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Chapter 19
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
In the dark, musty office of Dodson & Fogg, four clerks sit at their desks, barely catching glimpses of daylight through the dingy windows of Freeman’s Court, Cornhill. The room smells of damp paper, ink stains cover the floor, and old legal documents pile high on dusty shelves. The air feels stagnant, as if the clerks work at the bottom of a deep well, far from the world outside. Pickwick and Sam arrive at the office on a Friday morning. The office workers greet them rudely and inform them that there is no one to see to them at the moment. Pickwick, determined not to be dismissed, decides to wait. He sits in silence, overhearing the clerks laughing and chatting among themselves.
Dickens’s description of the office emphasizes decay and detachment, suggesting that the legal world is insulated from everyday life. The suffocating atmosphere mirrors the corrupt practices that unfold within, where justice is treated like a game. The clerks’ indifference reflects how institutions such as law firms often dismiss ordinary people, contributing to Pickwick’s growing frustration. His insistence on waiting demonstrates his belief that fairness must prevail, even in a system designed to wear people down.
Themes
One clerk launches into a story about how Fogg recently tricked a debtor named Ramsey. Ramsey came to the office, desperate to pay off his debt, only to be told that additional costs have accrued due to a last-minute filing. Ramsey nearly lost his temper, but Fogg coolly manipulated the situation, ensuring he would get more money out of Ramsey in the long run. The clerks laugh heartily, admiring Fogg’s ruthless business sense. Eventually, a clerk informs Pickwick that Fogg is ready to see him. Pickwick climbs a set of narrow stairs to a small office where Fogg, pale and emotionless, sits behind a desk. Dodson, a portly, stern man with a booming voice, joins them. Immediately, Dodson identifies Pickwick as the defendant in the Bardell v. Pickwick case.
The story about Ramsey reveals the predatory nature of the legal profession, where manipulation is rewarded. The clerks’ amusement signals a moral detachment from the suffering of others, emphasizing how the legal system becomes an engine of exploitation. Fogg and Dodson embody contrasting aspects of this system—Fogg’s cold precision and Dodson’s bombastic authority work together to intimidate and confuse their clients. Their swift identification of Pickwick as a defendant sets the tone for the confrontation, showing how the law, once in motion, treats individuals as mere cases to be processed.
Themes
Pickwick, still incredulous over the lawsuit, asks how such a baseless case can move forward. Dodson insists that the legal grounds for the suit are strong. He suggests that Pickwick’s conscience might provide the answers to his doubts. Fogg nods along in agreement, throwing in a few affirmations. Dodson then lays out the facts: the damages sought amount to 1,500 pounds, a sum Mrs. Bardell refuses to negotiate. Pickwick, growing frustrated, accuses the lawyers of being conmen. Dodson and Fogg, pretending to be shocked, goad Pickwick into repeating the insult, trying to trap him into saying something they can use against him later. Sensing things spiraling out of control, Sam steps in, pulling Pickwick out of the office before he escalates the confrontation any further.
The confrontation again demonstrates the predatory nature of litigation, where lawyers manipulate language and emotions to gain leverage. Dodson’s suggestion that Pickwick’s conscience holds the answer is a subtle lie, designed to undermine his confidence. In response, Pickwick’s accusation of dishonesty reveals his growing disillusionment with the legal system, while Sam’s serves a protective role. Sam, who knows a thing or two about corrupt institutions, uses his practical wisdom as a defense against the agency’s manipulation and gets Pickwick out of there before he can get himself into any more trouble.
Themes
Outside, Pickwick fumes. Determined to get legal advice, he decides to visit Perker, who is a solicitor. Sam, ever practical, agrees that they should have done this from the start. However, before heading to Perker’s, Pickwick suggests they stop for a glass of brandy-and-water to calm his nerves. Sam directs Pickwick to a nearby tavern he knows well. Inside the tavern, Pickwick sips his drink while Sam spots a familiar figure across the room: Tony Weller, his father. After an enthusiastic greeting, Mr. Weller joins them at the table. He updates Sam on his life, particularly lamenting the troubles with his second wife and warning Sam to steer clear of widows.
Pickwick’s seeks out brandy-and-water to regain composure after the disorienting encounter with Dodson and Fogg. Here, alcohol becomes a coping mechanism for Pickwick, offering temporary relief from the stresses of legal troubles. Meanwhile, the introduction of Tony Weller provides comic relief to contrast with Pickwick’s serious legal struggles. Like Pickwick, Mr. Weller has marriage problems. However, unlike Pickwick, he seems to have brought them upon himself.
Themes
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During the conversation, Mr. Weller reveals valuable information: he recently drove Jingle and Job Trotter to Ipswich, where they plan to stay for some time. Hearing this, Pickwick immediately decides to follow them, eager to finally bring Jingle to justice. Mr. Weller offers to take them to Ipswich on his next coach run, which will occur in two days. After finishing their drinks, Pickwick and Sam head to an inn where Perker has his office. Unfortunately, by the time they arrive, the office has already closed for the day. A woman cleaning the office informs them that Perker is out of town. She directs them to nearby tavern where they can find Lowten, Perker’s clerk.
The discovery that Jingle and Trotter are within reach reignites Pickwick’s sense of purpose. Mr. Weller’s willingness to help reflects the novel’s emphasis on friendship and mutual aid, where assistance comes not from institutions but from personal connections. Because the Mrs. Bardell situation is currently out of Pickwick’s hands, he turns to something he can control and for which he may be able to see justice prevail.
Themes
At the tavern, Pickwick finds Lowten in the middle of a lively evening with fellow legal clerks. Despite the rowdy atmosphere, Lowten listens to Pickwick’s concerns and agrees to handle the lawsuit until Perker returns. He then invites Pickwick to join the group for a drink. Though initially hesitant, Pickwick accepts. The evening passes with songs, laughter, and anecdotes, as Pickwick finds himself immersed in yet another strange corner of London life. Among others, he meets a man named Jack Bamber, a man of questionable sanity, who is about to treat everyone to a story.
The chaotic atmosphere of the tavern contrasts sharply with the oppressive office of Dodson & Fogg. Lowten’s willingness to help Pickwick again shows the value of personal connections and friendships, which are perhaps especially potent when food and drink are involved. Meanwhile, the introduction of Jack Bamber suggests that Pickwick is about to hear another story from an unreliable narrator, making the events of the upcoming story suspect at best—at least in terms of their factuality.
Themes
