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Cratchits Challenge

The Cratchit family is used by Dickens to explore the idea of being grateful despite poverty. They are an extremely poor family who make do with very little, yet they still find joy in spending Christmas together. While describing their meager Christmas preparations, Dickens highlights how the Cratchits treasure family and community over material possessions. Though destitute, they remain happy, grateful, and content with what little they have.

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62 views2 pages

Cratchits Challenge

The Cratchit family is used by Dickens to explore the idea of being grateful despite poverty. They are an extremely poor family who make do with very little, yet they still find joy in spending Christmas together. While describing their meager Christmas preparations, Dickens highlights how the Cratchits treasure family and community over material possessions. Though destitute, they remain happy, grateful, and content with what little they have.

Uploaded by

kylekhoi28
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GCSE English Literature Homework – ‘A Christmas Carol’ – 200 Word Challenge

Your Challenge – Prove that the following statement is correct:

‘The Cratchits are used by Dickens to explore the idea that everyone should be grateful for what they have.’

Use the extracts from the text to help you, don’t forget to use quotations and try and use the word ‘destitute’ in
your answer. This means ‘extremely poor and lacking the means to provide for oneself.’

You could start: The Cratchits are a poor family who make do with what they have. Unlike Scrooge, they believe that
material possession is unimportant. Instead, the Cratchit family treasure…
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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;
while Master Peter Cratchit plunged a fork into the saucepan of potatoes, and getting the
corners of his monstrous shirt collar (Bob's private property, conferred upon his son and
heir in honour of the day) into his mouth, rejoiced to find himself so gallantly attired, and
yearned to show his linen in the fashionable Parks. And now two smaller Cratchits, boy
and girl, came tearing in, screaming that outside the baker's they had smelt the goose,
and known it for their own; and basking in luxurious thoughts of sage and onion, these
young Cratchits danced about the table, and exalted Master Peter Cratchit to the skies,
while he (not proud, although his collars nearly choked him) blew the fire, until the slow
potatoes bubbling up, knocked loudly at the saucepan-lid to be let out and peeled.

There was nothing of high mark in this. They were not a handsome family; they were not
well dressed; their shoes were far from being water-proof; their clothes were scanty;
and Peter might have known, and very likely did, the inside of a pawnbroker's. But, they
were happy, grateful, pleased with one another, and contented with the time; and when
they faded, and looked happier yet in the bright sprinklings of the Spirit's torch at
parting, Scrooge had his eye upon them, and especially on Tiny Tim, until the last.

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