Nicholas Nickleby Novel Review

Categories: Novel

Also Dickens also had a rich secondary characters involved in his stories. In 'Nicholas Nickleby' they are played by the characters of the neglected children. At this point in my essay I would like to focus on Dickens and how, in these three chapters, he creates a classic version of his hero figure through the thoughts and deeds of Nicholas Nickleby. The novel tells the story of a family left in destitute after the death of their father. The sad Nicholas Nickelby, his mother and his beautiful sister Kate turn in desperation to their father's evil brother uncle Ralph because Nicholas father has left them penniless.

As soon as Nicholas gets to London his Uncle Ralph sees him as a threat and finds him a job, to work as an assistant teacher. Nicholas is sent to Yorkshire to work in a school called Dotheboys Hall so he can earn a living for the first time in his life. When Nicholas arrives at Dotheboy hall he is stunned by how the little boys are treated.

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They have no food they were all sleeping four to a bed. Nicholas was shocked by how Squeers lies to the boys and to the boy's parents. He tells the parents how well their boys are doing in fact the children were weak fragile and bruised all from Squeers beatings.

Nicholas is shocked by near enough everything he sees as it says in the text 'Nicholas opens his eyes, but not his mouth'. This was because Mrs Squeers and the girl dragged in a small straw mattress and a couple of blankets and Squeers then went on to say 'You'll always find a little bit of soap in the kitchen' Nicholas would not have been used to such abject poverty and would have expected home comforts such as a bed and washing facilities.

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Also when Nicholas arrives he finds out that Mr and Mrs. Squeers priorities are the cattle. They have so little regard for the children, as when Mrs.

Squeers tells Mr Squeers of the steak, "I bought a good large piece of it myself on purpose for-"she is cut short because Mr. Squeers think she has bought the meat for the boys, but holding his hand she quickly says "Lor! You don't think I could have made such a mistake as that. " Nicholas stays silent often and says very little through the story because he knows if he opens his mouth and says something to the Squeers they would just tell his Uncle Ralph. This is because he is shocked by what he is seeing and he has never met such horrible, evil people in his life. He thought there were only decent kind people in the World.

When Nicholas reads the letter off Newman Noggs "Nicholas Nickleby's eyes were dimmed with moisture that might have been taken for tears. " Because he sees how Noggs shows some kindness to him in contrast to the Squeers. Nicholas sees the good in people, Nicholas knows that there are still good people in the world . Newman Noggs had every reason to be very bitter and full of anger at the world but he was a good person at heart. Nicholas is sympathetic and kind towards everyone. Dickens shows this by seeing the action through Nicholas eyes and as he is a naturally good person he condemns all cruelty.

He is especially affected by Smike "The look was a very painful one, and went to Nicholas's heart at once; for it told a long and very sad history. " Nicholas finds Smike a sad and pathetic creature and feels deep emotion for him. Nicholas took this job at Dotheboys Hall because he didn't want his Mother and sister Kate to go into the poorhouse; this shows his sense of duty and moral conscience. For this strong sense of respect, honour and the desire to help people we see Nicholas later triumph and win deserved happiness.

It soon becomes clear that if it wasn't for his family, or to help the boys he would have packed up and left. As it says in the text he decided "For a time, to bear whatever wretchedness might be in store for him and that remembering the helplessness of his mother and sister" He decided to tolerate the horrors of life at the Hall. Nicholas after so long becomes angry " Nicholas sat down, so depressed and self-degraded by the consciousness of his position, that if death could have come upon him at that time he would have been almost happy to meet it.

" It is obvious that he is deeply shocked and been keeping his feelings bottled up inside, so that when he contemplates his fate, "Nicholas signed involuntarily at the though of the agreeable domestic prospect thus opened to him. " When Squeers was beating Smike Nicholas couldn't take it any more he has held himself back so many times from saying something to Squeers that he was going to explode if he didn't say anything. Nicholas suddenly cried out 'Stop! ' in a voice that made the rafters ring. Mr.

Squeers didn't no where this sound had come from and he shouted 'Who cried stop? ' 'I', said Nicholas. Nicholas couldn't watch these beatings to the boys any more and had to take matters into his own hands, he had to try and stop Squeers doing this. Nicholas told Squeers again 'I must not,' repeated Nicholas, nothing daunted; 'shall not. I will prevent. ' Nicholas was getting more and more angry with Squeers because he wasn't listening to him and was getting ready to hit him. 'My blood is up, and I have the strength of ten such men as you.

Updated: Apr 19, 2023
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Nicholas Nickleby Novel Review. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/nicholas-nickleby-novel-review-essay

Nicholas Nickleby Novel Review essay
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