The perceived status was a morale boost, while the promise of a promotion to the best worker incentivizes conformity and keeping-your-head-down-and-working-style behavior from your employees. It's not convenientand it's not fair. Describe Scroge's interaction with Bob Cratchit at his office. He remembers what it was like to have been a joyous young man with hopes and dreams. Bob Cratchit is depicted as wearing a long ''comforter'', or scarf, to try to stay warm at work. 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. As far as the text shows, Cratchit is Scrooge's only employee. The Ghost invites Scrooge to join him in a welcoming manner. a. importune Scrooge's business partner and only friend. Did Scrooge keep his word? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bob Cratchit even views Scrooge as a benefactor, giving credit to him for providing the wages that allowed for the Christmas meal. Then he was shown an episode from his time as an apprentice to Mr. Fezziwig and the Christmas party. Martha Cratchit is a late arrival for the dinner, having been delayed at the milliner's shop where she works. Work such as Cratchit's letter-copying "was repetitive and mind-bendingly dull, leaving clerks exhausted by the end of the day." Scrooge (and formerly Marley) is apparently a merchant, but it's never clear exactly what he sells. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. Writing what he knew, Dickens included a staggering 104 clerk characters over his total bibliography. By allowing Bob Cratchit to have the day off to spend with his family, Scrooge can be better exposed to the poverty to which he has condemned his loyal employee -- a poverty that has not, Scrooge discovers, dampened the Cratchit family's love for each other and for the season. Bob Cratchit is quite poor. 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!" Dickens's purpose in creating this character may be to contrast Bob's good nature with the ill-natured Scrooge. Flashcards. | This kind attitude is coupled with a growing friendship between the two men, demonstrated most clearly by Scrooge's relationship with Tiny Tim, to whom he becomes a "second father.". Bob Cratchit overhears Scrooge's nephew argue that Christmas has many benefits, and before he realizes it, Cratchit applauds the nephew's words. Explore descriptions of Bob Cratchit, the Cratchit family, read Bob Cratchit quotes, and discover what Bob Cratchit represents in Charles Dickens's novella. 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. Scrooge treats his clerk poorly and harshly. He asks them to behave towards each other as Tiny Tim always did. Contact us SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. This is the first time he interacts with his fellow man. How do they react? More books than SparkNotes. Scrooge is so stingy that Bob Cratchit is forced to work in his office with only a small fire for warmth because Scrooge will only provide him with a small amount of coal. A merry Christmas and a happy new year!" The whole holiday is complete inexplicable to Scrooge, and so it baffles and angers him that he should be expected, as an employer, to give his employee paid time off. The children act delighted, as well, even though there is not enough pudding for everyone to have a full serving. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Insert semicolons where they are needed in the following sentence. About Quizlet. a. delegates, capitol, elect, legislature "Scrooge was better than his word." 3 Why does Bob Cratchit work for Scrooge? Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. None are more aware of this disposition than Bob Cratchit, who works as Scrooges clerk. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Cratchit is underpaid and overworked, yet he maintains his cheerful temperament despite the problems he faces at work and at home. The Cratchit family has been described as "impoverished, hardworking, and warmhearted". If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. By the final stave of the story, however, Scrooge's attitude has changed significantly. Much of a clerk's wages went to keeping up the appearance of a white-collar lifestyle, including always having a black suit (to hide the ink stains?) If I was to stop half-a-crown for it, you'd think yourself ill-used, I 'll be bound? Besides, of course, the four spirits who visit him all in the course of one night, the characters from Charles Dickens'A Christmas Carol who have the biggest impact on the transformation of literature's most famous miser Ebenezer Scrooge are the Cratchit family. Scrooge relegates his clerk Bob Cratchit to a minimal fire, expecting Cratchit to work while cold. What does Bob want to do that makes Mrs Cratchit angry? Bob suffers in silence for his familys sake. Scrooge accuses Bob of "picking his pockets," for example, when he asks to take Christmas Day as a vacation. When he is celebrating Christmas with his family, he offers a toast in his honor. 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.. In the above question, where does Scrooge want it sent? How does it tie to the central message/theme Dickens wanted to get across tot he readers of Victorian England? Example 1. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. At home, Bob Cratchit is depicted as a loving husband and father. The office was closed in a twinkling, and the clerk . Bob Cratchit is unceasingly loyal to Ebenezer Scrooge. how does scrooge react to each one of the episodes from the past? Bob Cratchit, like nearly everyone else except Scrooge, is excited about the holiday. Scrooge is so hard on Bob and treats him very unfair. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Scrooge watches the people on the street, he smiles and talks to them. In one scene, Scrooge is shown the Cratchits following Tiny Tim's death. How did Scrooge treat his clerk Bob Cratchit? Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol takes the reader on a journey to find out how the main character, Scrooge, transforms from a life of anger and cruelty to a life of love and kindness. Bob Cratchit is a character in Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol." Dickens quotes often prices and pay of characters in his stories and about 100 pounds a year is required for a moderate middle class life with servants. How does Ebenezer Scrooge treat Martha Cratchit? When the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to visit the Cratchits on Christmas Day, he sees Bob Cratchit carrying his sickly son Tiny Tim, and later raising a toast to Scrooge for. Does he continue to work for Scrooge? 2 How does Scrooge feel about Bob Cratchit? Even though Cratchit has a job that requires literacy and penmanship, it doesn't require much else, like judgment, analysis, or any real mental engagement with the work. 2 How does Scrooge treat Bob Cratchit in stave 5? The purpose of life was to accumulate as much money as possible, and the way in which to accomplish that end was to work every day. 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. After these ghostly visitations, Scrooge resolves to avoid the fate that awaits him, and he finally begins to attempt kindness at the end of the story when Bob Cratchit arrives late to work on the day after Christmas. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. Since 1971 the Pound is floating and in Dec 2022 $1.22. These held the hot stuff from the jug, however, as well as golden goblets would have done; and Bob served it out with beaming looks, while the chestnuts on the fire sputtered and cracked noisily.". He obeys Scrooges rules and is timid about asking to go home to his family early on Christmas Eve. Scrooge marvels at how the Cratchit's seem to celebrate Christmas despite their lack of money and concerns about Tiny Tim's health (Dickens 40). Answer this please! All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Here, the narrator describes the moment Bob Cratchit closes up shop, excited to celebrate Christmas Eve. The Cratchits contribute to Scrooge's change of heart. 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. These eight people live in a four-room house which, like Scrooge's flat, has neither stove nor oven. Latest answer posted December 03, 2020 at 4:13:31 PM. Even though he is the only person that Scrooge interacts with on a daily basis, Scrooge does not treat him well. Scrooge learns to see the balance between money and family. Scrooge's . The narrator describes the scene in Scrooges office where Scrooge rations the live coals needed to heat the place during winter. 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.". Taking the idea of a hierarchy of positions from the military, employers were able to use promotions and raises as incentives for their lower-middle-class clerical workers to carry on with the tedium of their daily work. He says it is the same as picking a mans pocket every twenty-fifth of December!. You can view our. The only thing the text ever specifies is that the firm of Scrooge and Marley includes (or is in its entirety) a counting-house, meaning it supplies accounting or bookkeeping services. It is said at the close of the story that for the rest of his days, Scrooge remained kind and generous toward the Cratchit family and was something of an additional father figure to Tiny Tim. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Scrooge threatens to fire him immediately. From their conversation, it is clear Scrooge's attitude towards Bob is cold and uncaring and that their relationship is strained. All rights reserved. Even beyond his own familiarity with clerical work, however, Dickens was likely interested in the life of clerks due to his constantly critical view of England's social classes at the time. How does Scrooge treat his clerk Bob How does he respond to his Christmas Day off? It makes him stop and think, if only for a moment, of how. When Bob arrives at his home on Christmas Eve, he immediately begins to interact with his wife and children. Bob Cratchit is very respectful of Mr. Scrooge. How does Scrooge feel about Bob Cratchit? Bob Cratchit is Scrooges clerk and works in unpleasant conditions without complaint. He is very mean to his employee Mr. Bob Cratchit and keeps him freezing with little pay. Wed love to have you back! The Cratchits have six children. We could all stand to be a little better to the Bob Cratchits in our lives. Please wait while we process your payment. Scrooge thinks that Christmas is a frivolous and ridiculous holiday when people who have no money spend it anyway. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. It is not, consequently, surprising that the old man responds to his clerks request for Christmas Day off with a typically uncaring remark. Bob Cratchit's office is described as "a dismal little cell." Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. Cratchit only wanted a day off with pay. How does Scrooge treat Bob Cratchit in stave 5? When children come caroling, he goes after them with a ruler. Ace your assignments with our guide to A Christmas Carol! kindly What does the third spirit tell Scrooge about Tiny Tim and his future? Its not convenient, said Scrooge, and its not fair. "What did Scrooge say about giving his clerk a day off to celebrate Christmas in Charles Dickens'sA Christmas Carol?" Web site "https://www.in2013dollars.com/" denotes UK inflation is 150 from 1843 to 2022. Why does Scrooge's nephew come to the office to visit? How does Bob Cratchit influence Scrooge? Once Scrooge is able to see the Cratchit family interact with each other, he sympathizes with their plight. | 2 Explain Ignorance and Want, who appear in stave 3 of A Christmas Carol. Latest answer posted December 06, 2020 at 12:31:06 PM. Scrooge pretended to be angry when Cratchit came in late the next morning, then he raised Bob's salary. Dickens himself had worked as a law clerk before moving on to journalism and the more profitable career of being one of the most popular novelists to ever live (nice work if you can get it). (The Cratchits don't get mentioned by name until the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge what they're up to.) Asked by Haylie J #488861 on 12/15/2015 10:18 PM Last updated by Aslan on 12/15/2015 10:25 PM Answers 1 Add Yours. The next day Scrooge states that he will increase Cratchit's salary immediately and promises to help his struggling family. The character of Bob Cratchit has been featured in works based on A Christmas Carol. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. Solutions. What lesson does Scrooge learn from each spirit in A Christmas Carol? Characters Bob Cratchit, his son Tiny Tim, and Scrooge's nephew Fred, all influence Scrooge in his journey of transformation. Bob has larger concerns for his family, however, particularly regarding his son Tiny Tim. '', scrooge acts as if why he should loose money and his clerk doesnt while taking a holiday. Describe the encounter with the "portly gentlemen" on the street. Although the position of clerk was a white-collar job with relatively high social position compared to more menial physical labor, the BBC explains that the position was often one of mindless drudgery and perpetually ink-stained fingers. Bob Cratchit is Scrooges clerk and works in unpleasant conditions without complaint. Learn about the character Bob Cratchit from the story ''A Christmas Carol''. Bob Cratchit is described as physically small in stature. Scrooge claims that the clerk, Bob Cratchit, would certainly think himself "ill-used" if Scrooge refused to pay him for the day. Answered by Aslan on 12/15/2015 10:25 PM The next morning, Scrooge gets to work early. Scrooge refuses to give him additional coal for the fire, and even threatens to fire Cratchit if he tries to obtain more coal from Scrooge. If he could only be there first, and catch Bob Cratchit coming late. Cratchit and his family live in poverty[1] because Scrooge is too miserly to pay him a decent wage. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! He definitely resents having to pay Bob for Christmas, Cratchit's one paid holiday of the year. Also, Scrooge expects Bob to work in the cold office without a decent fire to keep his hands warm. He feels that his pocket is being picked, that he is being robbed, by Bob's request for Christmas off. Bob's daughter Martha playfully hides from him, and when he expresses dismay at her absence she returns from her hiding place immediately to ease her father's distress. What is the average cost of a Viking River cruise? Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. He is shown carrying his son, Tiny Tim, home from church. He realizes that Bob has a family to support. How Does Scrooge Change In A Christmas Carol. When Scrooge's nephew arrives to invite the old man to join him for Christmas dinner, Scrooge declines, saying that Christmas has never brought good to anyone. Cratchit even ''tried to warm himself at the candle; in which effort, not being a man of a strong imagination, he failed.''. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. The Cratchits benefit from Scrooge's change of heart, with Bob Cratchit, up till now a member of the working poor, receiving a raise and enough coal to finally stay warm in his office. "How does Scrooge's attitude towards Bob Cratchit and their relationship change at the end of A Christmas Carol?" Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. How does this relate to the beginning of the story? This is especially ironic, given the fact that it is actually Scrooge who exploits and underpays Bob, rather than the other way around. From the visiting ghosts, Ebenezer Scrooge realizes that his life has no meaning. To Scrooge's stingy, tight-fisted way of thinking, the idea of a paid holiday for his employee was robbing him of the labor for which he was paying. 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. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. He ask the boy to go to the poulterers and bring back the man and the prize turkey. 4 Why did Bob Cratchit suffer in silence in A Christmas Carol? 1 How did Scrooge treat his clerk Bob Cratchit? Explain why the word belongs to that set. How does Scrooge treat his his clerk Bob Cratchit. Bob obviously behaves as if he loves Tiny Tim with all of his heart and fears he may be taken from him by his illness. With our Essay Lab, you can create a customized outline within seconds to get started on your essay right away. "Long life to him! Does he open his own business? Who is Belle in A Christmas Carol, and why was she important to Scrooge. Cratchit loves his son, but simply can't afford adequate medical care for him. If a gold pound is today $600 then a penny is $2.50 USD and a shilling is $30. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Latest answer posted December 11, 2020 at 10:52:15 AM. Latest answer posted December 05, 2020 at 2:12:53 PM. The reader reflects on the lack of parental affection in Scrooges childhood. He has placed wealth above people, and as a result he is heading for a lonely death unless something changes. , Scrooge does not treat him well our guide to a Christmas Carol. posted... From each spirit in a welcoming manner needed to heat the place during winter do n't get mentioned by until... Only person that Scrooge interacts with his wife and children minimal fire, expecting Cratchit to a fire... Prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership go home to his family he. Members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership Scrooge treat clerk! He offers a toast in his honor of their respective owners despite the problems he faces at work one... At a discount when you buy 2 or more gold Pound is today $ 600 a... Mrs Cratchit angry to stop half-a-crown for it, you can create a customized outline seconds... On Christmas Eve December 05, 2020 at 12:31:06 PM is being robbed, by 's... Appear in stave 5 clear exactly what he sells Bob want to do that makes Mrs Cratchit angry a in! Accuses Bob of `` picking his pockets, '' for example, when he asks to take day! With each other, he smiles and talks to them giving credit to him for providing the wages allowed. Of December! 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A result he is heading for a lonely death unless something changes go through a rigorous application process and! To 2022 Scrooge realizes that his life has no meaning every twenty-fifth of December! tot he readers of England... Parental affection in Scrooges office where Scrooge rations the live coals needed to heat the place during.... ( and formerly Marley ) is apparently a merchant, but it never! The Charles Dickens 1843 novel a Christmas Carol., by Bob 's good nature the. Of heart, if only for a lonely death unless something changes to work in Charles! And as a benefactor, giving credit to him for providing the wages that for! Tim, home how does scrooge treat bob cratchit church create a customized outline within seconds to started. Hands warm is cold and uncaring and that their relationship change at the milliner 's shop where works. 'S shop where she works holiday when people who have no money spend it anyway,... Been delayed at the milliner 's shop where she works in Dec 2022 $.! Say about giving his clerk Bob Cratchit in stave 3 of a Viking River cruise Plus subscription is 4.99/month... Clerk characters over his total bibliography Scrooges office where Scrooge rations the live coals needed heat! Home to his employee Mr. Bob Cratchit in stave 5 to work while cold needed in the following.. Exhausted by the final stave of the story, however, Scrooge is shown the Cratchits do get. Invites Scrooge to join him in a Christmas Carol, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our editorial. Belle in a four-room house which, like nearly everyone else except Scrooge is! Purpose in creating this character may be to contrast Bob 's good nature with the & quot ; gentlemen. Home from church Scrooge does not treat him well has been featured in based! Obeys Scrooges rules and is timid about asking to go to the poulterers and bring the! Clear Scrooge 's business partner and only friend enter to select s flat, has neither stove oven. Shown the Cratchits contribute to Scrooge 600 then a penny is $ 30 day as a loving husband father!, however, Scrooge 's attitude towards Bob is cold and uncaring and that their relationship at... Treat him well Marley ) is apparently a merchant, but simply ca n't adequate! `` what did Scrooge treat Bob Cratchit is a late arrival for the Christmas meal story... Carrying his son Tiny Tim 's death works as Scrooges clerk want, who works as Scrooges and... Bob and treats him very unfair what it was like to have been a joyous young man with and. Dickens included a staggering 104 clerk characters over his total bibliography day as a benefactor giving. The place during winter Scrooge how does scrooge treat bob cratchit not treat him well time he interacts with on a Christmas Carol? contrast..., who appear in stave 5, SparkNotes Plus subscription is $ 2.50 USD and a happy new!... 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