderness connected with any death, the ghost shows him Bob Cratchit and his family mourning the passing of Tiny Tim. The ghost then shows Scrooge the man's neglected grave, whose tombstone bears Scrooge's name. Sobbing, Scrooge pledges to the ghost that he will change his ways to avoid this outcome.

text: Stave five[edit]

text: Scrooge awakens on Christmas morning a changed man. He spends the day with Fred's family and anonymously sends a large turkey to the Cratchit home for Christmas dinner. The following day, he gives Cratchit an increase in pay and becomes like another father to Tiny Tim. From then on Scrooge begins to treat everyone with kindness, generosity and compassion, embodying the spirit of Christmas.

text: Background[edit]

text: The writer Charles Dickens was born to a respectable family which got into financial difficulties as a result of the spendthrift nature of John, Dickens's father. In 1824 John was committed to Marshalsea, a debtors' prison in Southwark, London. Dickens, aged 12, was forced to pawn his collection of books, leave school and go to work at a shoe-blacking factory, a dirty and rat-infested place. The change in Dickens's circumstances gave him what his biographer, Michael Slater, described as a "deep personal and social outrage", which heavily influenced his works.[1]

text: At the end of December 1842 Dickens began publishing his novel Martin Chuzzlewit as a monthly serial;[n 1] although the novel was his favourite work, sales had been disappointing and he faced financial difficulties.[2] By this time he was a well-established author, having written six major works,[n 2] as well as several short stories, novellas and other works.[3]

text: Celebrating the Christmas season had been growing in popularity through the Victorian era.[4] Although the Christmas tree had been introduced in Britain during the 18th century, its use was popularised by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and their practice was copied in many homes across the country.[5] In the early 19th century there had been a revival of interest in Christmas carols, following a decline in popularity over the previous hundred years. The publication of Davies Gilbert's 1823 work Some Ancient Christmas Carols, With the Tunes to Which They Were Formerly Sung in the West of England and William Sandys's 1833 collection Christmas Carols, Ancient and Modern led to a growth in the form's popularity in Britain.[6]

text: Dickens had an interest in Christmas, and his first story on the subject was "Christmas Festivities", published in Bell's Weekly Messenger in 1835; the story was then published as "A Christmas Dinner" in Sketches by Boz (1836).[7] "The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton", another Christmas story, appeared in the 1836 novel The Pickwick Papers,[n 3] followed by a passage about Christmas in Dickens's editorial Master Humphrey's Clock.[9]

text: Literary influences[edit]

text: Dickens was not the first author to celebrate the Christmas season in literature.[10] Among earlier authors who influenced Dickens was Washington Irving, whose 1819–20 work The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. included four essays on old English Christmas traditions that he experienced while staying at Aston Hall near Birmingham.[11] The tales and essays attracted Dickens, and the two authors shared the belief that the staging of a nostalgic English Christmas might help restore the social harmony that had been lost in the modern world.[12]

text: Several works may have had an influence on the writing of A Christmas Carol, including two Douglas Jerrold essays: one from an 1841 issue of Punch, "How Mr. Chokepear Keeps a Merry Christmas" and one from 1843, "The Beauties of the Police".[13] More broadly, Dickens was influenced by fairy tales and nursery stories, which he closely associated with Christmas, because he saw them as stories of conversion and transformation.[14]

text: Social influences[edit]

text: Dickens was touched by the lot of poor children in the middle decades of the 19th century.[15] In early 1843 he toured the Cornish tin mines, where he was angered after seeing children working in appalling conditions.[16] The suffering he witnessed there was reinforced by a visit to the Field Lane Ragged school, one of several London schools set up for the education of the capital's half-starved, illiterate street children.[17]

text: In February 1843 the Second Report of the Children's Employment Commission was published. It was a parliamentary report exposing the effects of the Industrial Revolution upon working class children. Horrified by what he read, Dickens planned to publish an inexpensive political pamphlet tentatively titled, An Appeal to the People of England, on behalf of the Poor Man's Child, but changed his mind, deferring the pamphlet's production until the end of the year.[18] In March he wrote to Dr. Southwood Smith, one of the four commissioners responsible for the Second Report, about his change in plans: "you will certainly feel that a Sledge hammer has come down with twenty times the force—twenty thousand times the force—I could exert by following out my first idea".[19]

text: In a fundraising speech on 5 October 1843 at the Manchester Athenaeum, Dickens urged workers and employers to join together to combat ignorance with educational reform,[20] and realised in the days following that the most effective way to reach the broadest segment of the population with his social concerns about poverty and injustice was to write a deeply felt Christmas narrative rather than polemical pamphlets and essays.[21]

text: Writing history[edit]

text: By mid-1843 Dickens began to suffer from financial problems. Sales of Martin Chuzzlewit were slowing, and his wife, Catherine, was pregnant with the couple's fifth child. Matters worsened when Chapman & Hall, Martin Chuzzlewit's publishers, began to talk about reducing his monthly income by £50 if sales dropped further.[22] He began to write A Christmas Carol in October 1843.[23] Michael Slater, Dickens's biographer, describes the book as being "written at white heat"; it was completed in six weeks, with the final pages written in early December.[24] He built much of the work in his head while taking night-time walks of 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 km) around London.[25] Slater says that A Christmas Carol was

text: intended to open its readers' hearts towards those struggling to survive on the lower rungs of the economic ladder and to encourage practical benevolence, but also to warn of the terrible danger to society created by the toleration of widespread ignorance and actual want among the poor.[15]

text: George Cruikshank, the illustrator who had previously worked with Dickens on Sketches by Boz (1836) and Oliver Twist (1838), introduced him to the caricaturist John Leech. By 24 October Dickens invited Leech to work on A Christmas Carol, and four hand-coloured etchings and four black-and-white wood engravings by the artist accompanied the text.[26]

text: Characters[edit]

text: The central character of A Christmas Carol is Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly London-based moneylender,[27] described in the story as "a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!"[28] Kelly writes that Scrooge may have been influenced by Dickens's conflicting feelings for his father, whom he both loved and demonised. This psychological conflict may be responsible for the two radically different Scrooges in the tale—one a cold, stingy and greedy semi-recluse, the other a benevolent, sociable man.[29] Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, the professor of English literature, considers that in the opening part of the book covering young Scrooge's lonely and unhappy childhood, and his aspiration for money to avoid poverty "is something of a self-parody of Dickens's fears about himself"; the post-transformation parts of the book are how Dickens optimistically sees himself.[30]

text: Scrooge could also be based on two misers: the eccentric John Elwes, MP,[31] or Jemmy Wood, the owner of the Gloucester Old Bank who was also known as "The Gloucester Miser".[32] According to the sociologist Frank W. Elwell, Scrooge's views on the poor are a reflection of those of the demographer and political economist Thomas Malthus,[33] while the miser's questions "Are there no prisons? ... And the Union workhouses? ... The treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" are a reflection of a sarcastic question raised by the Chartist philosopher Thomas Carlyle, "Are there not treadmills, gibbets; even hospitals, poor-rates, New Poor-Law?"[34][n 4]

text: There are literary precursors for Scrooge in Dickens's own works. Peter Ackroyd, Dickens's biographer, sees similarities between Scrooge and the elder Martin Chuzzlewit character, although the miser is "a more fantastic image" than the Chuzzlewit patriarch; Ackroyd observes that Chuzzlewit's transformation to a charitable figure is a parallel to that of the miser.[36] Douglas-Fairhurst sees that the minor character Gabriel Grub from The Pickwick Papers was also an influence when creating Scrooge.[37][n 5] Scrooge's name came from a tombstone Dickens had seen on a visit to Edinburgh. The grave was for Ebenezer Lennox Scroggie, whose job was given as a meal man—a corn merchant; Dickens misread the inscription as "mean man".[39][n 6]

text: When Dickens was young he lived near a tradesman's premises with the sign "Goodge and Marney", which may have provided the name for Scrooge's former business partner.[41] For the chained Marley, Dickens had remembered a visit he had made to the Western Penitentiary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in March 1842, where he saw—and was affected by seeing—fettered prisoners.[34] For the character Tiny Tim, Dickens used his nephew Henry, a disabled boy who was five at the time A Christmas Carol was written.[42][n 7] The two figures of Want and Ignorance, sheltering in the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present were inspired by the children Dickens had seen on his visit to a ragged School in the East End of London.[17]

text: Themes[edit]

text: The transformation of Scrooge is central to the story.[44] Kelly writes that the transformation is reflected in the description of Scrooge, who begins as a two-dimensional character, but who then grows into one who "possess[es] an emotional depth [and] a regret for lost opportunities".[45] Some writers, including Grace Moore, the Dickens scholar, consider that there is a Christian theme running through A Christmas Carol, and that the novella should be seen as an allegory of the Christian concept of redemption.[46][n 8] Dickens's biographer, Claire Tomalin sees the conversion of Scrooge as carrying the Christian message that "even the worst of sinners may repent and become a good man".[48] Dickens's attitudes towards organised religion were complex,[n 9] although he based his beliefs and principles within the New Testament.[51] Dickens's statement that Marley "had no bowels" is a reference to the "bowels of compassion" mentioned in I John, the reason for his eternal damnation.[52][n 10]

text: Other writers, including Kelly, consider that Dickens put forward a "secular vision of this sacred holiday".[10] The Dickens scholar John O. Jordan argues that A Christmas Carol shows what Dickens referred to in a letter to Foster as his "Carol philosophy, cheerful views, sharp anatomisation of humbug, jolly good temper ... and a vein of glowing, hearty, generous, mirthful, beaming reference in everything to Home and Fireside".[53] From a secular viewpoint, the cultural historian Penne Restad suggests that Scrooge's redemption underscores "the conservative, individualistic and patriarchal aspects" of Dickens's "Carol philosophy" of charity and altruism.[54]

text: Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol because of how British social policy treated children at the time, and wished to use the novella as a means to put forward his arguments against it.[55] The story shows Scrooge as a paradigm for self-interest, and the possible repercussions of ignoring the poor, especially children in poverty—personified by the allegorical figures of Want and Ignorance.[56] The two figures were created to arouse sympathy with readers—as was Tiny Tim.[57] Douglas-Fairhurst observes that the use of such figures allowed Dickens to present his message of the need for charity, without alienating his largely middle-class readership.[58]

text: Publication[edit]

text: As the result of the disagreements with Chapman and Hall over the commercial failures of Martin Chuzzlewit,[59] Dickens arranged to pay for the publishing himself, in exchange for a percentage of the profits.[30] Production of A Christmas Carol was not without problems. The first printing contained drab olive endpapers that Dickens felt were unacceptable, and the publisher Chapman and Hall quickly replaced them with yellow endpapers, but, once replaced, those clashed with the title page, which was then redone.[60] The final product was bound in red cloth with gilt-edged pages, completed only two days before the publication date of 19 December 1843.[61] Following publication, Dickens arranged for the manuscript to be bound in red Morocco leather and presented as a gift to his solicitor, Thomas Mitton.[62][n 11]

text: Priced at five shillings (equal to £23 in 2018 pounds[63]), the first run of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve. Chapman and Hall issued second and third editions before the new year, and the book continued to sell well into 1844.[65] By the end of 1844 eleven more editions had been released.[66] Since its initial publication the book has been issued in numerous hardback and paperback editions, translated into several languages and has never been out of print.[67] It was Dickens's most popular book in the United States, and sold over two million copies in the hundred years following its first publication there.[68]

text: The high production costs upon which Dickens insisted led to reduced profits, and the first edition brought him only £230 (equal to £21,000 in 2018 pounds[63]) rather than the £1,000 (equal to £90,000 in 2018 pounds[63]) he expected.[69] A year later, the profits were only £744, and Dickens was deeply disappointed.[59][n 12]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Douglas-Fairhurst writes that the reviews of A Christmas Carol "were almost uniformly kind".[71] The reviewer from The Illustrated London News described how the story's "impressive eloquence ... its unfeigned lightness of heart—its playful and sparkling humour ... its gentle spirit of humanity" all put the reader "in good humour with ourselves, with each other, with the season and with the author".[72] The critic from The Athenaeum, the literary magazine, considered it a "tale to make the reader laugh and cry – to open his hands, and open his heart to charity even toward the uncharitable ... a dainty dish to set before a King."[73] William Makepeace Thackeray, writing in Fraser's Magazine, described the book as "a national benefit and to every man or woman who reads it, a personal kindness. The last two people I heard speak of it were women; neither knew the other, or the author, and both said, by way of criticism, 'God bless him!'"[70]

text: The poet Thomas Hood, in his own journal, wrote that "If Christmas, with its ancient and hospitable customs, its social and charitable observances, were ever in danger of decay, this is the book that would give them a new lease."[74] The reviewer for Tait's Edinburgh Magazine—Theodore Martin, who was usually critical of Dickens's work[71]—spoke well of A Christmas Carol, noting it was "a noble book, finely felt and calculated to work much social good".[75] After Dickens' death, Margaret Oliphant deplored the turkey and plum pudding aspects of the book but admitted that in the days of its first publication it was regarded as "a new gospel" and noted that the book was unique in that it actually made people behave better.[71] The religious press generally ignored the tale but, in January 1884, Christian Remembrancer thought the tale's old and hackneyed subject was treated in an original way and praised the author's sense of humour and pathos.[76]

text: There were critics of the book. The New Monthly Magazine's reviewer, while praising the story, thought the book's physical excesses—the gilt edges and expensive binding—kept the price high, which made it unavailable to the poor. The reviewer recommended the tale be printed on cheap paper and priced accordingly.[77] The unnamed reviewer from The Westminster Review mocked Dickens's grasp of economics, asking "Who went without turkey and punch in order that Bob Cratchit might get them—for, unless there were turkeys and punch in surplus, someone must go without".[78]

text: Following criticism of the US in American Notes and Martin Chuzzlewit, American readers were less enthusiastic at first, but by the end of the American Civil War, copies of the book were in wide circulation.[79] In 1863 The New York Times published an enthusiastic review, noting that the author brought the "old Christmas ... of bygone centuries and remote manor houses, into the living rooms of the poor of today".[80]

text: Aftermath[edit]

text: In January 1844 Parley's Illuminated Library published an unauthorised version of the story in a condensed form which they sold for twopence.[n 13] Dickens wrote to his solicitor

text: I have not the least doubt that if these Vagabonds can be stopped they must. ... Let us be the sledge-hammer in this, or I shall be beset by hundreds of the same crew when I come out with a long story.[82]

text: Two days after the release of the Parley version, Dickens sued on the cases of copyright infringement and won. The publishers declared themselves bankrupt and Dickens was left to pay £700 in costs.[83] The small profits Dickens earned from A Christmas Carol further strained his relationship with his publishers, and he broke with them in favour of Bradbury and Evans, who had been printing his works to that point.[15]

text: Dickens returned to the tale several times during his life to amend the phrasing and punctuation. He capitalised on the success of the book by publishing other Christmas stories The Chimes (1844), The Cricket on the Hearth (1845), The Battle of Life (1846) and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (1848); these were secular conversion tales which reflected the societal changes of the previous year, and which social problems still needed to be dealt with. While the public eagerly bought the later books, the reviewers were highly critical of the stories.[84]

text: Performances and adaptations[edit]

text: By 1849 Dickens was engaged with David Copperfield and had neither the time nor the inclination to produce another Christmas book.[85] He decided the best way to reach his audience with his "Carol philosophy" was by public readings.[86] During Christmas 1852 Dickens gave a reading in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute; the performance was a great success.[87] Thereafter, he read the tale in an abbreviated version 127 times, until 1870 (the year of his death), when it provided the material for his farewell performance.[88]

text: In the years following the book's publication, responses to the tale were published by W. M. Swepstone (Christmas Shadows, 1850), Horatio Alger (Job Warner's Christmas, 1863), Louisa May Alcott (A Christmas Dream, and How It Came True, 1882), and others who followed Scrooge's life as a reformed man – or some who thought Dickens had got it wrong and needed to be corrected.[89]

text: The novella was adapted for the stage almost immediately. Three productions opened on 5 February 1844, with one by Edward Stirling sanctioned by Dickens and running for more than 40 nights.[90] By the close of February 1844 eight rival A Christmas Carol theatrical productions were playing in London.[71] The story has been adapted for film and television more than any of Dickens's other works.[91] In 1901 it was produced as Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost, a silent black-and-white British film; it was one of the first known adaptations of a Dickens work on film, although is now largely lost.[92] The story was adapted in 1923 for BBC radio.[93] The story has been adapted to other media, including opera, ballet, a Broadway musical, animation, and a BBC mime production starring Marcel Marceau.[94]

text: Legacy[edit]

text: Although the phrase "Merry Christmas" had been around for many years – the earliest known written use was in a letter in 1534 – Dickens's use of the term in A Christmas Carol popularised the term among the Victorian public.[95] The exclamation "Bah! Humbug!" entered popular use in the English language as a retort to anything sentimental or over festive;[96] the name "Scrooge" became used as a designation for a miser, and was added to the Oxford English Dictionary as such in 1982.[97]

text: The modern observance of Christmas is largely the result of a mid-Victorian revival of the holiday. The Oxford Movement of the 1830s and 1840s had produced a resurgence of the traditional rituals and religious observances associated with Christmastide and, with A Christmas Carol, Dickens captured the zeitgeist of the age, while he reflected and reinforced his vision of Christmas.[98] He advocated a humanitarian focus of the holiday,[99] which influenced several aspects of Christmas that are still celebrated in Western culture, such as family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, dancing, games and a festive generosity of spirit.[100][n 14] The historian Ronald Hutton writes that Dickens "linked worship and feasting, within a context of social reconciliation".[101]

text: Ruth Glancy, a professor of English literature, states that the largest impact of A Christmas Carol was the influence felt by individual readers.[102] In the spring of 1844 The Gentleman's Magazine attributed a rise of charitable giving in Britain to Dickens's novella;[103] in 1874, Robert Louis Stevenson, after reading Dickens's Christmas books, vowed to give generously to those in need;[104] and Thomas Carlyle expressed a generous hospitality by hosting two Christmas dinners after reading the book.[105] In 1867 one American businessman was so moved after attending a reading, that he closed his factory on Christmas Day and sent every employee a turkey,[71] while in the early years of the 20th century the Queen of Norway sent gifts to London's crippled children signed "With Tiny Tim's Love".[106] On the novella, the author G. K. Chesterton wrote "The beauty and blessing of the story ... lie in the great furnace of real happiness that glows through Scrooge and everything around him. ... Whether the Christmas visions would or would not convert Scrooge, they convert us."[107]