Nicholas Nickleby

by

Charles Dickens

Peg is Arthur’s housekeeper. She cannot read and is hard of hearing. Arthur thinks that makes her a model employee because she can’t go through his papers and has a hard time eavesdropping on him. However, Peg steals documents from Arthur to get back at him for years of mistreatment, showing the consequences of Arthur’s self-serving approach to life. One of the documents she steals is a will that proves that Madeline is the rightful heir to a small fortune. Ralph hires Squeers to steal that document from Peg. Peg and Squeers are arrested when they are caught burning some of those stolen legal documents.
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Peg Character Timeline in Nicholas Nickleby

The timeline below shows where the character Peg appears in Nicholas Nickleby. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 51
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...a suit. It’s the suit he plans to wear when he marries Madeline. Arthur’s housekeeper, Peg, jibes him. She says that it won’t matter what he’s wearing when he gets married... (full context)
Chapter 56
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...Arthur’s home. They ring the bell, but there’s no answer. Arthur assumes it’s simply because Peg, his servant who is hard of hearing, doesn’t hear the bell. (full context)
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...and Ralph continue to ring and ring the bell. Eventually, they force their way inside. Peg is nowhere to be seen. When Arthur investigates further, he finds that almost all of... (full context)
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...interfered with that marriage, which caused Ralph to lose money. He says that Arthur’s servant Peg then stole a paper from Arthur showing that Madeline is the rightful heir to a... (full context)
Chapter 57
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Injustice, Complicity, and Moral Integrity Theme Icon
Squeers is tired of following around Peg for Ralph. He’s been trying to accomplish the mission of stealing the document that shows... (full context)
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
Squeers goes to Peg’s apartment. It’s not the first time they’ve met. Squeers tells Peg that he’s ready to... (full context)
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
As Peg and Squeers go through Arthur’s papers, Squeers tells her which papers to burn and which... (full context)
Chapter 59
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...that Squeers hasn’t been seen for 10 days. Ralph then goes to the place where Peg had been staying, where Squeers also took a room to carry out the scheme of... (full context)
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Altruism and Humility Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...he couldn’t account for his possession of Madeline’s deed or why he had been with Peg, he was remanded for a week. Peg was too. Charles tells Ralph that that’s what... (full context)
Chapter 60
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...held. Squeers says he was taken into custody because he was in the presence of Peg, and both were committing fraud by burning legal documents. Since Squeers could not adequately explain... (full context)
Chapter 65
Greed and Selfishness Theme Icon
Power and Abuse Theme Icon
Altruism and Humility Theme Icon
Family and Loyalty Theme Icon
...murder him in his bed. They had been tempted by Arthur’s vast wealth. Squeers and Peg go to prison overseas. Neither ever returns to England. Brooker dies, having confessed to his... (full context)