Point: morally righteous character

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When Bob proposes a toast to Scrooge, the supposed “Founder of the Feast”, Mrs Cratchit does not approve. While this seems justified and so does not reflect badly on Mrs Cratchit, Bob replies in a “mild” way. He simply reminds his wife of “the children” and that it is “Christmas Day”, elevating his position. This is because his behaviour presents him as remarkably patient and so heightens the righteousness of his character.

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In the opening stave of the novella Scrooge is cruel and merciless towards Bob. He makes him work in a “dismal little cell” and complains that he is “ill-used” for paying “a day’s wages for no work,'' using an accusatory and aggressive tone towards the helpless clerk. It is interesting to note that the narrator is not sympathetic towards Scrooge but is sympathetic with regards to Bob, causing the reader to side with his character. This consequently characterises Scrooge as the villain. Following Scrooge’s transformation, Bob displays compassion as he forgives Scrooge for mistreating him, once again idealising his character.

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Bob Cratchit says “Oh, a wonderful pudding!… Nobody [in the Cratchit Family] said or thought it was at all a small pudding for a large family.” This 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”. Once again, 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. Dickens may have also wanted to depict Bob Cratchit and his family 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. This is evident through the character of Bob Cratchit.

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Bob’s youngest child, Tiny Tim, is described as a “cripple”. He is arguably a symbol to showcase the loving aspect of Bob’s character and causes the reader to sympathise with him more as we understand the intricate difficulties of his life. This is seen most notably following Tiny Tim’s death in Stave Four, where we witness Bob trying to remain peaceful despite his grief. He reminds his family not to “quarrel easily” amongst each other in order to honour Tiny Tim’s memory. In addition to building sympathy towards Bob, Tiny Tim’s character is also used to foreground Bob’s virtue. Dickens details how Bob returned from church with “Tiny Tim upon his shoulder'' . This adds religious weight to his goodness, presenting his character as morally righteous, which is solidified by the pastoral image of him holding his child.