bob cratchit

• • Bob Cratchit is first introduced in Stave I, though his character remains unnamed and silent in this chapter and he is simply referred to as “the clerk”:
  • By omitting Bob’s name and referring to him by his occupation, Dickens conveys Scrooge’s myopic perception of Bob in terms of labour, rather than as a human being
  • Bob’s silence also signifies his irrelevance and insignificance as a lower-class person in the eyes of the wealthier classes such as Scrooge 
• • Further, by titling the character “Bob” (a Victorian colloquial term for a Shilling ) Dickens may be suggesting how he and the lower classes are viewed merely in terms of capital
• • Scrooge’s ruthlessness towards Bob is evident in Stave I and his character is used to underscore Scrooge’s cruel and exploitative behaviour:
  • Bob works in a “dismal little cell” suggesting a gloomy confinement from which he cannot escape, which could be viewed as a wider symbol of his poverty
  • He is too fearful to ask Scrooge for more coal to replenish his fire and instead tries “to warm himself at the candle”, which highlights the dreadful conditions that employers could make employees accept
• • In Stave II, Dickens presents Bob as a devoted father and husband: 
  • His relationship with his children is shown as loving and affectionate, for example, when he carries “Tiny Tim upon his shoulder”; and when he shows concern for the whereabouts of his daughter “Why, where’s our Martha?”
• • Dickens also uses different settings to contrast Bob and Scrooge: Scrooge’s character is first depicted in his place of work; whereas Bob’s character is depicted in the intimate setting of his home:
  • This symbolises what each character views as most important to them: Scrooge values money, while Bob values family
• • Despite being treated cruelly by his employer, Bob proposes a toast to Scrooge and encourages his reluctant family to do so as well:
  • This demonstrates Bob’s kind-spirited and forgiving nature and he is presented as a virtuous and righteous character
  • Dickens' depiction of Bob invokes sympathy from the reader:
  • He is deferential , patient, courteous and civil to Scrooge, despite Scrooge’s poor treatment
• • Bob is symbolic of the lower classes and their dependence on their employer:
  • Bob’s situation depends on businessmen like Scrooge and so subsequently does the fate of his family:
  • This symbolises the power of the higher classes over the poor
• • As a character, Bob remains unchanged throughout the novella:
  • He remains compassionate, generous and forgiving