Nicholas Nickleby
Nicholas Nickleby was Charles Dickens's third novel, started almost
immediately on completion of "The Pickwick Papers", and written alongside
"Oliver Twist" until the completion of the latter. The first serial part was
published on 31st March 1838 and the final "double number" on 30th September
1839. Several episodes in the novel relate to visits that Dickens made during
this period, so it is evident that he did not have a fixed plan for the plot of
the book before he started writing.
However, Dickens had always intended to use the novel to expose the scandal
of the "Yorkshire schools", which were private boarding schools with "no
holidays", designed to enable unwanted boys to be sent away from home and
forgotten about. Dickens had heard about the appalling conditions in these
schools, and he and his friend Hablot Browne (who illustrated many of his novels
as "Phiz") spent a few days in Barnard Castle (close to the Durham/Yorkshire
border) in January 1838 to do some preliminary research. Dickens started writing
as soon as he got back to London.
Nicholas Nickleby is a young man whose bankrupt father has just died, leaving
him to support his mother and younger sister Kate. Having no money of his own,
he asks his rich uncle, Ralph Nickleby, for help, but Ralph's response is to
send Kate to work for a hat maker, Madame Mantalini, and Nicholas to go to
Yorkshire as an assistant master at the school (Dotheboys Hall) run by Wackford
Squeers.
Squeers is cruel, ignorant and lazy, and Nicholas is left to do most of the
work. Being of a kindly disposition himself, he seeks to befriend the boys,
particularly Smike, who has suffered years of ill-treatment at Squeers's hands
and has become the latter's virtual slave, resulting in mental retardation and
physical impairment. Nicholas also finds himself being regarded as a potential
husband by Squeers's revolting daughter.
When Nicholas can stand no more, he gives Squeers a public thrashing with the
latter's own cane and escapes from the school, taking Smike with him. In London,
he is befriended by Ralph Nickleby's clerk, Newman Noggs, who finds a position
for Nicholas as a private tutor.
Kate finds herself the target of unwelcome attentions from Mr Mantalini and
Sir Mulberry Hawk, who is a gambler and a danger to women. She leaves her
position to become a companion to a hypochondriac lady.
After an argument with Ralph, Nicholas leaves London and heads for
Portsmouth, taking Smike with him. At Portsmouththey meet Vincent Crummles, an
actor-manager, and Nicholas joins his company as an actor, becoming much fancied
by Miss Snevellicci, the company's leading lady.
Kate has not escaped from Sir Mulberry's attentions, and Nicholas hurries
back to London on being warned by Newman Noggs about the danger she is in.
Nicholas is able to rescue his sister by assaulting Sir Mulberry. He then finds
employment with the benevolent and wealthy Cheeryble brothers.Squeers has come
to London to help Ralph Nickleby with his schemes, and abducts Smike. However,
he is thwarted in this by John Browdie, a bluff Yorkshireman who is known to
Squeers and is on honeymoon in the capital.
Nicholas falls in love with Madeline Bray, who is also being sought by Arthur
Gride, an elderly miser who is league with Ralph Nickleby. Nicholas has no idea
that Madeline is the heiress to a large fortune, but Gride and Ralph Nickleby
do. Madeline's father has agreed to her marriage to Gride, but he dies before
this can happen, leaving Nicholas free to run away with Madeline.
Ralph is determined to recover the will made by Madeline's late grandmother,
which has been stolen by Peg Sliderskew, Gride's servant. By destroying the
will, Ralph would be able to prevent Nicholas from benefitting by marrying
Madeline. Ralph hires Squeers to obtain the will. However, the plan is thwarted
by Newman Noggs and Frank Cheeryble, nephew of the brothers.
At the denouement, it is revealed that Smike is in fact Ralph's son. Smike
dies and Ralph commits suicide. Kate marries Frank, Nicholas marries Madeline,
Squeers is transported to Australia and Dotheboys Hall is broken up. Sir
Mulberry Hawk has previously been forced to flee to France after killing his
dupe, Lord Frederick Verisopht, in a duel.
Nicholas Nickelby contains a number of characters who are based on real
people. These include Mrs Nickleby, who is vague and muddled, and who usually
fails to grasp the importance of what is being said to her. She is closely
modelled on Dickens's own mother, and there are indeed many parallels between
Nicholas and Dickens himself, not least a strong social conscience.
An interesting minor character is Ninetta Crummles, daughter of Vincent, who
is billed in all his productions as "The Infant Phenomenon". She is typical of
the precocious and only moderately talented brats who have graced theater stages
down the years, but is actually modelled on a real "phenomenon", namely Jean
Margaret Davenport, who was performing in Portsmouth shortly before Dickens
wrote the scenes involving the Crummles troupe. Dickens may have been somewhat
unfair to her, as she went on to have a long and successful stage career, mainly
in America.
Nicholas Nickleby did not prove to be anything like as successful, in terms
of sales, as The Pickwick Papers or Oliver Twist, and it has had much less
critical attention down the years than many of Dickens's novels. However, it was
the subject of a highly successful and original stage production by the Royal
Shakespeare Company in 1980, revived in 1985. It has its faults, one being that
only a few of the characters actually develop during the course of the story,
but it is well-paced and contains a good balance of drama, romance and humor.
Nicholas Nickleby may not be Dickens's greatest novel, but it is still well
worth reading.
immediately on completion of "The Pickwick Papers", and written alongside
"Oliver Twist" until the completion of the latter. The first serial part was
published on 31st March 1838 and the final "double number" on 30th September
1839. Several episodes in the novel relate to visits that Dickens made during
this period, so it is evident that he did not have a fixed plan for the plot of
the book before he started writing.
However, Dickens had always intended to use the novel to expose the scandal
of the "Yorkshire schools", which were private boarding schools with "no
holidays", designed to enable unwanted boys to be sent away from home and
forgotten about. Dickens had heard about the appalling conditions in these
schools, and he and his friend Hablot Browne (who illustrated many of his novels
as "Phiz") spent a few days in Barnard Castle (close to the Durham/Yorkshire
border) in January 1838 to do some preliminary research. Dickens started writing
as soon as he got back to London.
Nicholas Nickleby is a young man whose bankrupt father has just died, leaving
him to support his mother and younger sister Kate. Having no money of his own,
he asks his rich uncle, Ralph Nickleby, for help, but Ralph's response is to
send Kate to work for a hat maker, Madame Mantalini, and Nicholas to go to
Yorkshire as an assistant master at the school (Dotheboys Hall) run by Wackford
Squeers.
Squeers is cruel, ignorant and lazy, and Nicholas is left to do most of the
work. Being of a kindly disposition himself, he seeks to befriend the boys,
particularly Smike, who has suffered years of ill-treatment at Squeers's hands
and has become the latter's virtual slave, resulting in mental retardation and
physical impairment. Nicholas also finds himself being regarded as a potential
husband by Squeers's revolting daughter.
When Nicholas can stand no more, he gives Squeers a public thrashing with the
latter's own cane and escapes from the school, taking Smike with him. In London,
he is befriended by Ralph Nickleby's clerk, Newman Noggs, who finds a position
for Nicholas as a private tutor.
Kate finds herself the target of unwelcome attentions from Mr Mantalini and
Sir Mulberry Hawk, who is a gambler and a danger to women. She leaves her
position to become a companion to a hypochondriac lady.
After an argument with Ralph, Nicholas leaves London and heads for
Portsmouth, taking Smike with him. At Portsmouththey meet Vincent Crummles, an
actor-manager, and Nicholas joins his company as an actor, becoming much fancied
by Miss Snevellicci, the company's leading lady.
Kate has not escaped from Sir Mulberry's attentions, and Nicholas hurries
back to London on being warned by Newman Noggs about the danger she is in.
Nicholas is able to rescue his sister by assaulting Sir Mulberry. He then finds
employment with the benevolent and wealthy Cheeryble brothers.Squeers has come
to London to help Ralph Nickleby with his schemes, and abducts Smike. However,
he is thwarted in this by John Browdie, a bluff Yorkshireman who is known to
Squeers and is on honeymoon in the capital.
Nicholas falls in love with Madeline Bray, who is also being sought by Arthur
Gride, an elderly miser who is league with Ralph Nickleby. Nicholas has no idea
that Madeline is the heiress to a large fortune, but Gride and Ralph Nickleby
do. Madeline's father has agreed to her marriage to Gride, but he dies before
this can happen, leaving Nicholas free to run away with Madeline.
Ralph is determined to recover the will made by Madeline's late grandmother,
which has been stolen by Peg Sliderskew, Gride's servant. By destroying the
will, Ralph would be able to prevent Nicholas from benefitting by marrying
Madeline. Ralph hires Squeers to obtain the will. However, the plan is thwarted
by Newman Noggs and Frank Cheeryble, nephew of the brothers.
At the denouement, it is revealed that Smike is in fact Ralph's son. Smike
dies and Ralph commits suicide. Kate marries Frank, Nicholas marries Madeline,
Squeers is transported to Australia and Dotheboys Hall is broken up. Sir
Mulberry Hawk has previously been forced to flee to France after killing his
dupe, Lord Frederick Verisopht, in a duel.
Nicholas Nickelby contains a number of characters who are based on real
people. These include Mrs Nickleby, who is vague and muddled, and who usually
fails to grasp the importance of what is being said to her. She is closely
modelled on Dickens's own mother, and there are indeed many parallels between
Nicholas and Dickens himself, not least a strong social conscience.
An interesting minor character is Ninetta Crummles, daughter of Vincent, who
is billed in all his productions as "The Infant Phenomenon". She is typical of
the precocious and only moderately talented brats who have graced theater stages
down the years, but is actually modelled on a real "phenomenon", namely Jean
Margaret Davenport, who was performing in Portsmouth shortly before Dickens
wrote the scenes involving the Crummles troupe. Dickens may have been somewhat
unfair to her, as she went on to have a long and successful stage career, mainly
in America.
Nicholas Nickleby did not prove to be anything like as successful, in terms
of sales, as The Pickwick Papers or Oliver Twist, and it has had much less
critical attention down the years than many of Dickens's novels. However, it was
the subject of a highly successful and original stage production by the Royal
Shakespeare Company in 1980, revived in 1985. It has its faults, one being that
only a few of the characters actually develop during the course of the story,
but it is well-paced and contains a good balance of drama, romance and humor.
Nicholas Nickleby may not be Dickens's greatest novel, but it is still well
worth reading.