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Chapter 34
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
Pickwick and his friends, along with Dowler and Mrs. Dowler, decide to rent a house in the Royal Crescent while staying in Bath for the next two months. Pickwick begins a routine of drinking the famed Bath waters daily, claiming it improves his health. The social scene at the Royal Crescent is lively and the Pickwickians spend much of their time socializing. After a typical day of socializing and water-drinking, Pickwick is relaxing alone in his room when he comes across a written story about the legend of Prince Bladud, the founder of Bath. The moral of the story is that many people come to Bath and overindulge in the healing water rather than focusing on more important problems in their lives.
The Royal Crescent represents both the charm and absurdity of Bath’s social life. While Pickwick embraces the rituals, like drinking the water, the legend of Prince Bladud introduces a layer of irony. Dickens suggests that people treat superficial solutions—like the waters—too seriously, ignoring deeper issues. Pickwick, characteristically earnest, takes these customs at face value, even when they border on the ridiculous.
Themes
Meanwhile, Dowler, having promised to wait up for Mrs. Dowler, grows tired of waiting and falls asleep. When Mrs. Dowler finally returns late at night via a sedan chair, her knocking at the door goes unanswered for some time, waking Winkle, who mistakenly believes something is wrong. Trying to help without seeming improper, Winkle jumps into Mrs. Dowler’s sedan chair to avoid being seen. Mrs. Craddock, the landlady, misinterprets the scene and alarms Dowler, claiming his wife is running away with another man. A chase ensues as Dowler pursues Winkle around the crescent with a knife, shouting threats. Winkle narrowly escapes and barricades himself in his room, preparing for a quick departure at dawn. The night ends with Pickwick trying to calm everyone, while Winkle hides. For his part, Dowler swears revenge.
Winkle’s attempt to avoid scandal only drags him deeper into it, a pattern that reflects both his good intentions and his knack for disaster. The comedy escalates when Dowler’s jealousy turns to violence. The sight of a respectable man with a knife chasing someone around a stately neighborhood is typical of the novel’s blending of farce and chaos. Pickwick’s effort to restore peace shows his usual role as a stabilizing figure, though the lingering threat of Dowler’s revenge hints that the absurdity is far from over.
Themes
