Bob Cratchit

Who is he?

Scrooge’s poorly paid clerk, Mrs Cratchit’s husband and Tiny Tim’s father. His affection and vulnerability connect workplace decisions with the lives of a whole family.

Actions and development

Stave 1: at work: Bob copies letters beside a tiny fire and depends on Scrooge’s permission for holiday leave.

Audience / reader: Readers can recognise the office’s power imbalance and question Scrooge’s treatment of workers.

Stave 3: at home: He carries Tim home, shares the meal and generously proposes a toast to his employer.

Audience / reader: Warmth may invite affection for Bob, while Mrs Cratchit’s protest prevents gratitude from excusing exploitation.

Stave 4: possible loss: In the future Scrooge sees, Bob visits Tim’s grave and breaks down in grief.

Audience / reader: Bob’s repeated cry makes the possible loss personal rather than a distant social statistic.

Stave 5: practical help: Scrooge raises Bob’s salary and promises assistance for the family.

Audience / reader: Relief depends on a material change in the household’s prospects, not simply a warmer employer’s greeting.

What the character says — “the Founder of the Feast”

Bob about Scrooge · Stave 3

Method: Ceremonial title

The generous toast credits the employer, but its grand title exposes how much the family depends on inadequate wages.

What the character says — “My little, little child!”

Bob mourning Tim · Stave 4 possible future

Method: Repetition and exclamation

The repeated adjective and broken cry expose grief beneath Bob’s efforts to comfort his family. Love makes the possible death devastating.

What others say or describe — “one coal”

Narrator about Bob’s fire · Stave 1

Method: Concrete detail

The tiny supply of fuel makes workplace inequality visible. Bob’s discomfort is controlled by the employer who keeps the coal-box.

What others say or describe — “Tiny Tim upon his shoulder”

Narrator about Bob carrying Tim · Stave 3

Method: Physical image of care

Carrying his son gives affection a practical, bodily form. Limited income is shown alongside active parental warmth.

Structure and dramatic choices

The narrative moves from office to home, connecting Scrooge’s control of money and fuel with the family’s comfort and security.

Bob remains caring throughout. The major change is in his employer’s conduct and the family’s prospects, rather than Bob’s moral character.

Relevant context

Setting: nineteenth-century London; the Stave 4 bereavement is a possible future, not something Bob merely imagines.

For the 1843 Victorian readership, the household gives debates about poverty and employment an individual face without equating low income with low worth.

Check your understanding

How does carrying Tim reveal Bob’s care?

Why is the salary increase important beyond the office?