Bob Cratchit

Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the Charles Dickens 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. 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.

Bob Cratchit
A Christmas Carol character
Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim as depicted in the 1870s by Fred Barnard
First appearanceA Christmas Carol 1843
Created byCharles Dickens
In-universe information
NicknameBob
GenderMale
OccupationClerk
SpouseMrs. Cratchit (named Emily in some adaptations)
ChildrenMartha
Belinda
Peter
Tiny Tim
an unnamed son (named Matthew in some adaptations)
an unnamed daughter (named Lucy or Gillian in some adaptions)

In the novel

When Cratchit timidly asks Scrooge for Christmas Day off work so he can be with his family, Scrooge at first threatens to dock his pay, but reluctantly agrees on the condition that Cratchit comes to work early the day after Christmas.

Cratchit and his family live in poverty[1] because Scrooge is too miserly to pay him a decent wage. 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. 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.

After Scrooge decides to change his ways on Christmas Day, he anonymously sends a Christmas turkey to Cratchit for his family's dinner. The next day Scrooge states that he will increase Cratchit's salary immediately and promises to help his struggling family.

Family

The Cratchit family has been described as "impoverished, hardworking, and warmhearted".[1]

Seven members are mentioned in the original story, five of whom are named:[1]

  • Mrs. Cratchit, Bob Cratchit's wife,[1] who is named Emily in some adaptations.
  • Martha Cratchit,[1] the eldest daughter, who works as an apprentice at a milliners.
  • Belinda Cratchit,[1] the second daughter.
  • Peter Cratchit,[1] the heir, for whom his father is arranging employment at the weekly rate of five shillings and sixpence.
  • Timothy "Tiny Tim" Cratchit. The youngest child, he is desperately ill and walks with a crutch.[1]

Notable portrayals

The character of Bob Cratchit has been featured in works based on A Christmas Carol.

  • Cratchit by Alexander Knott premiered at London's Park Theatre, with John Dagleish as Bob. The play "explores what might happen if Cratchit was visited by the Ghost of Christmas yet-to-come and shown a bleak vision of the future, where the gap between rich and poor has grown beyond measure."[2][3]
  • The character has been featured in the musical comedy Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge.

Early Victorian Money

The British Pound was fixed at $4.85 USD until 1915. Since 1971 the Pound is floating and in Dec 2022 $1.22. Web site "https://www.in2013dollars.com/" denotes UK inflation is 150 from 1843 to 2022. Unknown if this calculator takes into account the exchange rate affecting purchasing power.

  • Pay: It is remarked by Scrooge that he pays 1/2 crown (2.5 shillings, 30 Pence) a day, 6 days a week. That translated to 39 pounds a year. Most clerks made a bit less (2 Bob a day) so Scrooge was paying him as a senior Clerk.
  • Buying power: 1843 coins and their value is HOTLY debated. A gold Pound (Sovereign) today from 1843 has melt value of $425 in gold and cost about $600 to purchase and a US $5 gold coin slightly higher value ($4.85 USD buys a gold pound). Roughly, 600 times the prices of 1843 to equal current values.
  • If a gold pound is today $600... then a penny is $2.50 USD and a shilling is $30. A 1843 Shilling (12 pence) is about $30 in buying power and 240 Pence = 1 pound. Roughly translates to $23,400 today (2022) and poverty pay and barely middle class.
  • 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. 500+ for comfortable living as a gentleman.
  • Generally, people's salaries in Victorian England were very low compared to current income.

References
  1. Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster. 1995. pp. 280–281, 1117. ISBN 0-87779-042-6.
  2. "John Dagleish to play titular role in Cratchit at the Park Theatre". WhatsOnStage. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. Marcolina, Cindy. "BWW Review: CRATCHIT, Park Theatre". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
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