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Chapter 11
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’s quiet and well-ordered apartment in Goswell Street reflects his character and intellect. His sitting room on the first floor and bedroom on the second allow him a perfect vantage point to observe human nature. Mrs. Bardell, his landlady, a bustling woman with a knack for cooking, runs the household smoothly. The only other residents include a lodger and her young son, Master Bardell. Typically, the peaceful and clean atmosphere in the house calms Pickwick, allowing him to work in peace.
Mrs. Bardell is a pleasant afterthought for Pickwick. She is someone who helps him keep the organized life he desires, but otherwise she serves no greater purpose for him. Like many women in the novel, Mrs. Bardell’s domain is the domestic sphere, which rarely intersects with Pickwick’s adventures.
Themes
However, the morning before Pickwick plans to journey to Eatanswill, his usually calm demeanor changes. He paces the room, frequently checks his watch, and exhibits uncharacteristic impatience. When Mrs. Bardell comes in, he mentions that Master Bardell has been away for a long time. Then, Pickwick asks Mrs. Bardell a curious question: would it be more expensive to keep two people instead of just one? Mrs. Bardell, misinterpreting Pickwick’s question as a marriage proposal, becomes flustered and emotional. Pickwick continues explaining that the person he has in mind possesses qualities of sharpness and worldliness, further fueling Mrs. Bardell’s mistaken belief.
Because Pickwick prefers living in an ordered manner, any complications whatsoever regarding his upcoming trip to Eatanswill upset him. Perhaps because he is agitated—or perhaps because he is generally clueless when it comes to women—Pickwick does not realize how his words affect Mrs. Bardell. Not only is Mrs. Bardell fond of Pickwick, but his social status would be an immense boost for her and Master Bardell, her young son.
Themes
As Mrs. Bardell reacts emotionally, throwing her arms around Pickwick and bursting into tears of happiness, Tupman, Winkle, and Snodgrass arrive. They find Pickwick in an awkward position, holding a fainting Mrs. Bardell in his arms. Master Bardell, who follows the Pickwickians up the stairs, sees his mother in distress and begins attacking Pickwick, assuming he is the cause. Pickwick, stunned, tries to explain the misunderstanding to his friends. He clarifies that he only intended to hire a manservant, not to propose marriage.
The arrival of the Pickwickians at the exact moment of Mrs. Bardell’s emotional outburst transforms a private misunderstanding into a public spectacle. Master Bardell’s attack on Pickwick adds a slapstick element to the scene while also reflecting the protective role assigned to even the youngest males in Victorian households. Although played for laughs, this is an important scene that Dickens will return to later in the novel.
Themes
After Mrs. Bardell recovers and leaves the room, Pickwick introduces his new manservant: Sam Weller. Weller officially accepts the position after negotiating terms, including wages and clothing. Pickwick immediately takes him to acquire proper attire, transforming Weller into a well-dressed servant. The next morning, Weller joins Pickwick and his friends as they set off for Eatanswill.
The introduction of Sam Weller into the novel allows Dickens another way to explore class dynamics, where Weller acts as the mouthpiece for the lower class. Notably, Sam was incredibly popular with Dickens’s contemporary audience and was one of the primary reasons for the novel’s success.
Themes
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