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Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Pickwick Papers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Male Friendship
Predatory Social Institutions
Social Class and Inequality
Marriage and Courtship
Generosity and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Early in the morning, a man named Sam Weller is busy polishing boots in the courtyard of the White Heart Inn, which has a quiet, old-fashioned air about it. The inn’s guests include Jingle and Rachael, who arrived earlier that day. A chambermaid calls Weller to deliver boots to one of the guests. It becomes clear that Jingle and Rachael are staying in the private sitting room, where Weller takes their shoes and overhears their conversation about securing a marriage license at Doctors’ Commons.
The White Heart Inn’s old-fashioned atmosphere evokes a sense of nostalgia, contrasting with the disruptive presence of Jingle and his modern scheming. Meanwhile, the mention of Doctors’ Commons—a legal institution dealing with marriage licenses—grounds the scene in historical practices and again highlights the transactional nature of marriage in this social context.
Themes
Jingle continues to manipulate Rachael, reassuring her that they will be married the next day. Rachael expresses fear that Wardle will discover their elopement, but Jingle dismisses her concerns, confident that Wardle will not find them. After some playful banter and reassurances, Jingle departs for Doctors’ Commons to procure the marriage license, leaving Rachael in high spirits.
Jingle feels especially confident in this moment, as he believes he has fooled the Pickwickians and Wardle. However, Rachael knows the lengths Mr. Wardle will go to in order to protect his family’s honor and finances, giving her a more realistic outlook on the situation.
Themes
Moments later, Pickwick, Wardle, and Mr. Perker (Wardle’s lawyer) arrive at the inn, determined to stop the marriage. Sam helps them by confirming that Jingle and Rachael are staying at the inn, though he does not give them the couple’s exact whereabouts. In response, Wardle, Pickwick, and Perker bribe Sam to take them directly to the room without alerting Rachael and Jingle. The three burst into the room just as Jingle returns, license in hand. Rachael faints from the shock of being caught, while Jingle hastily pockets the license. Wardle confronts Jingle, accusing him of deceiving and manipulating his sister. Jingle denies any wrongdoing and asserts that Rachael is free to act as she pleases. Wardle insists that Rachael return home immediately, while Perker tries to calm the situation and suggests negotiating a compromise with Jingle.
The confrontation in the inn room encapsulates the intersection of personal and legal conflict, where social propriety and familial honor collide. Jingle’s insistence on Rachael’s autonomy challenges the patriarchal control Wardle exerts over his sister, though he certainly does not have progressive social goals in mind. Rather, his manipulation reveals that he seeks to exploit rather than liberate her. Perker’s suggestion of negotiation reflects a pragmatic approach, which, although it may be the best idea, ultimately feels unfair given Jingle’s nefarious actions.
Themes
A private negotiation between Perker and Jingle ensues. Perker suggests that Jingle take a cash settlement and leave Rachael alone. After some haggling, Jingle agrees to settle for 120 pounds. After receiving the money, Jingle leaves without remorse, tossing the marriage license on the ground and mocking the group on his way out. As Jingle departs, Pickwick’s anger boils over, and he nearly throws an inkstand in frustration, though Sam quickly intervenes and stops him from doing so. With Jingle gone, Rachael, feeling betrayed, is escorted back to the farm. The group returns to Dingley Dell the next day, their mood somber after the events of the elopement.
The negotiation between Perker and Jingle exemplifies the commodification of relationships, with the cash settlement reducing Rachael’s elopement to a financial transaction. Jingle’s indifference to the outcome as long as he gets his money proves once and for all his lack of emotional investment in Rachael. Additionally, Pickwick’s near-outburst reflects his frustration with the inadequacy of legal solutions, as the settlement does little to restore honor or trust. Pickwick’s irritation with the law in this incident sets an important precedent for a key conflict later in the novel.
Themes
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