family and relationships

• Dickens explores many ideas relating to family and relationships within A Christmas Carol. Dickens presents this concept in very positive terms through many characters, including the Cratchits and Fred, and emphasises the fundamental importance of family to people’s lives.
• knowledge and evidence

  • Marley and Scrooge’s relationship is established from the very beginning:
  • Although Dickens states they were partners for “many years”, the relationship that is presented is one merely associated with business, rather than an affectionate friendship
• knowledge and evidence

  • This is further highlighted when Dickens declares that Scrooge “was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event”, which illustrates the shallow nature of their relationship and Scrooge’s lack of affection for anyone:
  • Scrooge’s lack of emotion makes the reader initially view him as callous and hard-hearted 
• knowledge and evidence

  • Scrooge’s initial character is revealed through his relationship (or lack of) with the rest of society:
  • Similar to his former partner Marley, Scrooge is entirely isolated and ostracised from those around him: “Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, “My dear Scrooge, how are you?”
  • Scrooge’s isolation from society enables him to remain ignorant of the plight of the poor and the social problems which surround him
• knowledge and evidence

  • Fred is Scrooge’s nephew, yet Scrooge displays a hostility towards him and refuses to celebrate Christmas with Fred’s family:
  • Fred is in complete contrast to Scrooge in both spirit and appearance, yet despite his uncle’s disdain for him, he remains loyal and charitable towards Scrooge. a foil to Scrooge's character
  • Dickens uses the character of Fred, with his optimism and cheerfulness, to make Scrooge’s miserly and pessimistic behaviour appear even worse
• knowledge and evidence

  • Dickens demonstrates how Scrooge’s relationship and engagement with Belle were destroyed by Scrooge’s fixation with money:
  • She represents the contented life that Scrooge could have had and underscores the corrosive consequences of greed and the terrible consequences it can have on a loving relationship
• knowledge and evidence


  Bob is presented as the ideal family figure; he is a devoted father and husband who is loved and respected by his family:

  • Through Bob, Dickens underscores his message about the importance of family and its centrality to people’s lives
  • His relationship with his children is continually shown to be loving and affectionate: “Tiny Tim upon his shoulder”/“Why, where’s our Martha?”
• knowledge and evidence


  • Bob’s change in character due to Tiny Tim’s predicted death demonstrates his affection for his son and shows how the loss of a loved one can impact someone’s life 
  • The Cratchits are presented as a united family and they all join in with the preparation of their Christmas meal: “Mrs Cratchit made the gravy... Master Peter mashed the potatoes... Miss Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce...”
• writers intention


  • Dickens underscores his message about the importance of family and its centrality to people’s lives
  • Dickens demonstrates how an obsession with greed and material possessions can destroy relationships 
• The exploration of ‘family’ as a theme within the novella closely ties in with Dickens’ greater agenda to popularise an emotional element to Christmas. Hence, he emphasises the importance of family during the festive time.
• context

  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had nine children together and their family was idealised and perceived to be model.
• He emphasises ideas surrounding family by exploring them in detail, highlighting the positive effects that family can have while also explaining the negative consequences which could arise due to the absence of family.
• He builds on this by presenting the theme of family as one which embodies joy, strength and affection. This is an interesting presentation as it could be argued that Scrooge begins the novella as the complete antithesis (direct opposite) to these ideas
• This introduces the idea that the absence of family may be one of the key factors which contributed to Scrooge’s initially abhorrent characterisation.
• Fred

  From his introduction to the novella, Fred generates a positive atmosphere which affects both Scrooge and the tone of narration. This is first highlighted when he enters Scrooge’s counting-house in Stave One. Prior to his arrival Dickens focuses on cold, gloomy imagery.
• Fred

  When Fred appears at the door, however, he “heated himself” and looked to be in “a glow”, introducing warmth to the stave. This is significant as Dickens previously asserted that even “external heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge” which suggests that Fred’s virtue is stronger than the forces of nature. This may perhaps spotlight the power and value of family.
• Scrooge

  Dickens emphasises that it is Scrooge who isolates himself from his family. This is seen when he refuses Fred’s invitation to “dine” with him on Christmas. It could be argued that this directly links to his downfall, as highlighted by the Ghost of Christmas Present who takes him to Fred’s party. There, he acknowledges that if he had experienced a loving family “years ago” then he might have “cultivated the kindness of life”. This presents the idea that a supportive family is instrumental in the development of a person.
• Bob Cratchit

  Large families like the Cratchits were prevalent in the nineteenth century, so Dickens constructs the Cratchits to be a relatable presentation of the lower class. He idealises their family by focussing on their unity, happiness and strength despite their financial struggles. This conveys the idea that poverty is not a barrier to happiness.
• Bob Cratchit

  Dickens highlights this through his description of the household on Christmas day. He details that even the potatoes “knocked loudly…to be let out”, emphasising the joy and excitement of the Cratchit family.
• Bob Cratchit

  Their unity is essential following Tiny Tim’s death, where the reader witnesses the family come together and provide Tiny Tim with a loving funeral. This starkly contrasts Scrooge’s body which lay “unwatched, unwept, uncared for”. The alliteration used here emphasises his isolation, and so highlights to the reader that family is more important than money
• minor characters

  Dickens emphasises the value of family through even the most minor of characters. This implies that family is so essential that it should be interwoven into everyone’s lives. Dickens makes this apparent during Scrooge's time with the Ghost of Christmas Present by including subtle comments regarding the importance of family
• minor characters

  When he describes the setting, he writes that “all the children of the house were running out into the snow to meet their married sisters, brothers, cousins, uncles, aunts”. The extensive listing serves to further Scrooge’s isolation as it presents the abundance of family as invaluable.
• minor characters

  Dickens goes on to detail that even the geographically isolated miners gather with “cheerful company” while a sailor far out at sea still “remembered those he cared for”. This accumulation of description presents the concept of family to be central to Scrooge’s time with the Spirit, and so must have some effect on his redemption.
• negative affect of an absent family : fanny

  When Fanny comes to take Scrooge home from boarding school she informs him that their father is now a “kinder” man and that their home now feels “like heaven”. This is a powerful simile as it highlights the great power family can have , emphasising its importance. Therefore, when Scrooge glances “anxiously at the door” and “mournfully” shakes his head before Fanny arrives the reader understands that he feels great sorrow at her death.
• negative affect of an absent family : fanny

  Her absence evidently had a profound effect on his character, spotlighted by the fact that after he is reminded of her kindness he is “uneasy” and begins to reflect on his relationship with Fred. This is a remarkable change in his character, considering his behaviour in the opening stave, and so it can be inferred that the absence of Fan had negative effects on his personality.
• negative affect of an absent family : belle

  When Scrooge is taken to see Belle, his once fiancée, she reveals that she has been replaced by a “golden” idol. This is in reference to Scrooge’s “passion” and pursuit of money. Dickens presents the idea that Scrooge’s inclination towards money over relationships has damaged his opportunity to kindle love and start his own family.
• negative affect of an absent family : belle

  The magnitude of his loss is foregrounded when he sees Belle with her children, prompting him to question what it would have been like to have children who “called him father”. This pitiful sentiment highlights the regret that Scrooge feels, which implies that he has come to the realisation that family is more important than money.