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Chapter 22
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
The theater troupe travels to Portsmouth the following day. When they arrive in Portsmouth, they go to the theater and begin rehearsing. Nicholas watches two people play out a scene. When they are finished, Mr. Crummles introduces them to Nicholas. One is Mr. Crummles’s daughter, Ninetta. The other person is Mr. Folair. Ninetta is only 10 years old, but Mr. Crummles says she has more talent than any actor he’s ever seen. Mr. Folair confirms what Mr. Crummles says and adds that Ninetta will one day be an actor in the finest houses in London. When Ninetta and Mr. Crummles walk away, Mr. Folair says that Ninetta has no more talent than the average school child, and she only gets roles because she is Mr. Crummles’s daughter.
While Mr. Crummles is depicted as more benevolent and generous than Squeers, he also displays some of the same tendencies toward nepotism as Squeers did. The way that Mr. Crummles’s connection to Ninetta renders him an unreliable judge of her acting talents is meant to be humorous. At the same time, it raises questions about the differences between the injustices of nepotism versus the virtue of loyalty toward one’s family. In essence, the novel contends that loyalty toward one’s family shouldn’t take precedence over meritocracy.
Themes
Nicholas then meets the other members of the theater troupe, including Miss Snevellicci, who is sure that she’s seen Nicholas perform before. Nicholas assures her she hasn’t. Before the troupe disbands for the day, Mr. Crummles announces to the group that they’ll have a new play and new roles by Monday and that Nicholas will see to that. (Nicholas is still going by Mr. Johnson at this point.) Mr. Crummles then explains to Nicholas that he wants him to translate a play from French to English and put his name on the title page. He then invites Smike and Nicholas to have dinner with him and his family at his house.
While Mr. Crummles’s friendliness at the inn may have seemed to come quickly, this passage shows that he follows through on his promise to give Nicholas and Smike work. More than that, even though Mr. Crummles is ostensibly in a position of power over Nicholas and Smike, he doesn’t use that power to exploit them. Instead, he invites Nicholas and Smike to dinner and treats them hospitably and like equals.
Themes
At dinner, Mr. Crummles discusses plans for upcoming plays the troupe will put on and the roles Nicholas will play. He suggests that Nicholas might act opposite Ninetta, but Nicholas graciously declines the suggestion by saying he would be no match for her. Mr. Crummles says perhaps Nicholas is right, and he should play Romeo opposite Miss Snevellicci. He gives Nicholas books to read. Nicholas and Smike go to look for a place to sleep, which takes much longer than Nicholas expected it would. Eventually, they find two rooms up two flights of stairs and a ladder above a tobacco shop.
Mr. Crummles's leadership style differs starkly from Squeers’s. Squeers issued orders and expected Nicholas (and everyone else) to follow suit. But when Nicholas graciously deflects Mr. Crummles’s suggestion that he act opposite Ninetta, Mr. Crummles agrees with Nicholas and doesn’t press the issue. In that way, Mr. Crummles treats other people like equals, while Squeers never missed a chance to treat others like inferiors.
Themes
