How does charles dickens portray the cratchit family in ' A Christmas Carol'

How does Dickens portray the Cratchit family?
What part does this family play in Dickens's intentions for this novel?
<Tab/>In Victorian times there was a big gap between middle and lower working class. The working day was 12-hours long, but during the winter the days were shorter because if the shorter daylight hours. They were disciplined a lot because if they were late for work then the gates would already be locked so they would loose their pay for that day. The life for the people that did work was better than the one of those who didn't. The conditions that they were w…