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Madeline
Charles is Ned’s brother and Frank’s uncle. When Charles was younger, he was in love with Madeline’s mother. After Madeline’s mother dies, Charles assists Madeline financially to help her cover Mr. Bray’s debts. With Ned, Charles exemplifies how, per the novel, truly benevolent and generous people do not seek to personally gain—whether in status, profits, or reputation—from their generosity. Though Charles repeatedly helps people like Nicholas and Madeline, he consistently downplays his own generosity. In contrast to Charles, characters like Ralph, Arthur, and Squeers take every opportunity to proclaim that they are acting to serve others, while they are almost always acting only for themselves and actively harming others.
Charles Quotes in Nicholas Nickleby
The Nicholas Nickleby quotes below are all either spoken by Charles or refer to Charles. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 35
Quotes
There was something so earnest and guileless in the way in which all this was said, and such a complete disregard of all conventional restraints and coldnesses, that Nicholas could not resist it. Among men who have any sound and sterling qualities, there is nothing so contagious as pure openness of heart. Nicholas took the infection instantly, and ran over the main points of his little history without reserve: merely suppressing names, and touching as lightly as possible upon his uncle's treatment of Kate. The old man listened with great attention, and when he had concluded, drew his arm eagerly through his own.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 46
Quotes
The Rules are a certain liberty adjoining the prison, and comprising some dozen streets in which debtors who can raise money to pay large fees, from which their creditors do not derive any benefit, are permitted to reside by the wise provisions of the same enlightened laws which leave the debtor who can raise no money to starve in jail, without the food, clothing, lodging, or warmth, which are provided for felons convicted of the most atrocious crimes that can disgrace humanity. There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets.
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Charles Quotes in Nicholas Nickleby
The Nicholas Nickleby quotes below are all either spoken by Charles or refer to Charles. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 35
Quotes
There was something so earnest and guileless in the way in which all this was said, and such a complete disregard of all conventional restraints and coldnesses, that Nicholas could not resist it. Among men who have any sound and sterling qualities, there is nothing so contagious as pure openness of heart. Nicholas took the infection instantly, and ran over the main points of his little history without reserve: merely suppressing names, and touching as lightly as possible upon his uncle's treatment of Kate. The old man listened with great attention, and when he had concluded, drew his arm eagerly through his own.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 46
Quotes
The Rules are a certain liberty adjoining the prison, and comprising some dozen streets in which debtors who can raise money to pay large fees, from which their creditors do not derive any benefit, are permitted to reside by the wise provisions of the same enlightened laws which leave the debtor who can raise no money to starve in jail, without the food, clothing, lodging, or warmth, which are provided for felons convicted of the most atrocious crimes that can disgrace humanity. There are many pleasant fictions of the law in constant operation, but there is not one so pleasant or practically humorous as that which supposes every man to be of equal value in its impartial eye, and the benefits of all laws to be equally attainable by all men, without the smallest reference to the furniture of their pockets.
