Bob Cratchit

• Key words

  Self-effacing

  Beneficient

  Benevolent

  Compassionate

  Silenced

  Microcosm of the poor
• if quite convenient sir - S1


  Themes of Poverty/Social injustice

  Bob's short exchange of dialogue in S1 represents how poor lower classes were silenced and oppressed by the other classes
• my clerk, with fifteen shillings a week, and a wife and family, talking about a merry Christmas.


  Themes of Social Injustice/Poverty

  He is also referred to as the 'clerk' in S1. His lack of a name highlights how the poor were stripped of their individual identities, consequently causing them all to be seen as one by the upper class- the upper class don't see them as individual humans, rather a group of idle people who don't contribute enough to the economy (Malthusian views)
• My little little child! My little child! - S4


  Themes of Social Injustice/Poverty

  The death of Bob's son evokes pathos and compassion. The repeated use of the adjective 'little' reinforces the fragility and innocence of children in poverty. Dickens proposes a solution to break the cycle of poverty by developing a collective social conscience, as demonstrated by Scrooge becoming a father figure to Tiny Tim. Society can unite to alleviate the suffering of the poor.
• Mrs Cratchit - twiced turned gown - S3

  Themes of Selfishness/Materialism

  The Cratchits are the antithesis of materialism, as they admirably make the best out of what they have. The alliteration 'twice-turned gown' emphasises their poverty; Mrs Cratchit is not able to afford new clothes. The festivity of 'ribbons' being all over her dress highlights how the foundations of the Cratchits, alike the 'twice turned gown', may be impoverished. However, they celebrate and glorify the little they have symbolised by the ribbons, as they display gratitude and love for one another.
• Such a bustle ensued that you might have thought a goose the rarest of all birds; a feathered phenomenon - S3


  Themes of Kindness/Religion

  The colloquial phrase highlights the elation and commotion around being able to share this 'phenomenon' together. The superlative 'rarest' serves as irony within the Victorian Period, as it was a cheap bird that was a replacement for a turkey. This compounds their gratitude as they celebrate the small amount they can share- the antithesis to Scrooge who is ungrateful for the abundance of wealth he has.
• Mr Scrooge!" said Bob; "I'll give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast


  Themes of Kindness/Family

  The character of Bob in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" represents those who are exploited and indebted to the wealthy, exemplified by the quasi-divine reference to Scrooge as "founder." Bob and the Cratchits symbolize communal values and morality despite their lack of material wealth, challenging the notion that wealth equals moral superiority. This highlights Dickens' critique of the systemic injustices in Victorian society.
• He tried to warm himself at the candle

  Themes of Poverty

  Dickens employs the verb "tried" to highlight Bob's plight and evoke readers' sympathy because of the harsh treatment he endures at work. The trite reference of Bob having just one candle to warm him up serves to emphasise the inadequate provisions made for him. The frank admission that "he failed" demonstrates how the wealthy don't care about the working circumstances of the working classes.