The ball is space of both performance and confusion. Everyone is playing a role, and Pickwick finds himself out of his depth. His interactions with the elite women at the card game highlight how clueless he is in this environment. There’s a sense of playful discomfort in these moments—Pickwick is far too innocent to grasp the social cues, and the women’s sharpness leaves him flustered. Dickens uses these interactions to emphasize how little Pickwick belongs in this version of high society.