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Chapter 40
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 awakens the next morning to an unusual scene: Sam is calmly observing Smangle, who is sitting on his bed, partially dressed. Smangle is trying to stare Sam down, but Sam remains unfazed. In response, Smangle tries to provoke Sam. The conversation nearly turns into an altercation when Smangle calls on his sleepy companion, Mivins, to help deal with Sam. However, Mivins, still in bed, lazily suggests that Smangle deal with Sam himself and then promptly returns to sleep. Before things can escalate further, Pickwick intervenes and calms everyone down.
The morning interaction with Smangle reveals the unpredictable nature of the prison environment. Sam’s cool and unflinching demeanor contrasts with Smangle’s bravado, showing how Sam’s practical instincts shield him from the absurd posturing that thrives within these walls. Meanwhile, even in prison, Pickwick ends up playing the role of peacekeeper, perhaps not fully realizing what is brewing between Sam and Smangle.
Themes
Smangle, seemingly forgetting his earlier irritation, takes a sudden interest in Pickwick’s belongings. He eagerly offers to send Pickwick’s laundry to his washerwoman, claiming it’s no trouble at all and that he is happy to help a fellow gentleman. His intentions are clear—he’s trying to ingratiate himself with Pickwick to get access to his belongings—but both Pickwick and Sam fend off his advances. Smangle, realizing his efforts to gain something from Pickwick are not working, leaves to smoke.
Smangle’s sudden shift in attitude from hostile to friendly shows the opportunism that defines life inside Fleet Prison. His offer to handle Pickwick’s laundry is less a gesture of goodwill and more a veiled attempt to manipulate Pickwick for personal gain. Both Pickwick and Sam, however, remain alert to Smangle’s ploys.
Themes
After a quiet breakfast, Pickwick decides to consult Roker about his long-term accommodations. Roker explains that Pickwick will be assigned a “chummage ticket” for a shared room in the third flight of the prison, where he will be housed with three other men. When Pickwick asks for more details, Roker reveals that one of his future roommates is a parson, another a butcher, and the third a former horse-dealer. Pickwick, unsure of what to expect, decides to visit the room and meet his new companions before making a final decision, as he does have some say in the matter.
Pickwick’s encounter with Roker highlights the bureaucratic absurdity of Fleet Prison, where even the choice of roommates becomes a negotiation. The randomness of his potential cellmates reflects the arbitrary nature of the debtors’ prison, where individuals from all walks of life are thrown together. Pickwick’s cautious approach to the arrangement shows his desire to retain some dignity and control, even within a system designed to strip people of both.
Themes
Pickwick finds his way to the third flight, where he discovers his new roommates. The room is a chaotic mess—filthy, cramped, and reeking of dampness. Simpson, the horse-dealer, is leaning out of the window, spitting on the hat of a friend below. Everything Pickwick sees appalls him, including the behavior of his roommates. The three men, sensing his discomfort, offer to “pay him out” of the room for three shillings and a gallon of beer. They suggest he take their offer and secure private accommodation elsewhere.
The chaotic scene in the shared room exposes the squalor that dominates life in Fleet Prison. Simpson’s crude behavior and the room’s general filth suggest that the prisoners have abandoned any pretense of decorum, embracing disorder as a means of coping. The offer to “pay out” of the room reflects the transactional nature of relationships inside the prison, where even basic comfort comes at a price.
Themes
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Realizing that he can rent a private room for a small fee, Pickwick quickly returns to Roker to arrange it. Roker, expecting this turn of events, promptly offers a furnished room for a pound a week. The room belongs to a Chancery prisoner who, having lost his fortune and friends, is eager to rent it out for the much-needed money. The prisoner, a gaunt and haunted man, agrees to the arrangement without hesitation. Moved, Pickwick offers the room back to him whenever he needs peace or quiet. In response, the prisoner laments that no one cares whether he lives or dies.
The encounter with the Chancery prisoner introduces a more somber element to Pickwick’s experience. The prisoner’s haunting description of his isolation—having lost both fortune and friends—serves as a stark reminder that imprisonment extends beyond physical confinement to emotional ruin. Pickwick’s offer of kindness illustrates his growing empathy, but the prisoner’s response shows that goodwill is insufficient to counteract the overwhelming despair inside the prison walls.
Themes
Once the arrangements are settled, Pickwick moves into his new room. Though the room is modest, it provides the privacy and peace that Pickwick desires. Reflecting on the grim conditions of the prison and the sad fate of his fellow inmates, Pickwick feels a wave of compassion for the unfortunate souls trapped in the debtor’s system. He resolves to help wherever he can, but his thoughts are interrupted when he sees something—or rather, someone—entirely unexpected: Alfred Jingle.
Pickwick’s transition to the private room marks a small victory in his struggle to maintain dignity, offering a rare moment of peace amid the chaos of prison life. However, this peace is short-lived when he encounters Jingle, whose transformation from charming rogue to broken prisoner serves as a sobering reminder of how quickly fortunes can change. Pickwick’s compassion for Jingle reveals his deepening commitment to helping others, despite the injustices he himself faces.
Themes
Jingle is now a shadow of his former self. He is dressed in tattered clothes, gaunt from hunger, and clearly defeated by his circumstances. Nearby, Trotter, equally destitute, enters with a small piece of raw mutton. The sight of them in such a state moves Pickwick to speak privately with Jingle, who, despite his bravado, is clearly ashamed of his downfall. Jingle admits that he has been living in poverty and pawning off everything he owns. His attempt at lightheartedness falters as he breaks down, sobbing from the weight of his suffering. Pickwick, deeply moved, offers him help and promises to do what he can to assist both Jingle and Trotter.
Jingle’s tattered appearance and futile attempts at maintaining bravado show that even the most resilient people can crumble under the weight of misfortune. Pickwick’s decision to help Jingle, despite their history, reveals his capacity for forgiveness and empathy. Pickwick evolves from a naive observer to someone deeply invested in alleviating suffering.
Themes
Returning to his room, Pickwick finds Sam sorting his belongings. After a moment of reflection, Pickwick tells Sam that he must leave the prison. He explains that it is absurd for a debtor to have a manservant, and he wishes for Sam to find work with one of their friends. Sam, however, refuses to accept this plan. He argues that Pickwick needs him, and despite his master’s insistence, Sam makes it clear that he will not be dismissed. With that, Sam abruptly leaves the room, leaving Pickwick alone and calling after Sam in vain.
Pickwick’s attempt to release Sam from service is noble, but it’s ultimately worthless. Even though Pickwick is Sam’s “master,” their relationship transcends class differences. The scene leaves Pickwick both touched and exasperated, as he realizes that not even the harshest circumstances can undermine true loyalty.
Themes
