Inspired by Dickens’s nephew (who sadly did not live to adulthood), Tiny Tim represents
children in Victorian society who were vulnerable because of disabilities.
Tiny Tim is loved by Bob, who carries ‘Tiny Tim upon his shoulder.’, and all the family
members.
This illustrates Dickens’s view, later reiterated in the 1850 Christmas edition of his magazine
Household Words, that, in the eyes of God, all children, including those with disabilities,
have value.
Dickens shows the reader that, despite his difficulties, Tim and his family have kept
their faith in God.
Dickens emphasises this through dialogue when Bob Cratchit says: ‘He told me, coming home,
that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be
pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind
men see'.
The character of Tiny Tim, depicted as a good, almost angelic child, is used to encourage
Christians to reflect on religion and biblical stories in which Jesus does not ignore the
disabled.
This provides a moral message for the reader.
Tiny Tim is also a symbol of the consequences of Scrooge’s change in attitude and behaviour
in the story.
At the end of the novella, his condition improves drastically (he ‘did not die’) thanks
to money that Scrooge gives to the family.
Dickens therefore uses the character of Tiny Tim and the possibility of his future death
as a device to force Scrooge to change his selfish ways, and to challenge readers to
do the same.
Peter Cratchit, Bob’s eldest son, is on the verge of manhood.
He has everything to look forward to.
Bob has found him a ‘situation’, a job.
This transition to manhood is symbolised by his new shirt, a shirt that is too big for
him, as its collar is ‘monstrous’.
By drawing attention to the size of the shirt, perhaps Dickens is suggesting that Peter is
too young to be entering the world of work.
Furthermore, the shirt is second-hand, ‘Bob's private property, conferred upon his son and
heir in honour of the day’, which underscores the poverty of a family who cannot afford
new clothes.
Despite wearing an oversized second-hand shirt, Peter ‘rejoiced to find himself so gallantly
attired, and yearned to show his linen in the fashionable Parks’.
Here, we have a reference to the parks of London where the fashionable upper classes
would ride and show off their finery.
Dickens implies that Peter would love to join them in showing off his new clothes.
Of course, this would be impossible.
Perhaps Dickens uses Peter to represent the hopes and dreams of the working classes to
better themselves.
This idea is developed when, after the future Tiny Tim dies, Bob hopes that Fred will find
him a ‘better situation’.
Martha Cratchit, Bob’s oldest daughter, is ‘a poor apprentice at a milliner’s’
(a milliner makes and sells hats).
She represents exploited, underpaid female apprentices.
We do not know how old she is apart from the fact that she is Bob’s oldest daughter,
but she joins in the fun and hides from Bob before he arrives, which hints that she is
young.
Her income is necessary to the Cratchit family, as it supplements Bob’s meagre pay.
Through her character, Dickens reminds the reader of the working conditions for apprentices.
She is late at her parents’ house because she works long hours and is even required
to work on Christmas Day: ‘We’d a deal of work to finish up last night…and had
to clear away this morning’.
She relates ‘how many hours she worked at a stretch, and how she meant to lie abed to-morrow
morning for a good long rest’.
Dickens emphasises the extent to which she is exploited through irony: ‘she had seen
a countess and a lord some days before’—she makes hats for the rich, hats that she will
never be able to afford for herself.
The 1847 Factory Act (which said that women and children aged between 13 - 18 should work
a maximum of 10 hours a day) only applied to women and children who worked in factories.
We can assume, bearing in mind Dickens’s purpose, that ‘A Christmas Carol’ is set
in 1843, so Martha would have had no protection from the law.
The first time that we meet Belinda, she is performing a domestic task, helping her mother:
Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit’s wife, dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned gown,
but brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence; and she laid
the cloth, assisted by Belinda Cratchit, second of her daughters, also brave in ribbons […]
The repetition of ‘brave in ribbons’ implies that she is a younger version of her mother,
learning gender-assigned roles in the house.
She ‘sweetened up the apple-sauce’ and changed the plates between courses.
Interestingly, when the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come takes Scrooge to Bob Cratchit’s
house in stave 4, she is not mentioned by name.
We can assume that she is one of the ‘daughters…engaged in sewing’ and one of the ‘girls’ who
speaks.
In this scene, only Bob Cratchit, Peter Cratchit and Tiny Tim are mentioned by name.
Mrs Cratchit is defined by her role as wife and ‘mother’.
The future Belinda is denied a name or identity.
We do not learn the names of the younger Cratchit children.
However, if we add them to Martha, Belinda, Peter and Tiny Tim, we learn that Mr and Mrs
Cratchit have six mouths to feed.
This number draws attention to Bob’s situation as poorly paid employee.
It also explains why Martha works and why Peter has just been found a ‘situation’.
Well I hope you found this video useful.
Everything I go through in this video series can be found in the second edition of Mr Bruff’s
Guide to A Christmas Carol.
The links are in the description - you can pick up a copy.
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