Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Who is Belle in A Christmas Carol, and why was she important to Scrooge. Bob Cratchit as an employee in Scrooge's business. The abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge (and possibly Jacob Marley, when he was alive), Cratchit has come to symbolize the poor working conditions, especially long working hours and low pay, endured by many working-class people in the early Victorian era. Four of the best book quotes from Bob Cratchit. Did Scrooge keep his word? Scrooge, a "tightfisted hand at the grindstone," treats his clerk, Bob Cratchit, coldly. What does Bob Cratchit go on to do in his life? And Ebenezer Scrooge begins "A Christmas Carol" as a bad one. "I wish I had him here. The door knocker is the first step on his road to redemption when he sees Marley's face in it. Scrooge treats him poorly, hesitating to even let him have the. While clerks originated in medieval times as people in religious positions ("clerk" is related to the word "clergy"), asVictorianLondon.orgexplains, by Victorian times, it had come to mean anyone "engaged in the departments of trade or business that require the pen.". What does Scrooge ask the little boy to do? To that extent, they argue, physical labor was preferable to a clerk's job, as it's better to be tired from your work, not of your work. None are more aware of this disposition than Bob Cratchit, who works as Scrooges clerk. We could all stand to be a little better to the Bob Cratchits in our lives. As the BBC explains, the position of clerk was an essential step in the establishment of the then-new idea of climbing the corporate ladder. Similarly, you may ask, how does Dickens present and develop the character of Bob Cratchit? The family is happy despite their circumstances, however. It showed him scenes from his past that occurred on or around Christmas, in order to demonstrate to him the necessity of changing his ways, which scenes from the past does scrooge visit. Describe Scroge's interaction with Bob Cratchit at his office. No one complains about the small portions because all the Cratchits enjoy Christmas as much as Bob does. Why does the Ghost of Christmas Past show Scrooge the boarding school where he was left alone in A Christmas Carol? offensive, Each line, when completed, should have three words similar in meaning. About us. In this passage, Bob Cratchit is depicted as a man capable of experiencing child-like joy while playing in the snow with the children he encounters on his walk home. In Stave One of A Christmas Carol, we meet Scrooge and his employee, Bob Cratchit, for the first time. Bob knows that celebrating Christmas has nothing to do with money. He obeys Scrooges rules and is timid about asking to go home to his family early on Christmas Eve. Before his experience with the spirits, Scrooge is known throughout his community as cold, miserly, and mean-spirited. "And perhaps it was the pleasure the good Spirit had in showing off this power of his, or else it was his own kind, generous, hearty nature, and his sympathy with all poor men, that led him straight to Scrooge's clerk's; for there he went, and took Scrooge with him, holding to his robe; and on the threshold of the door the Spirit smiled, and stopped to bless Bob Cratchit's dwelling with the sprinkling of his torch." Cratchit's son, Tiny Tim, is crippled and sick;[1] according to the Ghost of Christmas Present, Tim will die because the family is too poor to give him the treatment he needs. Cratchit's wife reluctantly joins Bob in a toast to Scrooge. eNotes Editorial, 5 Dec. 2020, https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-did-scrooge-say-about-giving-his-clerk-a-day-380650. Scrooge pretends that he is about to scold him, but Cratchit is taken aback when Scrooge announces, "I'll raise your salary, and endeavour to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon, over a Christmas bowl of smoking bishop, Bob! In "A Christmas Carol", Bob Cratchit is described as a small man with an optimistic outlook on life. Modern Learning Lab. (Who, Whom) is going to be the first to volunteer for the decorations committee? Scrooge is so hard on Bob and treats him very unfair. 20% Scrooge pretended to be angry when Cratchit came in late the next morning, then he raised Bob's salary. How does Scrooge treat Bob Cratchit? Dickens continues to emphasize Bob Cratchit's poverty throughout the story. Bob Cratchit is Scrooge's clerk and works in unpleasant conditions without complaint. He will not die if Scrooge changes his ways In Stave 5, what does Scrooge offer to a charity on Christmas? for a group? While Cratchit's family curses Scrooge for his stinginess, however, Cratchit says he feels sorry for his employer, and insists that they toast his health. The Cratchits have six children. On the other hand, Scrooge represents materialism to such an extent that he hates the holiday for usurping a day that he would like to devote to moneymaking. He sees that human life can be meaningful, and by the end of the novella he desires to add meaning to his own life. It's not convenientand it's not fair. Scrooge gives Bob a pay rise, for instance, and he donates a large turkey to the family for their Christmas Day meal. Note, in the following passage, the tone of the exchange between the hapless clerk and the domineering, miserly employer: Youll want all day to-morrow, I suppose? said Scrooge. Does he continue to work for Scrooge? To Scrooge Christmas is a Humbug and an excuse. Describe the two children who emerge from the second spirit's robe in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. 1 What is Bob Cratchit relationship to Scrooge? $24.99 Bob Cratchit at Play Scrooge resents the custom of allowing employees paid time off for holidays, and he urges Bob Cratchit to come in early the day after Christmas to make up for his time off. He says that, even though all people do is get older and poorer every year, they still continue to celebrate. The spirit then takes Scrooge to the meager home of Bob Cratchit, where Mrs. Cratchit and her children prepare a Christmas goose and savor the few Christmas treats they can afford. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! He did not agree with the social expectation that said that work should be suspended for a holiday, on Christmas or on any other day. How does Scrooge's nephew treat Bob Cratchit, his clerk? How does the character of Scrooge change throughout the story? In this activity, students will connect passages from Dickens's novel with the elements of Bob Cratchit's character explored in the lesson. But what exactly does he do? Scrooge's business partner and only friend. What Happens to Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol? 1 How did Scrooge treat his clerk Bob Cratchit? Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. "I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year." The next day, Scrooge surprises Bob by giving him a raise and has a lovely dinner with the Cratchit family. To Scrooge, Cratchit is nothing more than a necessary machine, and he wants to keep the cost of maintaining this machine as low as possible. Scrooge, his employer, keeps the door between them open so he can watch Cratchit at all times. Tiny Tim has a withered hand and requires crutches to walk. What is Bob Cratchit relationship to Scrooge? For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! He realizes that Bob has a family to support. Scrooge accuses Bob of "picking his pockets," for example, when he asks to take Christmas Day as a vacation. The abused, underpaid clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge (and possibly Jacob Marley , when he was alive), Cratchit has come to symbolize the poor working conditions, especially long working hours and low pay, endured by many working-class people in the early . Example 1. on 50-99 accounts. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. After Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, he resolves to place people above material possessions. Latest answer posted December 05, 2020 at 2:12:53 PM. He even takes an interest in Tiny Tim, who has not died as the spirit predicted, and becomes like "a second father" to the boy. Scrooge refuses to give money In Stave I Scrooge is asked to make a donation for the 'Poor and destitute' of society. Mrs. Cratchit worries that she might not have added the correct amount of flour to her Christmas pudding, but Bob proclaims that it is the best dish she has ever served since they have been married. Latest answer posted January 12, 2021 at 5:08:54 PM. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Name the six places the second spirit takes Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Dickens wanted people to celebrate the idea of helping their fellow man all year rather than just one day a year. Share. As far as the text shows, Cratchit is Scrooge's only employee. Work such as Cratchit's letter-copying "was repetitive and mind-bendingly dull, leaving clerks exhausted by the end of the day." The narrator describes the scene in Scrooges office where Scrooge rations the live coals needed to heat the place during winter. Bob feels warmed by the good cheer of being with others in celebration. Once Scrooge is able to see the Cratchit family interact with each other, he sympathizes with their plight. Tiny Tim is younger than these three children and seems relentlessly happy, although he must wear leg braces and walk with crutches. Describe the encounter with the "portly gentlemen" on the street. Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Margaret Stone, Margaret Stone, Amy Fredrickson. For the first time, Scrooge begins to understand that Bob is a human being embedded in a network of relationships. Bob Cratchit is described as physically small in stature. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. a. importune "Scrooge was better than his word." Scrooge raised Cratchit's salary, promised to help his family, bought his lunch, built up the fires, and bought another coal scuttle so Crachit could have coal whenever he wished. Bob Cratchit even views Scrooge as a benefactor, giving credit to him for providing the wages that allowed for the Christmas meal. Despite his wealth, he did not do anything good with it until the spirits came to visit. He has a young child with a disability and other children to support as well. Scrooge is angered when he is taken to the scene when Belle, a girl to whom he was engaged, breaks the engagement because all Scrooge does it work and obsess about money. If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, youd think yourself ill-used, Ill be bound?, And yet, said Scrooge, you dont think me ill-used, when I pay a days wages for no work.. At home, Bob Cratchit is depicted as a loving husband and father. What is Scrooges attitude towards Bob Cratchit? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. From their conversation, it is clear Scrooge's attitude towards Bob is cold and uncaring and that their relationship is strained. When Bob points out that it really is just the one day a year, Scrooge declares that this is "a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket every twenty-fifth of December!" In the end, when Scrooge changes his ways for the better, Bob Cratchit is delighted. Terms in this set (22) At the beginning of the third stave, how does Scrooge know he should open the door and enter the other room? Bob Cratchit is Scrooge's clerk and works in unpleasant conditions without complaint. Pay: It is remarked by Scrooge that he pays 1/2 crown (2.5 shillings, 30 Pence) a day, 6 days a week. Scrooge complains that it is not "convenient" or "fair" for him to be expected to give his employee a day off for the holiday of Christmas. Very simply, Bob Cratchit changes from being a thing to emerging as a human being in Scrooge's eyes. 4 Why did Bob Cratchit suffer in silence in A Christmas Carol? Scrooge complains to Bob Cratchit, his clerk, when he asks for the day off for Christmas. Bob Cratchit is poor for two reasons. The next day Scrooge states that he will increase Cratchit's salary immediately and promises to help his struggling family. Bob enjoys his children, and the children are excited to see him after work. He says it is the same as picking a mans pocket every twenty-fifth of December! Scrooge treats his clerk horribly, not even allowing him sufficient coal to keep himself warm. Scrooge moves from using people and loving things to using things and loving people. Accessed 1 Mar. Complete the following sentences with an appropriate phrase that includes the correct form of jugar, Link each word on the left with a set of words on the right. 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