Does Tiny Tim die in A Christmas Carol?

No. The spirits show that he might die if nothing changes, but Scrooge helps the family, and the story says Tiny Tim did not die.

What is wrong with Tiny Tim?

Dickens describes him as lame, with a crutch and an iron frame on his limbs, and the Ghost suggests he is sick. The story does not name his illness.

What is Tiny Tim’s famous line?

Tim says “God bless us every one!” at the Cratchits’ Christmas dinner. It is repeated in the last line of the book.

From A Christmas Carol

Tiny Tim

Bob’s sweet boy • Brave and loving

Bob Cratchit’s cheerful young son, who walks with a crutch and loves everyone.

Who is Tiny Tim?

Tiny Tim is Bob Cratchit’s youngest son. He is small and frail, wears iron braces on his thin legs and walks with a little wooden crutch, yet his face always glows with a brave, sweet smile. Tim loves his family dearly and is thankful for every small joy. Seeing Tim is one of the things that helps Scrooge’s cold heart begin to melt.

Tiny Tim is a character in A Christmas Carol, the 1843 novel by Charles Dickens, retold for ages 6–9 by Sean Lee.

What is Tiny Tim like?

Brave
Loving
Thankful

Tiny Tim’s story

Tiny Tim is the youngest of Bob Cratchit’s children, and he is lame, so he walks with a little crutch and an iron brace on his leg. His family is poor, and Tim is frail, but he is known for being patient and good. His father says Tim told him in church that he hoped people saw him, because it might be pleasant for them to remember who made lame beggars walk.

When the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to the Cratchits’ Christmas dinner, everyone enjoys every bite of the little goose and the pudding, and after dinner Tim sings a song about a lost child in the snow. When the family toasts together, it is Tiny Tim who says the last and most famous words, “God bless us every one!” Scrooge feels moved and asks the Ghost if Tim will live.

The Ghost gently warns that if nothing changes, Tim’s place by the fire will be empty next year, and he repeats Scrooge’s own cold words back to him, which makes Scrooge hang his head in shame. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come then shows a quiet home with an empty seat, as a warning of what could happen. But the story ends happily: Scrooge changes, and Dickens tells us plainly that Tiny Tim did not die. Scrooge becomes like a second father to him.

“God bless us every one!”

Tiny Tim, at the Cratchits’ Christmas dinner. From the original 1843 novel by Charles Dickens.

A moment to remember

Scrooge watches, unseen, as Tiny Tim snuggles beside his father’s chair at Christmas dinner and holds Bob’s hand, and Scrooge’s heart begins to truly care.

Bob Cratchit: his father
Ebenezer Scrooge: the man who becomes his second father
Ghost of Christmas Present: the spirit who shows his family’s dinner
Fred: Scrooge’s nephew

Talk about it

Tiny Tim was thankful for small things, like a family dinner together. What small things are you thankful for?

Questions about Tiny Tim

Does Tiny Tim die in A Christmas Carol?: No. The spirits show that he might die if nothing changes, but Scrooge helps the family, and the story says Tiny Tim did not die.
What is wrong with Tiny Tim?: Dickens describes him as lame, with a crutch and an iron frame on his limbs, and the Ghost suggests he is sick. The story does not name his illness.
What is Tiny Tim’s famous line?: Tim says “God bless us every one!” at the Cratchits’ Christmas dinner. It is repeated in the last line of the book.