Bob Cratchit

• “The clerk’s fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal.”

  • Metaphor “one coal”: Emphasises extreme cold and deprivation — Bob’s workspace is not just poorly heated; it’s barely heated at all. It reflects how little warmth or care Scrooge provides
  • Visual imagery: The reader can clearly imagine the tiny, inadequate fire, highlighting Bob’s powerlessness and suffering
  • Contrast: Implied between Scrooge’s office and Bob’s — Scrooge hoards comfort while Bob endures hardship
  • Effect: Dickens uses this small detail to symbolise the broader cruelty of employer exploitation during the Victorian era
• “My little, little child!” cried Bob. “My little child!”

  • Repetition and diminutive “little”: Increases the sense of vulnerability and loss
  • The doubling makes the grief feel raw and overwhelming
  • Exclamation and direct speech: Brings emotion to the surface — the reader hears Bob’s heartbreak first-hand.
  • Simple, heartfelt language: Dickens avoids poetic phrasing here, which makes it feel more real and devastating
  • Effect: The plainness of the language heightens the pathos — Dickens makes Bob a vessel of relatable human sorrow
• “Mr. Scrooge! I give you Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!”

  • Capitalised “Founder of the Feast”: Ironically grand language — Bob is being respectful and thankful despite Scrooge’s meanness
  • Exclamation marks: Suggest Bob is sincere and cheerful, even when talking about someone who treats him badly
  • Tone of gratitude: This shows Bob’s generosity of spirit — he’s thankful even for the little he has
  • Effect: Dickens uses this line to contrast Bob’s warmth and dignity with Scrooge’s coldness, showing moral richness despite material poverty
• “He ran home to Camden Town as hard as he could pelt, to play at blind-man’s buff.”

  • Energetic verb “ran” and phrase “as hard as he could pelt”: Suggest youthful energy and joy — despite his exhaustion, Bob is excited to be with his family
  • Juxtaposition: The joyful, childlike language contrasts with his poverty, showing Bob’s emotional richness even in hardship
  • Effect: Dickens presents Bob as emotionally wealthy — generous, loving, and joyful in contrast to Scrooge’s isolation