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Marriage and Courtship
Themes and Colors
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Pickwick Papers, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
In The Pickwick Papers, generosity and forgiveness provide an important counterbalance to a world often governed by harsh social systems. Mr. Pickwick himself embodies these qualities throughout the novel, constantly demonstrating his compassion and willingness to forgive. His act of generosity toward Alfred Jingle, a conman who repeatedly wrongs him, stands as one of the most powerful examples of this. Despite Jingle’s attempts to deceive and take advantage of him, Pickwick ultimately chooses to help Jingle and his accomplice, Job Trotter, when they fall on hard times, bailing the men out of jail. He does so not out of obligation, but out of a deep belief in the power of mercy. Pickwick’s actions show that those who have done wrong deserve a second chance. They also suggest that when a person has the opportunity to seek vengeance on a person who has wronged them, it is better to take the moral high ground and respond with mercy and forgiveness.
Forgiveness also emerges in the way Pickwick handles his own legal troubles. Though Mrs. Bardell wrongs him with her frivolous lawsuit, he harbors no lasting bitterness. Instead of seeking revenge or retribution, Pickwick pays Mrs. Bardell’s debts to keep her out of jail, showing an ability to forgive that contrasts with the vindictiveness often seen in the legal world around him. His refusal to act out of spite elevates his moral standing, reinforcing Dickens’s belief in the redemptive power of forgiveness.
Meanwhile, the story of Heyling serves as a powerful counterpoint to Pickwick’s forgiving nature. Where Pickwick offers mercy even to those who wrong him, Heyling allows his anger to consume him entirely. After his Heyling’s wife and child die after Heyling’s father-in-law cruelly refuses to help them, Heyling seeks revenge and resolves to ruin the older man’s life. Although Heyling achieves this goal, his fixation on revenge against his father-in-law ultimately drives him deeper into bitterness. He refuses to show mercy even when his enemy is destitute and powerless, going so far as to watch the man’s son drown rather than intervene. Unlike Pickwick, whose generosity uplifts both himself and others, Heyling’s refusal to forgive leaves him hollow and isolated. Through this contrast, Dickens suggests that forgiveness and mercy offers a path to freedom from emotional burdens, while vengeance leads only to personal and spiritual ruin.
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Generosity and Forgiveness ThemeTracker
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Generosity and Forgiveness appears in each chapter of The Pickwick Papers. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
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Generosity and Forgiveness Quotes in The Pickwick Papers
Below you will find the important quotes in The Pickwick Papers related to the theme of Generosity and Forgiveness.
Chapter 2
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That punctual servant of all work, the sun, had just risen, and begun to strike a light on the morning of the thirteenth of May, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven, when Mr Samuel Pickwick burst like another sun from his slumbers; threw open his chamber window, and looked out upon the world beneath. Goswell-street was at his feet, Goswell-street was on his right hand – as far as the eye could reach, Goswell-street extended on his left; and the opposite side of Goswell-street was over the way. ‘Such,’ thought Mr Pickwick, ‘are the narrow views of those philosophers who, content with examining the things that lie before them, look not to the truths which are hidden beyond. As well might I be content to gaze on Goswell-street for ever, without one effort to penetrate to the hidden countries which on every side surround it.
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Chapter 19
Quotes
‘We were trespassing, it seems,’ said Wardle.
‘I don’t care,’ said Mr Pickwick, ‘I’ll bring the action.’
‘No, you won’t,’ said Wardle.
‘I will, by – ’ but as there was a humorous expression in Wardle’s face, Mr Pickwick checked himself, and said – ‘Why not?’
‘Because,’ said old Wardle, half-bursting with laughter, ‘because they might turn round on some of us, and say we had taken too much cold punch.’
Do what he would, a smile would come into Mr Pickwick’s face; the smile extended into a laugh, the laugh into a roar, and the roar became general. So, to keep up their good humour, they stopped at the first road-side tavern they came to, and ordered a glass of brandy and water all round, with a magnum of extra strength, for Mr Samuel Weller.’
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Chapter 27
Quotes
“Nothin’ else,’ said Mr Weller, shaking his head gravely; ‘and wot aggrawates me, Samivel, is to see ’em a wastin’ all their time and labour in making clothes for copper-coloured people as don’t want ’em, and taking no notice of the flesh-coloured Christians as do. If I’d my vay, Samivel, I’d just stick some o’ these here lazy shepherds behind a heavy wheelbarrow, and run ’em up and down a fourteen-inch-wide plank all day. That ’ud shake the nonsense out of ’em, if anythin’ vould.’
Mr Weller having delivered this gentle recipe with strong emphasis, eked out by a variety of nods and contortions of the eye, emptied his glass at a draught, and knocked the ashes out of his pipe, with native dignity.”
Chapter 28 (1)
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‘Our invariable custom,’ replied Mr Wardle. ‘Every body sits down with us on Christmas eve, as you see them now – servants and all; and here we wait till the clock strikes twelve, to usher Christmas in, and while away the time with forfeits and old stories. Trundle, my boy, rake up the fire.’
Chapter 43
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Mr Pickwick felt a great deal too much touched by the warmth of Sam’s attachment, to be able to exhibit any manifestation of anger or displeasure at the precipitate course he had adopted, in voluntarily consigning himself to a debtors’ prison for an indefinite period. The only point on which he persevered in demanding any explanation, was, the name of Sam’s detaining creditor, but this Mr Weller as perseveringly withheld.
Chapter 46
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At three o’clock that afternoon, Mr Pickwick took a last look at his little room, and made his way as well as he could, through the throng of debtors who pressed eagerly forward to shake him by the hand, until he reached the lodge steps. He turned here to look about him, and his eye lightened as he did so. In all the crowd of wan emaciated faces, he saw not one which was not the happier for his sympathy and charity.
Chapter 53
Quotes
In compliance with this unceremonious invitation, Jingle and Job walked into the room, but, seeing Mr Pickwick, stopped short in some confusion.
‘Well,’ said Perker, ‘don’t you know that gentleman?’
‘Good reason to,’ replied Jingle, stepping forward. ‘Mr Pickwick – deepest obligations – life preserver – made a man of me – you shall never repent it, Sir.’
‘I am happy to hear you say so,’ said Mr Pickwick. ‘You look much better.’
Chapter 56
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Mr Pickwick is somewhat infirm now; but he retains all his former juvenility of spirit, and may still be frequently seen, contemplating the pictures in the Dulwich Gallery, or enjoying a walk about the pleasant neighbourhood on a fine day. He is known by all the poor people about, who never fail to take their hats off, as he passes, with great respect. The children idolise him, and so indeed does the whole neighbourhood. Every year he repairs to a large family merry-making at Mr Wardle’s; on this, as on all other occasions, he is invariably attended by the faithful Sam, between whom and his master there exists a steady and reciprocal attachment which nothing but death will sever.
