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Chapter 47
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
Each autumn, Tom Smart travels for work, going from London to Edinburgh, often spending time with old friends during his journey. One night in Edinburgh, after a hearty supper, Tom drinks late into the night with a group of Scotsmen. After hours of drinking, he decides it is time to leave. Despite his inebriated state, Tom steps out into the gusty night and takes a walk while enjoying the cold air. Along the way, he spots a yard full of old mail coaches and, being fond of them, climbs over the fence to take a closer look. Then, he sits and reflects on the people who once traveled in the coaches. Soon, he dozes off.
Tom’s impulsive nature is on full display in the way he wanders the streets and sneaks into the coachyard. His interest in the old mail coaches hints at his nostalgic fondness for past eras and simpler forms of travel. This moment of reflection, leading seamlessly into sleep, allows the story to transition from reality into the dream-like adventure, which recalls the bagman’s earlier surreal story about Tom.
Themes
Suddenly, the mail coaches spring to life. The area buzzes with activity as porters, guards, and passengers prepare the coaches for departure. A guard approaches Tom, calls him “Jack Martin,” and tells him he is booked for a seat inside. Curious, Tom climbs into the coach. Inside, he finds a distressed young lady in an old-fashioned velvet gown, along with two strange men—one in a powdered wig and sky-blue coat, the other in a plum-colored suit. Tom quickly realizes something is wrong as the men tightly grip the young lady, who appears terrified.
The men’s old-fashioned attire enhances the surreal and anachronistic quality of the dream, making it clear that this adventure belongs to a world distinct from Tom’s everyday life. Much like in the bagman’s earlier story about Tom, Tom is once again tasked with saving a woman from predatory men.
Themes
When Tom sits down, the men become hostile, drawing their swords and attacking him. Tom cleverly grabs a hat and uses it to block the sword. The fight escalates, but Tom manages to disarm the men, throwing one of their swords out the window and forcing them into a corner. At a crucial moment, the young lady takes action, grabbing one of the swords and driving it through the chest of the man in the sky-blue coat, pinning him to the wall. Inspired, Tom does the same to the other man, leaving them both stuck to the wall.
Tom’s abilities in the dream most likely do not reflect his capability in real life. Instead, the dream functions as a sort of power fantasy where Tom fights off men who are coming for the beautiful woman he is trying to save (and presumably keep for himself). The dream recalls the swashbucklers that started to become popular around the time Dickens was writing The Pickwick Papers.
Themes
The young lady reveals she has been kidnapped and was about to be forced into marriage. She begs Tom to help her escape, and they rush to the waiting mail coach outside. Tom agrees, and they flee in the coach with him driving. As they race away, the sound of pursuit grows louder. The young lady urges Tom to go faster. Despite his best efforts, the noise behind them intensifies.
This section of the dream mirrors traditional rescue narratives, with Tom cast in the role of the hero who aids a damsel in distress. Despite his earlier success, Tom’s pursuers seem to be catching up with him, adding excitement to the dream while also suggesting that, even in his fantasies, Tom might not turn out to be the hero.
Themes
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Tom stamps his foot in excitement and wakes up in the same yard where he had fallen asleep earlier. The mail coaches are once again decayed, and the young lady has vanished. Though it has all been a dream, Tom remains convinced the events were real. He never marries, staying faithful to the promise he made to the young lady in his dream, and often recounts the tale, believing he has been the only living person to experience a journey on a ghostly mail coach.
Tom’s insistence that the dream was real blurs the line between fact and fiction. His decision to remain unmarried, honoring the promise made in the dream, suggests that the experience had a profound impact on him, even if it was not real. The fact that he continues to tell the story speaks to the idea that personal meaning is not always tied to literal truth.
Themes
