Again, I love that Dickens wastes no time in being like, "Scrooge, if you continue to be the way you are, this little disabled boy is dead. Are you getting the point yet?" What an absolute slammer of a piece.
Dec 16, 2022·edited Dec 16, 2022Liked by warrioreowyn
I know Tiny Tim's possible grim future is the focus of this chapter but I feel bad for the entire family.
The Cratchits are wonderful people, which is why it's all the more heartbreaking to read that Bob is already thinking of a job for Peter, who's probably no more than twelve. These kids should be allowed to be kids for as long as possible but they can't because Scrooge doesn't pay the father a fair wage.
"Scrooge the Baleful", "the Ogre of the family" are definitely well-deserved titles.
I find myself pondering Bob Cratchits’ character. Why does he work for Scrooge? Are jobs hard to come by and this one was all he could find? And yet, he toasts Scrooge not to be sarcastic but because he really means it. When Bob looks at Scrooge does he see a poor boy who was never worthy of his father’s love? Can Bob tell that Scrooge fought so hard for wealth because he is still trying to prove to himself that he is worthy? Why else is Bob quietly chiding his wife for expressing how she should be feeling about Scrooge?
Perhaps Bob and Ebenezer are two sides of the same coin. Both born to poverty, one chose to love fearlessly while the other chose to fear love.
I've always thought Bob must be in some way less-hireable, like perhaps he doesn't have the level of education expected of a clerk. That's how Scrooge gets away with paying him less, and why Bob remains in the job and seems genuinely grateful to his employer in spite of everything. After all, Scrooge would jump at the chance to hire someone he could justify paying less for the same work.
Contentment is a wonderful emotion. Gratitude is another. This family is a great example of a simple life lived well. It certainly makes you think though about what benefits could be found from a few extra bob per week. Would Tiny Tim be able to receive treatment? Might Martha work a few hours less? And here is Peter at such a young age imagining what an income might mean... So much food for thought. Sigh...
Again, I love that Dickens wastes no time in being like, "Scrooge, if you continue to be the way you are, this little disabled boy is dead. Are you getting the point yet?" What an absolute slammer of a piece.
I know Tiny Tim's possible grim future is the focus of this chapter but I feel bad for the entire family.
The Cratchits are wonderful people, which is why it's all the more heartbreaking to read that Bob is already thinking of a job for Peter, who's probably no more than twelve. These kids should be allowed to be kids for as long as possible but they can't because Scrooge doesn't pay the father a fair wage.
"Scrooge the Baleful", "the Ogre of the family" are definitely well-deserved titles.
I find myself pondering Bob Cratchits’ character. Why does he work for Scrooge? Are jobs hard to come by and this one was all he could find? And yet, he toasts Scrooge not to be sarcastic but because he really means it. When Bob looks at Scrooge does he see a poor boy who was never worthy of his father’s love? Can Bob tell that Scrooge fought so hard for wealth because he is still trying to prove to himself that he is worthy? Why else is Bob quietly chiding his wife for expressing how she should be feeling about Scrooge?
Perhaps Bob and Ebenezer are two sides of the same coin. Both born to poverty, one chose to love fearlessly while the other chose to fear love.
I've always thought Bob must be in some way less-hireable, like perhaps he doesn't have the level of education expected of a clerk. That's how Scrooge gets away with paying him less, and why Bob remains in the job and seems genuinely grateful to his employer in spite of everything. After all, Scrooge would jump at the chance to hire someone he could justify paying less for the same work.
Ooh yes! This is a good thought! Maybe Bob is just a more gullible kind of guy. It does seem like the poor and gullible are always more happy 😊
“Tiny Tim drank it last of all, but he didn't care twopence for it. Scrooge was the Ogre of the family."
Can you imagine knowing you're a disappointment to THE Tiny Tim?
The way Bob Cratchit is described is really something. "Look at this sweet dummy. Leaky shoes and he doesn't know what a circle is!"
Haha! The circle line was pretty hilarious
Contentment is a wonderful emotion. Gratitude is another. This family is a great example of a simple life lived well. It certainly makes you think though about what benefits could be found from a few extra bob per week. Would Tiny Tim be able to receive treatment? Might Martha work a few hours less? And here is Peter at such a young age imagining what an income might mean... So much food for thought. Sigh...