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Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Nicholas Nickleby, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Greed and Selfishness
Power and Abuse
Altruism and Humility
Family and Loyalty
Injustice, Complicity, and Moral Integrity
Summary
Analysis
Godfrey Nickleby lives in London with his wife and two sons. They scrape by as best they can on Godfrey’s meager income. One day, Godfrey learns that his uncle Ralph, who Godfrey hasn’t heard from in years, has died and left Godfrey a small fortune in his will. Godfrey takes the money and buys a farm in the county of Devonshire. Fifteen years later, Godfrey dies. He has done well enough in life to pass on 3,000 pounds to his older son, Ralph (Godfrey’s uncle’s namesake), and 1,000 pounds and the farm to his younger son, Nicholas Sr.
The novel establishes that neither Ralph nor Nicholas Sr. qualify as “self-made,” considering that they both inherited enough money and assets to give them a substantial leg up. Notably, that money initially comes from a distant uncle, hinting at the important role that family will play in the novel and the idea that one person’s generosity can reshape others’ lives.
Themes
While growing up, Ralph and Nicholas Sr. hear stories of how important their great-uncle had been. And they witness firsthand their father Godfrey’s tranquil life on the farm. The two boys take different lessons from that upbringing. Ralph aims to make a fortune because he’s convinced that only vast wealth can bring one happiness and power. Nicholas Sr. takes up the mantle of Godfrey’s life and lives on the farm. Nicholas Sr. marries and has a son, Nicholas, and a daughter, Kate. After having children, the family’s finances run low, and Nicholas Sr. decides to try investing what remains of their money. He loses everything. He’s afraid that the family’s house and the furniture in it could be seized at any moment.
Ralph’s motivations and modus operandi are immediately made clear. Ralph seeks wealth because he believes it will bring him power and happiness. Notably, in order to pursue that path, Ralph leaves the farm where he grew up, leaving his brother, Nicholas Sr., behind. This decision suggests that for Ralph, pursuing a fortune is incompatible with the family life he grew up with. Debt like what Nicholas Sr. faces becomes a recurring theme, and the novel will examine how different characters respond when faced with that kind of debt.
Themes
