Cratchit Family Flashcards
overview of family
a poor family
bob, unnamed wife, 6 children
1 child (tiny tim) is disabled
bob works for scrooge
very loving family
story role
dickens uses them to humanise the impoverished
shows them as people to scrooge and the upper class
the struggles and suffering cratchit’s face, meant to demonise poverty
symbol
represent working class
some possible family inspiration - tiny tim may have been inspired by his own nephew who was sick
bob cratchit stave 1 quotes
“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”
“Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so much smaller that it looked like one coal”
“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”
making us pity him
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 acquire 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.
not a man of strong imagination- presume talking about his intelligence. at this time period, children in poverty would not have been seen in school or getting any education. they would go straight to work to earn their family some sort of income. bob was most likely one of these type of children. making us pity him more
“Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerk’s fire was so much smaller that it looked like one coal”
pity for him
we see scrooge’s avaricious attitude when learning about how he mistreats bob and the bad conditions he makes bob work in. bob’s has to work in the cold with
bob cratchit overview
underpaid clerk working for scrooge
represents the suffering and poor working conditions of the working classes
he endures cruel treatment for little pay
he does his job without complaint
dedicated and humble worker
a loving father and husband
puts a human face to a group of people scrooge is only too willing to treat as less than human
remains kind and cordial to scrooge’s abuse
“He stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season on the clerk, who, cold as he was, was warmer than Scrooge, for he returned them cordially. ‘There’s another fellow,’ mustered Scrooge, who overheard him; ‘my clerk, with fifteen shillings a week, and a wife and family, talking about a merry Christmas. I’ll retire to Bedlam.’”
Scrooge overhears Bob Cratchit cheerfully returning Fred’s Christmas greeting. Knowing the wages his clerk and his family subsist on, he thinks the poor man crazy. Scrooge’s joke about Bedlam, a famous insane asylum, reflects his perplexity at a world where people can be gracious while impoverished. Scrooge believes one can only be happy with wealth, but ironically, he remains miserable despite his wealth. Bob knows that celebrating Christmas has nothing to do with money. Wishing Fred a merry Christmas costs him nothing—but the words bring them both happiness, a point lost on Scrooge.
“They were not a handsome family, they were not well-dressed…but they were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time”
There is a list embedded within here to highlight all the things that the Cratchits could be displeased about but they are completely immersed in the celebrations. It gives Scrooge the opportunity to view life through another viewpoint which is completely foreign to him. This shows their generous spirit even in challenging circumstances
…Was warmer than Scrooge for he returned them cordially
The adjective ‘warm’ is not a literal reference as Bob only has a candle as a means of warmth. It shows his inner self and soul. Dickens conveys the message that money is not needed for internal happiness
“Bob had but 15 “bob” a-week himself”
pun used
Bob was a slang word for shillings used in Victorian era
The character being named bob who does not have enough money and is seen as a symbol to represent the poor lower class is very ironic
bob cratchit overview para
dickens uses bob cratchit as a vehicle to highlight the impact of poverty in the victorian era, and the suffering of many working class people
throughout the novella, we see bobs positive, grateful and considerate nature, and dedication to family
during vic era, great amount of stigma towards the poor, esp with intro of poor laws and malthusian theory
bob serves as a means to prompt reflection on this treatment of poorer people in society, and to attempt to incite a change in these attitudes
