# The Pickwickians explained — The Pickwick Papers

> Chapter companion for The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens.

## What happens

The first chapter introduces the Pickwick Club, founded by Samuel Pickwick, and records the founding of the Corresponding Society of the Pickwick Club, with Pickwick, Tupman, Snodgrass, and Winkle as members. The chapter includes Pickwick's speech, a heated exchange with Mr. Blotton (resolved via 'Pickwickian' interpretation), and sets the stage for the club's travels and adventures.

## Themes in this chapter

### Friendship and Loyalty

The Pickwick Club members demonstrate loyalty to their founder and each other, resolving disputes through the 'Pickwickian' interpretation that preserves harmony.

### Adventure and Exploration

The chapter establishes the Corresponding Society's purpose: to travel, observe character and manners, and report adventures, setting the stage for the Pickwickians' journeys.

### Deception and Appearance

The 'Pickwickian' sense of words allows for apparent insults to be reinterpreted as harmless, highlighting the gap between surface meaning and intended meaning.

## Character check-ins

### Samuel Pickwick

Founder of the Pickwick Club, delivers an oration on fame and philanthropy, and is appointed to lead the Corresponding Society.

### Tracy Tupman

Described as the 'too susceptible Tupman' with a ruling passion for admiration of the fair sex; appointed as a member of the Corresponding Society.

### Augustus Snodgrass

The poetic member, enveloped in a blue cloak; appointed to the Corresponding Society and later calls for order during the debate.

### Nathaniel Winkle

The sporting member, wearing a new green shooting-coat; appointed to the Corresponding Society.

### Joseph Smiggers

Presides over the meeting as P.V.P.M.P.C. and reads the resolutions.

### Mr. Blotton

Engages in a heated exchange with Pickwick, calling him a 'humbug' in the Pickwickian sense, which is resolved amicably.

## Key lines

> The first ray of light which illumines the gloom, and converts into a dazzling brilliancy that obscurity in which the earlier history of the public career of the immortal Pickwick would appear to be involved, is derived from the perusal of the following entry in the Transactions of the Pickwick Club

The earliest clear record of Pickwick's public life comes from the club's official minutes.

_The narrator introduces the source of the story as the club's records._

> That this Association cordially recognises the principle of every member of the Corresponding Society defraying his own travelling expenses; and that it sees no objection whatever to the members of the said society pursuing their inquiries for any length of time they please, upon the same terms.

The club agrees that each traveler will pay for his own journey and may travel as long as he wishes.

_The resolution establishes the financial terms for the Pickwickians' travels._

> Mr. Blotton had no hesitation in saying that he had not—he had used the word in its Pickwickian sense.

Blotton clarifies that his insult was not meant literally but in a special, harmless way understood by the club.

_The 'Pickwickian' interpretation resolves the conflict between Pickwick and Blotton._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_pickwick_papers_se/chapters/i
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_pickwick_papers_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_pickwick_papers_se/chapters