Bob Cratchit Flashcards
The lack of generosity, support and goodwill Bob recieves fro scrooge is emphasised here, as “fire” is used throughout the novella as a symbol for such values of the christmas spirit,
“Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so much smaller that it looked like one coal
Bob Cratchit attempts to provide himself some warmth at the very small fire provided by the “candle” but “failed”, emphasising how the very little support, good will and generosity Scrooge provides Bob with, and the lack of support and generosity victorian society provides in general, means that Bob is unable to aquire the goodwill and generosity he needs from society to survive, highlighting the harm individuals like scrooge and their miserly attitudes and ideologies have towards the poor in society and society as a whole.
“wherefore, the clerk put on his white comforter, and tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of strong imagination, he failed.”
Ironically, despite scrooge offering very little support and generosity towards Bob as his employer, Bob is grateful and generous towards Scrooge in naming him “the founder of the feast”
“I’ll give you Mr. Scrooge, the founder of the feast.”
In contrast to scrooge who has been portrayed as exclusively caring for monetary wealth and gain, Bob is presented as caring much more for his family as he describes Tiny Tim “as good as gold”, suggesting those close to him, as well as his fellow man, are more valuable and important to him than material wealth.
“as good as gold” said Bob “and better”
Dickens presents the Cratchit family members as all having individual jobs and roles in the family that they support eachother with, suggesting that society should similarly be like one big family where everybody supports eachother.
“Master peter mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour; miss belinda sweetened up the apple sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates; Bob took Tiny Tim beside him in a tiny corner at the table; the two young cratchits set chairs for everybody”
Bob Cratchit generously compliments his family, being very optimistic, supporting them and being grateful for their support (the food “pudding” and “goose”) as well”
“Oh a wonderful pudding!” Bob Cratchit said, and calmly too, that he regarded it as the greatest success achieved by miss Cratchit since their marriage.”
“bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked”
Bob’s “love” for tiny tim is emphasised through his fear that “he might be taken away from him” as his health deteriorates, suggesting that tiny tim’s life is at risk due to the miserliness, stingy attitudes and lack of support from wealthy men like scrooge in society, causing immense pain for the deserving poor like Bob Cratchit and the Cratchit family, as well as suffering for society as a whole.
“Bob held his withered little child’s hand within his, as if he loved the child and wished to keep him be his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.”
Dickens uses dramatic irony here, as despite Bob saying that Tiny Tim was “growing strong and hearty”, his “tremulous” inflection suggests the opposite and hints at Tiny Tim’s deteriorating health, emphasising the pain and suffering that the neglect and lack of support from misers like Scrooge causes for the rest of society, especially the poor such as the Cratchit Family.
“Bob’s voice was tremulous when he told them this, and trembled even more when he said that Tiny Tim was growing strong and hearty.”
Bob’s love for his family and Tiny Tim is emphasised massively here and the huge emotional impat that Tiny Tim’s death has on him is shown, suggesting that due to Scrooge’s cynical and miserly ideologies leading him to neglect and offer no charity or support towards the poor or anyone else in society, such as Bob and the Cratchit family, such suffering and pain exists within society among people like the cratchity family. Through this, Dickens suggests that if men like Scrooge, with their stingy, unsociable ideologies (e.g. Malthusian economics) continue to offer no support to their fellow man, then only suffering and pain will continue to be perpetuated within society.
“My little child!” cried Bob “My little child” He broke down all at once. He couldn’t help it. If he could have helped it, he and his child would have been further apart perhaps than they were”
Bob Cratchit is overly apologetic and obedient to scrooge and pleads forgiveness, suggesting he fears scrooge’s wrath, further illustrating the harm Scrooge’s past miserly attitudes did to society and the poor like Bob cratchit.
“I’m very sorry, sir.” said Bob “I am behind my time.”
“It’s only once a year, sir” pleaded Bob.”
