The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

by David Edgar

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Part 1 Summary

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Part 1, Act 1

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby begins by sketching the tragic circumstances that propel Nicholas Nickleby, his sister Kate, and their mother to the bustling city of London following the untimely demise of their father. The narrative swiftly pivots to a lively town meeting where a mammoth muffin corporation employs cunning strategies to drive independent “muffin boys” out of business by promising cheaper muffins under the guise of aiding the impoverished. Watching over this corporate maneuvering is Nicholas’s frugal uncle, Ralph Nickleby, to whom the now-penniless family appeals for aid. Heartlessly, Ralph assigns Nicholas to the position of assistant at Dotheboys Hall, a grim boarding school in Yorkshire, and places Kate in a milliner’s shop, thereby separating the siblings.

Kate and Mrs. Nickleby vacate the cozy abode of the amiable portrait artist, Miss La Creevy, and relocate to one of Ralph’s bleakly furnished rental properties. Nicholas harbors doubts about the one-eyed headmaster, Mr. Wackford Squeers, whose ignorance and harsh treatment of the students—most of whom are stigmatized by illegitimacy or deformity—are appalling. Yet, Nicholas holds his tongue until Squeers begins to brutally thrash Smike, a vulnerable student befriended by Nicholas. In a moment of fiery indignation, Nicholas retaliates against Squeers, enabling Smike to escape.

Nicholas, too, makes his exit, leaving Mrs. Squeers to tend to her injured spouse. On the road back to London, Nicholas encounters John Browdie, a neighbor soon to be wedded to a friend of Squeers’s daughter, Fanny. Browdie enthusiastically embraces Nicholas for confronting the tyrannical schoolmaster. Meanwhile, Fanny pens an accusatory letter to Ralph Nickleby, painting Nicholas as a violent aggressor. Simultaneously, Kate finds herself enveloped in the world of Madame Mantalini and her coterie of milliners. Her youthful beauty lands her a position alongside Miss Knag in the shop, where she awkwardly assists affluent, pampered young women in selecting hats. Befriended by Miss Knag, Kate navigates her new environment.

Part 1, Act 2

Newman Noggs, Ralph Nickleby’s secretary, catches wind of Fanny’s letter and sets off to visit his downstairs neighbors, the Kenwigs. This household, bustling with three daughters and a baby named Lillyvick—after Mrs. Kenwigs’ uncle, a collector of water rates—awaits the arrival of another child. The Kenwigs family eagerly curries favor with Uncle Lillyvick, who possesses the power to bestow an inheritance that could secure the future of their daughters.

Nicholas pays a visit to Noggs, recounting his altercation with Squeers, before venturing into the job market. In the interim, he takes on the role of French tutor to the Kenwigs children. His mother stands torn between believing Nicholas’s account and Ralph’s version of events regarding the incident with Squeers. However, Kate, who has since supplanted Miss Knag at the milliner’s shop, staunchly supports her brother. After a heartfelt embrace, Nicholas departs with Smike for Portsmouth in search of sustenance for the family.

On their journey, they encounter the Crummles theatrical troupe, led by Mr. Vincent Crummles and his talented offspring, including the "Infant Phenomenon," a fifteen-year-old girl adept at playing a ten-year-old role for years. Nicholas agrees to pen a new piece for the company, earning a pound a week, and even takes on the role of Romeo, while Smike joins as the Apothecary. In a twist of fate, Uncle Lillyvick finds himself enamored with the actress Miss Petowker, leading to their marriage and leaving the Kenwigs without their benefactor.

Meanwhile, Madame Mantalini’s business teeters on the brink of foreclosure, a consequence of her husband’s reckless spending. When she seeks help from Ralph Nickleby, she uncovers her husband’s attempt to liquidate her assets. Announcing her plans to...

(This entire section contains 792 words.)

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separate from him, she cleverly maneuvers to transfer control of the shop to Miss Knag, thereby shielding it from her husband, as married women are barred from property ownership. Now under Miss Knag’s authority, the shop no longer requires Nickleby’s financial backing, and Kate is dismissed.

The dramatic poisoning scene from Romeo and Juliet, heralded by the line, “Who calls so loud?” runs parallel to Ralph’s machinations, whereby he orchestrates for Kate to host a gathering at his home, entertaining a cadre of businessmen. Smike’s poignant line, “My poverty and not my will consents,” casts a shadow over the juxtaposed scene of Kate, reluctantly fulfilling her uncle’s wishes despite her inner conflict. The evening takes a shocking turn when Sir Mulberry Hawk attempts to seduce her. Ralph escorts her to a carriage, realizing his egregious error. Though he reprimands Hawk, the latter astutely notes Ralph’s likely indifference had Lord Frederick Verisopht shown interest in Kate. Simultaneously, Nicholas and Smike partake in a delightfully altered conclusion to Romeo and Juliet, where miraculously, almost everyone survives.

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Part 2 Summary

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