minor characters

• Fanny


  • Used to humanise Scrooge
  • Only source of love in Scrooge's life
  • Reminds Scrooge of when he was affectionate and carefree
• children are the ones that suffer the most from society's issues. They are further described as "monsters", perhaps because their existence is dangerous to society.
• Scrooge was a victim of ignorance as he willingly ignored the plight of the working class, and was also a victim of want, as we learn that the reason that Scrooge spent his life so focused on money because of his fear of poverty. He says to Belle that there is nothing which is as "hard as poverty", highlighting his fixation with gaining money.
• "wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable": 'Dickens uses listing on multiple occasions to describe the children. This is interesting as he primarily uses vague adjectives - the reader is aware that the children are "hideous" but they do not know exactly what they look like. Consequently, the reader is left to imagine what these "frightful" children look like - heightening the fear that they bring. The lists could also be interpreted as being in reference to society. This is because the children are used to represent the issue of poverty and so Dickens' descriptions of the children may reflect on his opinions about society as a whole.'
• "stale and shrivelled hand like that of age": 'This epitomises the impact that poverty had on children during the Victorian era, as children were forced to grow up faster than they should have. Children who grew up in poverty were made to work in factories from as early as nine years old in order to bring in some income for their families This links to the concept of 'present time orientation' which is prevalent within the culture of poverty. Essentially this means that those in poverty focus only on the present rather than planning for the future, as they lack the resources to do so. Therefore, instead of receiving the long-term benefits of an education, children were made to join the workforce which allowed them to receive wages (see 'Context: Education and Childhood).'
• "Spirit! are they yours?" Scrooge could say no more. "They are Man's,": 'This implies that due to the negligence of man, ignorance has been created. The question is accusative but it is flipped on its head as the Ghost not just accuses mankind but presents their guilt. The possessive "Man's" demonstrates how they belong to all of society, which adds to the theme of social responsibility in the novella.'
• "This boy is ignorance…beware of this boy...on his brow I see that written which is doom": 'Dickens emphasises the impacts of ignorance over the consequences of want, presenting it as a more urgent and pressing concern. This may perhaps be because Scrooge has already learnt the consequences of want, as he felt immense regret when he was taken to see Belle. As a result, Dickens does not need to emphasise the impacts of greed as Scrooge had already learnt his lesson. Alternatively, it may be because if Scrooge was not so ignorant to the poverty which filled society, his greed and fixation with money would not have been so intense. Therefore, the problem of want can be solved by eliminating the ignorance within society. Furthermore, the "doom" which is written on the boy's head may foreshadow the dark consequences of ignorance in society.'
• "Another idol has displaced me…A golden one".: 'The word "idol" is an interesting choice from Dickens due to its connotations. An idol is often associated with a god-like figure that people worship, illustrating the extent of Scrooge's fixation with money.'
• "Can even I believe that you would choose a dowerless girl": 'Dickens uses a lexical field of money and gain during his descriptions of Scrooge and Belle, exemplified here by the adjective "dowerless". This is significant as it shows Scrooge's misanthropic and miserly attitude. It shows the reader that Scrooge does not hold any meaningful relationships with people as he looks at things through a financial viewpoint.'
• "Show me no more! Conduct me home. Why do you delight to torture me?": 'This is significant as it epitomises Scrooge's regret. Dickens uses emotive language, referring to the situation as "torture", which effectively conveys the powerful emotions that Scrooge is feeling.'
• "'It should be Christmas Day, I am sure' said she, 'on which one drinks the health of such an odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man as Mr Scrooge.": 'Dickens mirrors the asyndetic listing (a list broken up by commas rather than conjunctions like 'and') he uses in the opening stave when he calls Scrooge a "...scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner", allowing Mrs Cratchit to adopt the same powerful tone of disapproval. This presents her character as strong and opinionated while also highlighting just how cruel Scrooge acted towards Bob, as his wife feels as though she must defend her husband against him.'
• "I'll drink to his health for your sake and the Day's": 'Dickens foregrounds Mrs Cratchit's Christmas spirit as well as her love for Bob, encapsulating her loving personality through this assertion. This may act as a message to the reader as rather than create conflict on Christmas, Mrs Cratchit compromises and agrees to drink to Scrooge's health. This conveys the idea that Christmas should be a time of love and compassion rather than conflict. It is also interesting to note that Dickens sets up subtle contrasts between the Cratchits and Scrooge as, while in Stave One Scrooge was unwilling to even hear out the charity collectors, Mrs Cratchit agrees to drink to his health for the sake of love.'
• "I wouldn't show weak eyes to your father when he comes home, for the world." She said in a "steady, cheerful voice, that only faltered once": 'This epitomises the strength in Mrs Cratchit's character as, despite her sadness, she chooses to keep her composure in front of Bob. By outlining that her voice "faltered", Dickens highlights the true sadness of the situation following Tiny Tim's death. This causes the reader to sympathise with her while also admiring her strength. Ultimately, this adds to the overarching narrative of the Cratchit family being an idealised representation of the poor, as Mrs. Cratchit contributes to the idea that a family should consist of strength, compassion and love.'
• Epitomises


  Represents the essence or most important aspects of
• Mrs Cratchit chooses to keep her composure in front of Bob despite her sadness
• Dickens highlights the true sadness of the situation following Tiny Tim's death by outlining that her voice "faltered"
• This causes the reader to sympathise with her while also admiring her strength
• Overarching narrative


  The main or central story or theme
• The Cratchit family is an idealised representation of the poor
• Mrs. Cratchit contributes to the idea that a family should consist of strength, compassion and love
• Martha Cratchit


  Bob Cratchit's eldest child
• Martha had a great deal of "work to finish up" the night before and had to "clear away" in the morning
• This instantly characterises her as hard-working which challenges Scrooge's misconception that the poor in society are "idle"
• Some readers may feel sympathy for Martha's character, particularly after she reveals that she needs a "good long rest"
• Plight of the poor


  The difficult situation or circumstances of the poor
• Martha hid when Bob Cratchit came home but ran out early as she "didn't like to see him disappointed"
• Presents her as


  Playful yet compassionate
• Malthusian perspective


  A view that dismisses the lower class as the "surplus population"
• Dickens challenges the Malthusian perspective by presenting the Cratchit children with their own, individual personalities
• Individualism


  A social outlook which emphasises the importance of each person
• Dickens is trying to make a statement about the individualism of the poor in society, highlighting that they cannot, or should not, be dismissed or ignored
• Martha is a "poor apprentice at a milliner's"
• Milineries


  A place which made and sold hats
• In 1843, milineries were one of the few places which would hire women, however, they were also one of the worst
• Women were forced to work in dirty, unsafe conditions under cruel supervisors and were often underpaid
• This forced many of them to turn to prostitution in order to survive
• These women were assigned the same low social status as prostitutes and so were generally looked down on
• Dickens is trying to challenge widespread prejudice against the poor by presenting Martha positively despite her apprenticeship at a milliner's
• Peter Cratchit


  Bob Cratchit's oldest son
• Peter is described as wearing his father's shirt "in honour of the day" and the narrator notes that the collar was "monstrous"