Nicholas

I think that by now, you have already figured out that I am a fan of Dickens. So it should come as no surprise that I am reading Nicholas Nicklby by Charles Dickens. Many years ago I read this book, but I have forgotten most of the plot.

As is true of most of Dickens novels, he mixes the darkness of Victorian life with humor and compassion. I did though find myself wincing at the portion of the book dealing with the boys' school that was run by the Squeers. It speaks to Dickens skill as a writer that I found myself wanting to physically beat Mr and Mrs. Squeers and spank their children! My apologies to Ms. Sally Field, but when it comes to abused children I am as ferocious as any man.

My mother's heart went out to the boys that were caught in this cruel school. Parents, believing in some cases that their children were being well cared for, sent their boys to the Squeers' boarding school. In reality the school is a hellish place where the boys are purposely underfed, stolen from and beaten. The point in which Nicholas beats Mr Squeer for abusing one of his charges made me want to stand up and cheer.

Of course I am not even half way through the novel, but thus far this is what has occurred.

After a failed attempt at speculation, the older Nicholas looses his entire estate and passes away in grief. His death leaves his wife alone to care for her two adolescent children, Kate and Nicholas(I think he is 19). Impoverished, the family travels to London to ask their father's brother, Ralph, to assist them. The Nickleby's desire is not that he support them financially but that he help secure them honest jobs by which they can make a living.

Due to Nicholas' open hearted and boldness, Ralph takes an immediate dislike to the young man. This shouldn't come as a surprise, after all how many older people today automatically are suspicious of older adolescents.

Uncle Ralph's assistance consists of placing his nephew as a tutor in the above mentioned Squeer's school. I suppose that Ralph hoped that his nephew would rot and never bother his uncle again. Of course the open hearted, Nicholas can't stomach the mistreatment of the children. But his pity and wrath is especially moved by the treatment of a wretched, young man named Smike.

Smike is a tall, ungainly man who is dressed in the same clothes that he arrived as a boy at the school. Abandoned by his family, Smike is treated as a drudge and often beaten. There is a pathetic scene in which he hopefully asks if any mail has come for him despite the fact that he hasn't heard from his family since his arrival at the school. He is cruelly mocked for his tears when he discovers that again nothing has arrived for him. It is obvious that Smike is mentally handicapped, although the book doesn't make clear if this condition was present at birth or resulted from his near starvation and cruelty at the hands of the Squeers.

After being dragged back home, Smike is captured and about to be beaten mercilessly when Nicholas intervenes and thoroughly beats Mr Squeer(Hooray!) He and Smike then flee the school.

While this has been occuring, Kate has been give a job as a seamstress to support herself and her mother. She works long hours, which wouldn't be so bad except for the seamstress' assistance, Miss Knag. Miss Knag is an older, vain woman who becomes offended with Kate when the younger woman is complimented and preferred by one of the customers. She makes work very unpleasant for Kate and when the owner of the shop becomes bankrupt, Knag takes over. Of course, Kate is told that her presence is no longer required.

I haven't gotten much further then this but I am really enjoying this work by Dickens. Although it sounds depressing there are some very funny moments in the book. For example, upon leaving the Squeers' Nicholas and Smike are stopped by a giant of a man named John Browdie. Previously Nicholas and John had been drawn into a quarrel over John's fiance. So, when Nicholas sees the larger John carrying a staff he assumes that he is about to be beaten up. Instead John listens to his story and is amused by the fact that Nicholas beat up Mr. Squeer. In fact John roars with laughter and asks Nicholas for his hand. He then pushes some money on the young Nickleby so that the two men won't have to walk the whole way to London.

As I said before, this is as far as I have gotten but so far this is a very entertaining book that makes me happy that I was not born in Victorian England.