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- Tiny Tim is portrayed sentimentally throughout the novella, and Dickens frames him as an innocent, angelic being with his narrative comment: "Spirit of Tiny Tim, thy childish essence was from God!"
- Bob's character is a cheerful, loving and forgiving character who embraces the Christmas Spirit with Fred, the charity collectors and the carol singers who visit Scrooge's counting office
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- The archaic "thy" to describe Tiny Tim establishes his character as representing the poor innocent child rather than being a meaningful character in his own right. The religious language suggests he has a sacrificial function - he dies to make Scrooge see the error of his ways
- Bob Cratchit is the epitome of poverty, and Dickens uses him to demonstrate the damaging effects of greed. Scrooge is so caught up in making a profit that he mistreats his own employees and pays them little money.
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- Despite Scrooge's protest at having Christmas day off, Bob still shows forgiveness when he proclaims "Mr Scrooge, the Founder of the feast!"
- The narrator gently mocks their enthusiasm at the Cratchit's house. The children "danced about the table" and even the potatoes are personified as knocking on the lid of the saucepan to be "let out and peeled". This provides a stark contrast to the family in stave 4, who are now "Quiet. Very Quiet" and the children are "as still as statues". Tiny Tim's death has killed the joy and exuberance they displayed
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- The Cratchits are presented as a perfect, good family. Dickens idealises the Cratchits so that his readers are more likely to sympathise with them than if they were realistic and flawed
- Bob is very close to his children, especially Tiny Tim. This makes his grief at losing him even sadder for the reader - "Bob's voice was tremulous when he told them this, and trembled even more when he told them that Tiny Tim was growing strong and hearty"
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