Previous
Chapter 49
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
Frederick and Mulberry watch horse races at Hampton. It’s the first time Mulberry has been seen in public since recovering from the injuries he sustained in his encounter with Nicholas. Several people remark that they’re surprised to see him. One person tells Mulberry that he’s brave to be out in public. Mulberry becomes annoyed. He says that soon he’ll get revenge on Nicholas. He’s not going to murder Nicholas, he says, but he’ll bring him to the brink of death.
Mulberry’s ego is further damaged when he goes in public and several people remark on the defeat he suffered at Nicholas’s hands. In response, Mulberry vows, if only to himself, to get revenge on Nicholas and bring him to the brink of death, pointing to an escalation of the ongoing conflict between Nicholas and Mulberry.
Themes
Frederick objects to what Mulberry says. He tells Mulberry that he’ll stand in the way if Mulberry tries to harm Nicholas and reminds Mulberry that he was in the wrong in his initial confrontation with Nicholas. Mulberry says that Frederick should mind his own business, and Frederick says this is his business. Frederick has recently had time to reflect on his association with Mulberry. He thinks that Mulberry pursued Kate for his own purposes (rather than Frederick’s) and that Mulberry’s treatment of Nicholas was disgraceful. Frederick feels ashamed to be associated with Mulberry.
Though Frederick has gone along with Mulberry’s schemes for a long time, he now decides to stand up to Mulberry. Frederick’s decision to stand up for what he believes is right underlines the novel’s theme that redemption is possible and accessible at any point, even if one has done significant wrong in the past. Frederick’s split with Mulberry is in some ways reminiscent of Nicholas’s final split with Ralph, as both Frederick and Nicholas make clear, in no uncertain terms, that they consider Mulberry and Ralph, respectively, to be vile and disgraceful.
Themes
Later that night, Frederick and Mulberry’s group meets up with a second group. Both groups drink raucously. At one point, a skirmish breaks out, and Mulberry and Frederick are separated. Mulberry says only one blow was thrown, and it was one that he landed against Frederick. Frederick says that if Mulberry doesn’t retract the blow, then he’ll have to answer for it. Mulberry doesn’t apologize, and the two decide to duel at sunrise. At the duel, both fire their guns at almost exactly the same time. Without a stumble or whimper, Frederick falls down dead. Mulberry’s witness grabs Mulberry and says they must leave at once and flee to France. It’s an awful business they’ve gotten caught up in, he says. They flee and leave Frederick’s body in the field.
This scene further shows Mulberry’s profound immorality. In this case, Mulberry acquiesces to a duel and murders one of his closest friends to avoid honestly reckoning with his own issues. The novel suggests that if Mulberry had been courageous enough to listen to his supposed friend Frederick, look at himself in the mirror, and come to terms with his own wrongdoing, then the duel and Frederick’s death could have been avoided. Instead, Mulberry chooses his ego over his friend Frederick, and Mulberry in essence murders Frederick to protect his (Mulberry’s) fragile ego. That further highlights the self-interest and lack of loyalty that defines characters like Mulberry and Ralph.
Themes
