COMPLEX FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN NICHOLAS NICKLEBY
COMPLEX FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS IN NICHOLAS NICKLEBY

Summary/Abstract: Charles Dickens’s novel is about the journey of Nicholas Nickleby, that loses his father and finds himself in the challenging situation to make a living as a teacher at Dotheboys Hall, fighting his uncle Ralph Nickleby with courage and dignity. We analyze the cold relationship between Kate and Nicholas and their uncle, but also the complex father-son relationship between Ralph and Smike and Nicholas and Smike. The novel presents Dotheboys Hall, a terrifying place where abandoned and orphan boys were badly treated by Mr and Mrs Squeers that call themselves their father and mother. The paper helps us better understand the delicate situation of Victorian children, but also how the lack of a secure attachment and affection during early childhood tremendously affects the life and future of children.

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