Nicholas Nickleby

by

Charles Dickens

Mrs. Nickleby Character Analysis

Mrs. Nickleby is Kate and Nicholas’s mother and Ralph’s sister-in-law. She is also Nicholas Sr.’s widow. Mrs. Nickleby is portrayed as well-meaning but oblivious and easily manipulatable. Early in the novel, Ralph uses strategically placed jabs at his brother, Nicholas Sr., to convince Mrs. Nickleby that she made a mistake in choosing to marry her late husband. Mrs. Nickleby is also prone to misreading social situations. While Mulberry is harassing Kate, Mrs. Nickleby becomes convinced that Kate is secretly in love with Mulberry and believes that Mulberry is the kind of man she would want as a son-in-law. That interpretation couldn’t be further from the truth. Despite Mrs. Nickleby’s foibles, Nicholas is steadfastly devoted to his mother, and he almost always considers what would be in her best interest before he makes a decision.

Mrs. Nickleby Quotes in Nicholas Nickleby

The Nicholas Nickleby quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Nickleby or refer to Mrs. Nickleby. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Speculation is a round game; the players see little or nothing of their cards at first starting; gains may be great—and so may losses. The run of luck went against Mr. Nickleby. A mania prevailed, a bubble burst, four stock-brokers took villa residences at Florence, four hundred nobodies were ruined, and among them Mr. Nickleby.

Related Characters: Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby, Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:

'The very house I live in,' sighed the poor gentleman [Nicholas Sr.], 'may be taken from me tomorrow. Not an article of my old furniture, but will be sold to strangers!'

The last reflection hurt him so much, that he took at once to his bed; apparently resolved to keep that, at all events.

'Cheer up, sir!' said the apothecary.

'You mustn't let yourself be cast down, sir,' said the nurse.

'Such things happen every day,' remarked the lawyer.

'And it is very sinful to rebel against them,' whispered the clergyman.

'And what no man with a family ought to do,' added the neighbours.

Related Characters: Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby, Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

'The doctors could attribute it to no particular disease,' said Mrs. Nickleby; shedding tears. 'We have too much reason to fear that he died of a broken heart.'

'Pooh!' said Ralph, 'there's no such thing. I can understand a man's dying of a broken neck, or suffering from a broken arm, or a broken head, or a broken leg, or a broken nose; but a broken heart!—nonsense, it's the cant of the day. If a man can't pay his debts, he dies of a broken heart, and his widow's a martyr.'

'Some people, I believe, have no hearts to break,' observed Nicholas, quietly.

Related Characters: Nicholas (speaker), Ralph (speaker), Mrs. Nickleby (speaker), Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:

The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.

Related Characters: Nicholas (speaker), Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

'My poor brother, ma'am,' interposed Ralph tartly, 'had no idea what business was—was unacquainted, I verily believe, with the very meaning of the word.'

'I fear he was,' said Mrs. Nickleby, with her handkerchief to her eyes. 'If it hadn't been for me, I don't know what would have become of him.' […]

'Repining is of no use, ma'am,' said Ralph. 'Of all fruitless errands, sending a tear to look after a day that is gone is the most fruitless.'

'So it is,' sobbed Mrs. Nickleby. 'So it is.'

'As you feel so keenly, in your own purse and person, the consequences of inattention to business, ma'am,' said Ralph, 'I am sure you will impress upon your children the necessity of attaching themselves to it early in life.'

'Of course I must see that,' rejoined Mrs. Nickleby.

Related Characters: Ralph (speaker), Mrs. Nickleby (speaker), Kate, Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Such is hope, Heaven's own gift to struggling mortals; pervading, like some subtle essence from the skies, all things, both good and bad; as universal as death, and more infectious than disease!

Related Characters: Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby
Page Number: 227-228
Explanation and Analysis:
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Mrs. Nickleby Quotes in Nicholas Nickleby

The Nicholas Nickleby quotes below are all either spoken by Mrs. Nickleby or refer to Mrs. Nickleby. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Speculation is a round game; the players see little or nothing of their cards at first starting; gains may be great—and so may losses. The run of luck went against Mr. Nickleby. A mania prevailed, a bubble burst, four stock-brokers took villa residences at Florence, four hundred nobodies were ruined, and among them Mr. Nickleby.

Related Characters: Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby, Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:

'The very house I live in,' sighed the poor gentleman [Nicholas Sr.], 'may be taken from me tomorrow. Not an article of my old furniture, but will be sold to strangers!'

The last reflection hurt him so much, that he took at once to his bed; apparently resolved to keep that, at all events.

'Cheer up, sir!' said the apothecary.

'You mustn't let yourself be cast down, sir,' said the nurse.

'Such things happen every day,' remarked the lawyer.

'And it is very sinful to rebel against them,' whispered the clergyman.

'And what no man with a family ought to do,' added the neighbours.

Related Characters: Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby, Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

'The doctors could attribute it to no particular disease,' said Mrs. Nickleby; shedding tears. 'We have too much reason to fear that he died of a broken heart.'

'Pooh!' said Ralph, 'there's no such thing. I can understand a man's dying of a broken neck, or suffering from a broken arm, or a broken head, or a broken leg, or a broken nose; but a broken heart!—nonsense, it's the cant of the day. If a man can't pay his debts, he dies of a broken heart, and his widow's a martyr.'

'Some people, I believe, have no hearts to break,' observed Nicholas, quietly.

Related Characters: Nicholas (speaker), Ralph (speaker), Mrs. Nickleby (speaker), Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:

The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.

Related Characters: Nicholas (speaker), Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby
Page Number: 41
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 10 Quotes

'My poor brother, ma'am,' interposed Ralph tartly, 'had no idea what business was—was unacquainted, I verily believe, with the very meaning of the word.'

'I fear he was,' said Mrs. Nickleby, with her handkerchief to her eyes. 'If it hadn't been for me, I don't know what would have become of him.' […]

'Repining is of no use, ma'am,' said Ralph. 'Of all fruitless errands, sending a tear to look after a day that is gone is the most fruitless.'

'So it is,' sobbed Mrs. Nickleby. 'So it is.'

'As you feel so keenly, in your own purse and person, the consequences of inattention to business, ma'am,' said Ralph, 'I am sure you will impress upon your children the necessity of attaching themselves to it early in life.'

'Of course I must see that,' rejoined Mrs. Nickleby.

Related Characters: Ralph (speaker), Mrs. Nickleby (speaker), Kate, Nicholas Sr.
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 19 Quotes

Such is hope, Heaven's own gift to struggling mortals; pervading, like some subtle essence from the skies, all things, both good and bad; as universal as death, and more infectious than disease!

Related Characters: Ralph, Kate, Mrs. Nickleby
Page Number: 227-228
Explanation and Analysis: