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Chapter 31
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 feels restless the day before the highly anticipated trial of Mrs. Bardell’s action. Despite there being nothing to do until the court session, Pickwick, in a state of extreme anxiety, repeatedly sends notes to Perker inquiring about the progress of the case. Each time, Perker replies that everything is going as planned. In truth, however, nothing can move forward until the trial begins the next day. Sam, ever patient and good-natured, obliges his master’s constant demands, running back and forth between the George and Vulture Inn and Perker’s chambers.
Pickwick’s restlessness indicates both his growing anxiety and his inability to accept that some events lie beyond his control. Dickens shows how Pickwick’s usually calm demeanor unravels when faced with uncertainty, turning him into a figure of nervous energy. Meanwhile, Sam’s grounded personality offers a stabilizing influence, counteracting Pickwick’s jittery nerves.
Themes
After finishing his errands, Sam enjoys a leisurely moment at the inn’s bar. However, his peace is soon interrupted by the arrival of a small boy, sent by Mr. Weller to summon Sam to the Blue Boar in Leadenhall Market. Sam asks the boy to tell Mr. Weller that he will come by in the evening. Then, Sam takes a slow walk through the city streets, observing the bustle of daily life. A stationer’s shop window catches his attention when he spots a collection of valentines. Upon seeing the illustration of a valentine featuring two skewered hearts roasting over a fire, Sam suddenly remembers that he had intended to write one. He hurries into the shop, buys the necessary supplies, and proceeds to the Blue Boar, where he sits down to compose his letter.
This scene highlights Sam’s ability to savor small pleasures amidst the chaos surrounding him. His stroll through the streets, where he notices the mundane and amusing details of life, reflects a quality that Dickens often celebrates: the ability to find joy in the ordinary. The skewered hearts on the valentine are humorous, though they also hint at the pain that love can cause. The valentine adds a personal, human touch to the narrative, revealing another side of Sam as someone capable of sentiment, even if he downplays it.
Themes
Sam takes his time with the letter, carefully choosing his words as he writes to Mary. Despite his struggles with spelling, he finally completes the valentine just as his father, Mr. Weller, arrives. Tony greets his son and immediately inquires about the letter Sam is writing, once again warning him about the dangers of romantic entanglements. Sam reassures his father that he has no intentions of getting married anytime soon, though Tony remains skeptical and continues to express his dismay at the thought of Sam becoming a “victim” of love.
Tony’s distrust of romance reflects a cynicism born from experience, while Sam’s more casual attitude suggests that he is not immune to affection, even if he pretends otherwise. The problem with Tony’s warning here is that he attempts to project too many of his own experiences on to Sam, assuming the way that his life played out will be the same way Sam’s plays out.
Themes
Sam reads the letter aloud, much to his Mr. Weller’s amusement. The elder Weller offers his critique, praising Sam for avoiding flowery and poetic language. Tony is especially relieved that there are no mentions of mythical figures like “Venus” in the letter, which he considers nonsense. After some discussion about the choice of words, Sam signs the letter and prepares it for the post office.
Tony’s critique of the letter favors sincerity over romantic idealization. His disdain for mythological references like Venus is a rejection of the grandiose language often associated with love, reinforcing the idea that romance should be grounded in reality, not dictated by idealized tropes and social norms.
Themes
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With the valentine business concluded, Mr. Weller shifts the conversation to a matter of “domestic policy.” He explains that Mr. Stiggins has become a regular and unwelcome visitor at Mrs. Weller’s home. Stiggins, who hypocritically preaches temperance while indulging in alcohol, has taken to frequently helping himself to the family’s supply of pineapple rum. Mr. Weller reveals that he has two tickets for a temperance meeting led by Stiggins, which he wants Sam to attend with him.
Stiggins’s behavior exemplifies the gap between public image and private actions, even though Stiggins often cannot even control himself in public. The scene also demonstrates Tony’s reliance on Sam for support, reinforcing the bond between father and son.
Themes
The two set off for the meeting, with Sam stopping to drop his valentine in the mail on the way. The meeting is held in a small room, where the members, mostly women, consume an alarming amount of tea. Their excessive tea-drinking bewilders Mr. Weller who suggests that some of the attendees might need medical attention if they continue at such a rate. The formalities of the meeting begin with a report detailing the supposed success stories of converts to temperance. One by one, individuals are listed, recounting their struggles with alcohol and how they’ve turned to a life of sobriety. The stories, often met with applause and cheers, border on the absurd, with one man attributing the durability of his wooden leg to his newfound temperance.
Dickens uses the temperance meeting to explore the absurdity and performative nature of moral reform. The excessive tea drinking mirrors the very behaviors the group seeks to eliminate, imply that human tendencies toward excess find new outlets even in virtuous activities. Mr. Weller sees the irony as well, which is why he makes the remark about the attendees needing medical attention. Additionally, the exaggerated success stories from the participants make the meeting seem performative rather than transformative.
Themes
The atmosphere shifts when Stiggins’s arrival is announced. Stiggins, clearly inebriated, stumbles into the meeting to great applause from the women. However, when invited to address the assembly, Stiggins shocks everyone by accusing the group of being drunk and proceeds to attack another member of the group. Chaos erupts as the women scream, and the men try to calm the situation. Amid the confusion, Mr. Weller seizes the opportunity to fight with Stiggins. Sam, ever the responsible son, forcibly removes his father from the scene, dragging him into the street to prevent further mayhem. The members of the meeting scatter, and Stiggins is escorted away to sober up. Tony, satisfied with the outcome, departs with Sam, leaving the wreckage of the temperance meeting behind them.
Stiggins’s drunken behavior, combined with his accusations against the group, exposes the fragility of the group’s moral authority. Mr. Weller gleefully fights with Stiggins because he has no respect for him, nor anyone else at the meeting. He does not see why he should care about the feelings and opinions of people who worship someone who is so obviously a hypocrite. Meanwhile, Sam’s intervention shows that he is the level-headed figure in their relationship. Instead of his father taking care of him, he finds himself having to take care of his father, much like he does for Pickwick.
Themes
