Family

• The exploration of family as a theme within the novella closely ties with dickens greater agenda to popularise an emotional element to Christmas. Hence he emphasises the importance of family during the festive time.
• Contextually significant as queen Victoria and prince Albert and nine children together and their family was idealised and perceived to model. ideas about family were changing during the Victorian ear so reader were more likely to be receptive to dickens presentation of the theme.
• He emphasises idea 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 theme of family as one which embodies joy, strength and affection.
• Theme of family could be argued that scrooge begins the novella as the complete antithesis to these ideas. This introduces the idea that the absence of the family may be one of the key factors which contributed to scrooge initially abhorrent characterisation.
• The positive effects of family (FRED)

  • generates a positive atmosphere which affects both scrooge and the tone of narration.
  • Frist highlighted, Fred enters scrooges counting house in stave one. Dickens focus on the cold, gloomy imagery before hand but when Fred appears '' heated himself '' , looked to be in '' a glow '' introduces warmth to the stave.
  • significant as Dickens previously states '' external heat and cold had little influence on scrooge'' Fred virtue stronger than the force of nature - this spotlights the power and value of family.
• The positive effects of family

  • Dickens emphasises that it is scrooge who isolates himself from his family. This is seen when he refuse Fred invitation to '' dine'' at Xmas.
  • This actively links to his down fall , highlighted by the ghost of Christmas present who takes him to Freds party.
  • scrooge acknowledges that if he had experiences a loving family' ''years ago'' then he might have a cultivated the kindness in life.
  • presents the idea that a supportive family is instrumental in developing of a person and the concept of family should be as paramount in society.
• Bob Cratchit

  • large families like the Cratchits were prevalent in the 19th centaury. dickens constructs the Cratchits to be relatable presentation of the lower class.
  • idealises their family by focusing on their unity , happiness and strength despite their financial struggles. This conveys the idea that poverty is not a barrier to happiness.
• 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. Their unity is essential following Tiny Tim's death, where the reader witnesses the family the family come together and provide Tiny Tim with a loving Funeral.
• Tiny Tim's Funeral starkly contrast scrooge body which lay '' unwatched , unwept , uncared for ''. The alliteration used here emphasises this isolation and so highlights to the reader that family is more important than money.
• Minor Characters

  • Dickens emphasise the value of family even with the minor characters. This implies that family is so essential that is should be interwoven into everyone's lives. Dickens makes this apparent during scrooges visit with the Ghost of Christmas past '' 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 future scrooges isolation as it presents the abundance of family as invaluable.
• Dickens goes on to details 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 time with the spirts and so must have some effects on his redemption.
• Negative effects of absent family(Fanny)

  • Fan takes scrooge home from boarding school she informs him that their fathers a '' kinder '' man and their home feels '' like heaven''
  • powerful simile highlights the great power family can have emphasising its importance
• 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. Her absences 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 remarkable change in his character , considering his behaviour in the opening stave and so it can be inferred that the absence of Fran had a negative effects on his personality.
• Belle

  • scrooge taken to see belle - once fiancée. she reveals that she has been replaced by a '' golden'' idol. This is reference to scrooge '' passion '' and purist of money
• Belle

  • Dickens presents that idea that scrooge inclination towards money over relationship over relationship has damaged his opportunity to kindle love and start his own children. The magnitude of his loss is foreground when he see belle with her children promoting him to question what would have been like to have children '' who called him father''.
  • pitiful sentiment highlights the regret that scrooge feels which implies that he has come to the realisation that family is more important than money