A Christmas Carol Quotes - Bob Cratchit

Question 1

Mrs Cratchit - “I’ll give him a piece of my mind”

Question 2

Whys: 1

Answer 2

Through his depiction of the Crachit family, Dickens presents a human face to the plight of the poor, rejecting harsh economic theories (like Thomas Malthus’ theory of population) which dehumanise the poor, preventing his middle and upper class readers from viewing the poor as distant and removed and instead evoking empathy on an individual level.

Question 3

Whys: 2

Answer 3

Through the Cratchit family’s humility, gratitude and resilience in the face of adversity, Dickens guides his readers to respect and admire the working class, dismissing prominent views during the mid-nineteenth century about the poor being idle and that poverty is often self-inflicted.

Question 4

“The clerk’s fire was so very much smaller…”

Answer 4

Stave 1
Bob is underpaid and mistreated. The small fire reflects his status and Scrooge’s lack of generosity.

Question 5

“My little, little child!”

Answer 5

Stave 4
His grief over Tiny Tim’s death is raw and heart-wrenching. Repetition of “little” shows helplessness and love.

Question 6

“I’ll give you Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast.”

Answer 6

Stave 3**
Even though Scrooge is cruel, Bob is respectful and grateful. Dickens uses Bob to show Christian values of humility and forgiveness.