The Pickwick Papers - chapters 50 - 52
Installment 18 of 20, in The Pickwick
Papers 180th Anniversary Read Along hosted by On Bookes. This installment comes
in September, just as Dickens’ eighteenth installment was published.
Chapter 50 – Mr. Pickwick and Sam set
off to visit Mr. Winkle senior in hopes of garnering his approval of Mr.
Winkle’s somewhat impetuous marriage to Arabella Allen. Accompanying Pickwick
will be Ben Allen, Arabella’s brother. However, when Pickwick and Sam stop to
pick up Ben Allen, Bob Sawyer who once intended to marry Arabella himself,
announces his intention to join the delegation. Pickwick is not very fond of
the idea, but sees no graceful way out, so the four set out together. The
journey is something of a spectacle, as Bob is rather inebriated and makes
various loud demonstrations while on the journey – all of course to the chagrin
of the very dignified Mr. Pickwick. Pickwick’s dismay is further amplified when
he considers his important mission:
Attended by Bob Sawyer and Ben Allen, both slightly fuddled, was not the most ingenious and likely means that could have been hit upon to prepossess him [Mr. Winkle senior] in his favour.
Mr. Pickwick breaks the news to
Winkle senior, who takes the news of his son’s marriage calmly but NOT with
approval. The two gentlemen disagree civilly and part ways.
‘You will regret this, sir.’ Said Mr. Pickwick, setting his teeth close together to keep down his choler; for he felt how important the effect might prove to his young friend.
‘I am at present of a different opinion,’ calmly replied Mr. Winkle, senior. ‘Once again, gentlemen, I wish you a goodnight.’
Chapter 51 – Pickwick and company are
set to return to London on a day so dreary that…
…the rain came slowly and doggedly down, as if it had not even the spirit to pour.
And…
…a donkey, moping with drooping head under the narrow roof of an outhouse, appeared from his meditative and miserable countenance to be contemplating suicide.
The company waits for the weather to
improve – it doesn’t – so they set out weather notwithstanding. When they stop
for the night, they encounter some old acquaintances. First, Mr. Pott, the
proponent of the Blue party and editor of the Eatanswill Gazette. Pickwick,
whose political convictions have never been explicitly revealed feigns sympathy
to the Blues as Mr. Pott decries the outrages of the opposition. A bit later,
as happenstance and Mr. Dickens would have it, Mr. Slurk, of the opposing Buff
party and editor of the Eatanswill Independent, stops for the night at the same
inn.
Since there is nothing in today’s
political climate to compare, you will just have to trust me that the encounter
is rather contentious. Each editor reads his opponents rag, spouting vitriol,
rhetoric, and contempt at every line. Mr. Pickwick’s companions take this as
great sport, and encourage the spectacle, which eventually turns violent, with
poor Pickwick finding himself, as he so often does, caught in the middle. Sam
breaks up the altercation with little serious damage and the chapter ends with
Pickwick and company once again turning their faces to London.
Chapter 52 – Upon returning to
London, Sam Weller receives a letter that is four days old informing him that
his step-mother (though the language of the day was mother-in-law) had passed
away. Sam sets off, with Mr. Pickwick’s blessing, to visit his bereaved father.
Sam is too late for the funeral but pays respect to his father. At various
times throughout this story, the reader has encountered Sam Weller Sr. and his
wife, and has learned that the wife was rather critical of her husband’s wordly
ways and was often goaded by the rather unctuous, red-nosed Rev. Stiggins.
Under pretense of comforting the widower, Stiggins appears at the Weller home,
and rather awkwardly tries to determine if the late Mrs. Weller left him or his
parish any portion of her estate. What Stiggins does not know, is that on her
deathbed, Mrs. Weller repented of the unfairness with which she had treated her
kind, and worldly wise husband. Sam Sr. and Sam Jr. abide Stiggins only so
long, until Sam Sr. drives him from the house by the shirt collar,
numerous well placed kicks, and nearly drowns him in a horse trough. I suspect
it is the last we shall hear of Rev Stiggins. Mrs. Weller left a nice sum at
interest to Sam Jr. and the rest to her husband – who is now pursued by every
widow in the county. Sam Sr. announces he will return to a previous line of
work, as a coachman, and thus avoid any permanent feminine entanglements.
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