Point: the family labour - father's long hours with minimal wages; busy domestic work; working children

not a quote! a play on name

Dickens could be mirroring to a ‘bob’, equivalent to a shilling, in Bob Cratchit’s name , directly correlating to his meager weekly wage of fifteen shillings, emphasising Scrooge’s exploitation of him, as he evidently works in freezing conditions with endless toil in Scrooge’s counting house, writing letters, yet receives very little in return. Here, Dickens uses this underlying linguistic link to curate financial precarity directly into his character's identity.

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Martha is Bob Cratchit’s eldest child. She first appears in the novella when she arrives home late on Christmas Day as she 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”.

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Some readers may feel sympathy for her character, particularly after she reveals that she needs a “good long rest”. This advances the idea that the novella aims to educate readers about the plight of the poor and so instigate social change.

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Dickens writes that Peter Cratchit “mashed the potatoes with incredible vigour”, presenting his character as energetic and spirited. Furthermore, when Bob reveals that he has a “situation in his eye for Master Peter”, Dickens adopts a light-hearted and humorous commentary, yet carries the underlying message that young family members like Martha and Peter work long hours as apprentices or take on small jobs, proving that the poor are industrious and not lazy.

M. C m t g… P m t p… B s u t a-s; M d t h p

Dickens uses fast-paced, multi-clause sentences, such as “Mrs. Cratchit made the gravy... Peter mashed the potatoes... Belinda sweetened up the apple-sauce; Martha dusted the hot plates” to show the frantic, physical effort required by every member of the family just to prepare a modest Christmas meal.