Bob Cratchit - Definition

Bob Cratchit is a fictional character in the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Although a central figure of the tale, his passive character is overshadowed by that of Ebenezer Scrooge.

Cratchit is Scrooge's employee, a low-paid clerk with a large family. Though he is treated poorly by Scrooge, Cratchit retains a loyalty to his boss despite the protestations of his wife. His youngest son, Tiny Tim, is a cripple, and it is partly through concern for his plight that Scrooge makes the transformation from miser to philanthropist.