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Chapter 25
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
Lord Frederick Verisopht and Mulberry Hawk sit in an apartment recovering from carousing the night before. Mulberry brings up the subject of Kate Nickleby. He says that Frederick charged him with finding out where she lives but so far he’s been unable to do so. He then proposes a plan to Frederick. Frederick should go to Ralph and say that if Ralph doesn’t tell him where Kate lives, then he (Frederick) will stop being Ralph’s client. Mulberry assumes that Ralph’s greed will win out, and he’ll give in to Frederick’s demands. Mulberry proposes the plan as a way for Frederick to get what he wants, but Mulberry really wants to know where Kate lives for himself.
Mulberry’s plan explicitly takes advantage of Ralph’s self-interestedness. That reinforces the idea that Ralph is morally vacuous and is willing to sell out his niece if it leads to a profit for him. It also shows again how those with more wealth and power use that power to exploit those with less money. In this case, Frederick, as a Lord, can use his power to get Ralph to do his bidding, thereby treating Ralph as Ralph treats so many other people.
Themes
Frederick and Mulberry travel together to Ralph’s office. After talking about business for a bit, Frederick asks to speak to Ralph privately. He asks Ralph where Kate lives. Ralph declines to answer. Frederick asks again, over and over, and Ralph repeatedly declines. Eventually, though, Ralph gives in and tells Frederick where Kate now lives and what she does for work. He says that the family she works for is desperate for social connections, so they’ll no doubt welcome a lord such as Frederick with open arms if he seeks them out.
Dickens again explores power dynamics among wealthy people. In this case, Frederick seems to hold all the cards because he has more wealth and is of higher status than both Ralph and the Wititterlys. Since that is the case, Frederick is able to make Ralph and the Wititterlys do what he wants them to so that he gets his way.
Themes
As Frederick and Mulberry are leaving Ralph’s office, Mrs. Nickleby arrives. She is delivering letters to Ralph. Frederick and Mulberry talk to Mrs. Nickleby. Through strategic questioning, they find out where she lives. Mrs. Nickleby is oblivious to their plan and is charmed by both of them. They walk her to the Omnibus when she returns home. On the bus, Mrs. Nickleby thinks that both men would make great husbands for Kate, but she (Mrs. Nickleby) prefers Mulberry, who she finds especially charming. In his office, Ralph has misgivings about what has just happened. He justifies his actions by saying that he did nothing different than a mother would do when matchmaking for her daughter. Besides, he thinks, it will only amount to some teasing and perhaps tears on Kate’s part, but she’ll survive.
Mrs. Nickleby shows her obliviousness and lack of awareness. Mulberry has been harassing Kate and continues to do so, but Mrs. Nickleby is charmed by him. Ralph again shows the extent of his moral cowardice. Though Ralph knows Mulberry is wretched and that Mulberry will harm Kate, he (Ralph) does nothing to intervene because he’s afraid of missing out on profits. Ralph’s lack of moral integrity is contrasted with Nicholas, who insists on moral integrity even when it comes with much higher stakes—like casting himself into dire poverty—than it does for Ralph.
Themes
