Bob Cratchit Character Analysis (Edexcel GCSE English Literature)

Bob Cratchit acts as a foil to Scrooge as he is everything that Scrooge is not: poor, yet benevolent, kind and humble.

Bob Cratchit character summary

Why is Bob Cratchit important?

Dickens uses Bob in the novella to demonstrate that, despite being poor, he is rich in all of the things that truly matter. As he is generous, sensitive, polite, kind and loving, he acts as a foil to Scrooge who is none of these things.

Bob remains largely unchanged in terms of character traits throughout the novella:

• He is generous: he is given a pitiful wage by Scrooge, but despite this he is generous enough to propose a toast to his boss on Christmas Day.

• He is obedient and hard-working: Bob compliantly takes orders from his rude and bad-tempered boss without complaining. He does not challenge Scrooge and is worried about losing his position if Scrooge is displeased.

• He is kind and loving: Bob demonstrates willingness to forgive, is openly emotional about his family and is kind and polite to everyone he encounters.

By the end of the novella, Bob’s situation is improved due to Scrooge’s transformation, and he therefore becomes a more rounded character than the nameless “clerk” at the beginning of the story. He is presented positively by Dickens throughout, challenging a belief held by some members of the Victorian upper classes that the poor were in their situation because they were lazy and idle.

Bob Cratchit language analysis

Dickens presents aspects of Bob’s character through his dialogue with other characters in the novella.

• Polite and deferential diction: despite Scrooge’s appalling behaviour towards him as his employer, Bob is always polite and calls him “sir”.

• Positive tone: Bob believes in speaking positively and with gratitude about everyone, for example when he gently reminds his wife that she should not be critical as it is Christmas Day or when Bob raises a toast to Scrooge as his employer in Stave 3, even though this sentiment is not shared by the rest of his family.

• Exclamatory statements: Bob is sensitive and emotional, but also displays a zest for life. This is demonstrated by the frequent use of exclamation marks at the end of his statements.

Bob Cratchit key quotes

Bob Cratchit’s character development

Bob Cratchit character interpretations

Plight of the working classes

Bob’s character represents the working poor in Victorian times. Even though he works hard over long hours, he still struggles to support his family and provide adequately to improve Tiny Tim’s health. By presenting the working poor as trapped in a system from which they have no means of escape, Dickens highlights the need for social change and challenges the negative and prevalent attitudes of the upper class towards the working class and the poor. Bob’s fate, and that of his family, is completely dependent on his employer, and by referring to Bob only as the “clerk” in Stave 1, Dickens may have been suggesting that the poor were viewed merely in terms of labour rather than as human beings.

Bob’s Christianity

Bob is also presented as morally righteous. He has a deep emotional connection with religion, which he passes onto his son, Tiny Tim. By honouring Christian values and traditions, Victorian readers were likely to associate his character with someone of strong moral standing, making him a more sympathetic character to Dickens’ readers. 

Bob as a symbol

Bob is, however, a deliberate caricature of a poor, working class and religious man. He can be perceived as too good to be true, and Dickens has done this deliberately in order for Bob and the Cratchit family to become symbolic of a wider social issue, rather than wholly convincing characters in their own rights.