a christmas carol

• "He tried to warm himself at the candle"


  Bob C

  By using the​ ​pitiful verb​ ​"tried",​ Dickens creates a sense of helplessness - this causes reader to sympathise with Bob and acknowledge his powerlessness before Scrooge

  ​anticlimactic "candle" h​ighlights the poor provisions in place for Bob at the workplace - he has nothing but a lone candle to warm himself

  Dickens follows this line with the blunt and matter-of-fact: ​"he failed" - illustrates the ​nonchalant ​attitude that many of the rich held towards the appalling working conditions of the lower class

  presents Bob C as obedient
• "I'll give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast!"

  By including this toast to Scrooge despite the terrible way he treats Bob - Dickens exemplifies Bob's ​patience ​and ​compassion,​ as he is grateful and good-natured towards his employer regardless of the way he is treated

  Bob refers to Scrooge with a title (​"the Founder of the Feast"​) ​elevating ​his position and attributing importance to him - even though he does not necessarily deserve it.

  alternatively - Dickens does this to once again highlight the superiority of the rich over the lower-class, as even in his apparent absence Bob gives Scrooge a sense of respect and honour.

  presents Bob C as generous
• "Oh, a wonderful pudding!" "Everybody had something to say about it, but nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding

  for a large family. It would have been flat heresy to do so"

  exclamatory remark​ highlights Bob's appreciation towards his family and embodies the gratefulness of the Cratchits - despite the size of the pudding nobody even ​"thought"​ it was ​"small"

  this presents Bob and the Cratchits as an idealised representation of the lower class

  The pudding is an important image as it represents the ​hard work​ and ​unity​ of the family - although small, it is still well received.
• "It's only once a year, sir," pleaded Bob, appearing from the Tank


  presents Bob C as fearful of Scrooge

  "pleaded" - worried about Scrooge's punishment
• family display of glass. Two tumblers, and a custard-cup without a handle'


  Cratchit family's poverty highlighted in their pathetic 'display of glass'

  Yet there is a pride there too, as if nothing more is needed
• as well as golden goblets'


  although the Cratchits have very little in terms of material possessions - what they do have is valued

  The meagre glass collection is as good to them as gold

  presents the Cratchits as grateful and fortunate
• Bob served it out with beaming looks'


  Bob is to be surrounded by his family

  The warmth that is 'beaming' from his face is reflected back at him

  Compare this to the description of Scrooge in Stave 1
• Bob C remains ​unnamed​ for the first stave and is instead referred to as ​"the Clerk"​.


  Perhaps Dickens only identifies Bob according to his occupation - highlight how the lower-class didn't have an individual identity ​and were instead only recognised for their service

  illustrates the way in which the working class were defined by their positions in the workforce - which is where their value came from

  Bob Cratchits role in the novella -​represent the plight of the poor​, as he is an immediate ​source of sympathy​ in the novella.
• How may Dickens want to depict Bob Cratchit and the lower class?


  Dickens may have wanted to depict Bob Cratchit more ​holistically​ to present the lower class in a different light Usually in Victorian literature - the working class were depicted as peripheral, unimportant characters. In the works of Dickens he defies these expectations. ​presenting the lower class in a positive light​ and as ​multi-faceted characters​ - evident through the character of Bob Cratchit
• "nobody said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family"


  Instead of presenting the Cratchits as ungrateful and lazy - he repeatedly references their contentment

  Dickens does this to ​challenge the misconceptions of his Victorian readers​ - as many would have believed that people lived in poverty because they were lazy
• wife expressed her distaste for Scrooge during Bob's toast, he reminds her that it is ​"Christmas Day"​


  highlighting the respect and honour he gives the celebration

  presents Bob as a ​morally righteous ​man - as readers are likely to associate religion with a strong moral standing
• Bob calls the meal "the greatest success achieved by Mrs Cratchit since their marriage"


  Bob is presented as the ideal family figure who ​valued​, ​loved ​and ​respected ​his family

  shows he appreciates their efforts

  Dickens introduces the idea that family should be an essential focus of the festive time
• Bob Cratchit is presented as

  obedient, generous, fearful (of Scrooge), fortunate, compassionate, loving and endearing (to his family)
• "God bless us, Every one!"

  The ​religious focus​ of Tiny Tim's statement presents him as an exemplary child - who embodies the spirit of Christmas​.

  heightened by the phrase ​"every one"​ which highlights that he is compassionate and caring - both of these are traits which further the endearing nature of his character

  Dickens quotes this line for the final words of the novella - attributing a sense of importance to his character and leaving the reader with the image of Tiny Tim as a ​symbol of hope​ and the positive outcomes which can be achieved through both personal and social reform
• "'My little, little child' cried Bob. 'My Little child!'"


  Dickens uses ​epimone​ (the repetition of a word or phrase to emphasise a point) in order to further the ​frail​ and ​weak characterisation​ of Tiny Tim

  causes the reader to sympathise​ more with the situation as they realise the tragic nature of the death of a child. The reader understands the strong emotions Bob must be feeling - as he is at a loss for words and can describe Tim as nothing but ​"little"​

  The term connotes ideas of innocence and helplessness - furthering the injustice of the situation
• "He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas day who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."


  This allusion to Jesus highlights Tiny Tim's role as a ​moral compass​ within the text

  acts as a Dickens' ​mouthpiece of goodness​ - similar to how Jesus acted as God's messenger to impart the importance of morality to humanity

  This phrase also emphasises the Christmas message of tolerance and hope