The Pickwick Club discussion

OK, it is Sunday and that means it is time to open the next thread on Chapter 30-32. So here it is, it's open. Start discussing. :-)

Now that we're back with Mr. Pecksniff, for this week anyway; I was thinking that Dickens must have really enjoyed writing for this character. I know Everyman has warm and fuzzy feelings for this character, and after spending last week with Jonas, I must admit even my heart is softening toward Pecksniff. Here are some of the lines from these chapters that were my favorites and I think they all were about Pecksniff:

It is customary with fathers in stage-plays, after giving their daughters to the men of their hearts, to congratulate themselves on having no other business on their hands but to die immediately; though it is rarely found that they are in a hurry to do it. Mr Pecksniff, being a father of a more sage and practical class, appeared to think that his immediate business was to live; and having deprived himself of one comfort, to surround himself with others.

But he was a man of great feeling and acute sensibility; and he squeezed his pocket-handkerchief against his eyes with both hands-- as such men always do, especially when they are observed.

'But I have ever,' said Mr Pecksniff, 'sacrificed my children's happiness to my own--I mean my own happiness to my children's--and I will not begin to regulate my life by other rules of conduct now.

As to any thought of revenging himself on young Martin for his insolent expressions when they parted, and of shutting him out still more effectually from any hope of reconciliation with his grandfather, Mr Pecksniff was much too meek and forgiving to be suspected of harbouring it. As to being refused by Mary, Mr Pecksniff was quite satisfied that in her position she could never hold out if he and Mr Chuzzlewit were both against her. As to consulting the wishes of her heart in such a case, it formed no part of Mr Pecksniff's moral code; for he knew what a good man he was, and what a blessing he must be to anybody.

Even my opinion of Cherry warmed - momentarily anyway - when, being shaken by her father during an argument "until the ornamental bow of hair upon her head nodded like a plume"Cherry does what I would have liked to do in her place," she shook Mr Pecksniff now; for his lame attempt to seem composed was melancholy in the last degree. His anger changed to meekness, and his words were mild and fawning."

In Chapter 32 I read the line:
Mr Bailey was gone, and had been succeeded (such is the decay of human greatness!) by an old woman whose name was reported to be Tamaroo--which seemed an impossibility.

So I had to look up Tamaroo (of course), here's what I found:



TAMAROO

Said to be taken from an English ballad in which it is
supposed to express the bold and fiery nature of a certain hackney coachman.

The following is quoted as the first verse:

Ben he was a coachman rare
('Jarvey! Jarvey!' 'Here I am, yer honour'),
Crikey! how he used to swear!
How he'd swear, and how he'd drive,
Number two hundred and sixty-five.
Tamaroo! Tamaroo! Tamaroo!

Mr. Pecksniff Discharges a Duty Which He Owes to Society

Chapter 31

Mr. Moddle is Both Particular and Peculiar in his Attentions

Chapter 32

To my mind, this instalment shows Dickens at his best and at his worst simultaneously. I was absolutely riveted by Mr. Pecksniff's attempts at morally blackmailing Mary Graham. The writing shows the flabby-faced hyprocrite for what he is: a downright despicable knave, and at the same time he is so menacing and full of hideous plots that I had wished I could interfere and give him a good sound thrashing. Even the narrator's tendency to throw in witty remarks with the intention of expressing his contempt for Pecksniff was not too intrusive. Then Mr. Pecksniff's reaction to overhearing the conversation between Mary and Tom made him live up to his unwholesome reputation and is probably the point from which there cannot be any further moral deterioration. In short: Dickens is a master of using the novel's antagonist to its fullest effect.

On the other hand, however, there are passages like these:

"'... I am easily made happy; and I shall live contented here long after you and Martin have forgotten me. I am a poor, shy, awkward creature; not at all a man of the world; and you should think no more of me, bless you, than if I were an old friar!'"

This is how Tom describes himself in order to make Mary think that he is not in love with her - and it's this overt vein of self-denial that makes the Tom character annoying to me here. Whoever would talk like that about himself and expect to be taken seriously?

Then there are Mary's rhetorical questions such as:

"'But what is he—oh, Mr Pinch, what IS he—who, thinking he could compass these designs the better if I were his wife, assails me with the coward's argument that if I marry him, Martin, on whom I have brought so much misfortune, shall be restored to something of his former hopes; and if I do not, shall be plunged in deeper ruin? What is he who makes my very constancy to one I love with all my heart a torture to myself and wrong to him; who makes me, do what I will, the instrument to hurt a head I would heap blessings on! What is he who, winding all these cruel snares about me, explains their purpose to me, with a smooth tongue and a smiling face, in the broad light of day; dragging me on, the while, in his embrace, and holding to his lips a hand,' pursued the agitated girl, extending it, 'which I would have struck off, if with it I could lose the shame and degradation of his touch?'

'I say,' cried Tom, in great excitement, 'he is a scoundrel and a villain! I don't care who he is, I say he is a double-dyed and most intolerable villain!'"

Pecksniff himself could not have been more mock-heroic and extravagant in his use of stage pathos, couldn't he? Strike your hand off because it has been shamed and degraded by another person's touch? - Hold your horses, young woman! If someone talked to me like that, I'd never believe a word of what they're saying.

This again shows that Dickens tended to overblow sentiment at times, and that he was probably best when dealing with outright rogues such as Pecksniff, Jonas, Tigg or with grotesque characters like Mrs. Gamp, Bailey and Sweedlepipe.

Tristram wrote: "The writing shows the flabby-faced hyprocrite for what he is: a downright despicable knave, and at the same time he is so menacing and full of hideous plots that I had wished I could interfere and give him a good sound thrashing."

As long as you're giving good sound thrashings how about including Jonas while you're thrashing people. I'll go along and help.

Jonas definitely needs a good PR person.

Everyman wrote: "Jonas definitely needs a good PR person."

You're a lawyer, go ahead and defend him. If you can.

Tristram wrote: "Strike your hand off because it has been shamed and degraded by another person's touch? - Hold your horses, young woman! If someone talked to me like that, I'd never believe a word of what they're saying."

Oh come on, I can't tell you the number of times I've stood in the choir room and said, Who, who is it by taking the wrong music has brought so much misfortune on me? Who is it by singing at the wrong place is heaping coals of fire on my head? Who is it when taking the music from my hand at the wrong time makes me want to cut my hand off? Or his. Doesn't it bring tears to your eyes?:-}

Dickens's ability as a visual writer is given front and centre in chapter 31 at the church. As Mary reveals to Tom the truth of Pecksniff's character, Pecksniff himself constantly bobs up and down from behind a church pew. I doubt if any eavesdropping portrayal in literature has been written with such vigor and humour. I don't know my "Dickens in the Cinema" but has this novel ever been made into a TV/movie production? This scene must be hilarious.

You have to feel sorry for Mary. How repulsive Pecksniff's interests must be; how much must she long for MC jr's return.

Watching Dickens as he shuffles the female characters of Merry and Cherry as well as Mary into their new roles we can see, and even perhaps project, how the plot might unfold in the following chapters.

Dickens's "writer's slump" appears to be coming to an end in the book.

Kim wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Jonas definitely needs a good PR person."

You're a lawyer, go ahead and defend him. If you can."

I'm a darn good lawyer, but not good enough for that. Not sure even God would be, or that even a deathbed conversion would be sufficient to save him.

Kim wrote: "Doesn't it bring tears to your eyes?:-} "

Tears indeed, but such of laughter. And I must admit that Mary's resorting to that ham-laden kind of talking made me laugh out loud nearly as much as the deathbed scene of Little Nell ;-)

Awh, you see Tristram, I'm a simple person and believed every word Tom Pinch said, as read. I bought into the inherent honesty of his every word. It was not a whit too melodramatic for me, but then I think I'm probably a little in love with him.

Wonderful sparring, Kim and Everyman. Hilarious and, indeed, Dickens-worthy: Jonas and his deathbed conversion; a mystery to give Willie Collins a run for his money.

Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "Everyman wrote: "Jonas definitely needs a good PR person."

You're a lawyer, go ahead and defend him. If you can."

I'm a darn good lawyer, but not good enough for that. Not sure even ..."

If you're such a good lawyer how come you never win an argument we're having? :-}

Kim wrote: "If you're such a good lawyer how come you never win an argument we're having? :-} "

Just shows you don't know what winning an argument means.

If we were in The Lion in Winter, I would be Peter O'Toole and you would be Timothy Dalton.

Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "If you're such a good lawyer how come you never win an argument we're having? :-} "

Just shows you don't know what winning an argument means.

If we were in The Lion in Winter, I wou..."

Great. Now I have to go look that up. Timothy Dalton must be the good looking one.

Kim wrote: "
Just shows you don't know what winning an argument means.

If we were in The Lion..."

I'll have mercy on you and quote. It's of course much, much better in the film enhanced by the wonderful acting of O'Toole, and it's a film I highly recommend to anyone, but until you can get it from your library or Netflix or whatever you use, here's the passage. The aging King Henry of England and young Philip of England are having a discussion about the differences between their nations to see whether they avoid war. Here's the end of it:

Henry: You've got promise, lad. That's first-class thinking.

Philip: Thank you, sir.

H: Good night.

P: Good night? You're going? We haven't settled anything.

H: We open Christmas presents at noon. Till then.

P: You can't be finished with me.

H: Oh, but I am. It's been most satisfactory.

P: What's so satisfactory?

H: Winning is. I did just win. Surely you noticed.

P: Not a thing. You haven't won a damn thing.


H: I found out the way your mind works and the kind of man you are. I know your plans and expectations. You've burbled every bit of strategy you've got. I know exactly what you will do and exactly what you won't. And I've told you exactly nothing! To these aged eyes, boy, that's what winning looks like!

Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "
Just shows you don't know what winning an argument means.

If we were in The Lion..."

I'll have mercy on you and quote. It's of course much, much better in the film enhanced by the..."

I'm still the good looking one.

Kim wrote: "I'm still the good looking one. "

I certainly hope so. But from your icon, frankly, you look like a dog.

Oh hilarious Kim and Everyman!! Perfect sparring as usual!

Everyman wrote: "Kim wrote: "I'm still the good looking one. "

I certainly hope so. But from your icon, frankly, you look like a dog."

OK, you just made me laugh again, that's hard to do, get me to laugh out loud twice in one day, so I will, although I hate to do it, give you a point for that one. Since I have the cutest dog in the world by the way, I don't mind looking like her at all. You know perfectly well what I look like from the Christmas video. :-}

Kim wrote: " Since I have the cutest dog in the world by the way,..."

Chinese proverb: There is one beautiful baby in the world, and every mother has it.

I love the Chinese! They got that right. My four children are, of course, THE most beautiful in the world!

Hilary wrote: "I love the Chinese! They got that right. My four children are, of course, THE most beautiful in the world!"

Second only to my grandchildren, I certainly agree with you!

Ah Everyman, I haven't experienced the joy of grandchildren yet, though I have a great nephew and great niece whom I adore! Well, actually two great nieces and two great nephews when including my husband's side of the family. That was terribly exclusivist (probably no such word!) of me!

Everyman wrote: "Hilary wrote: "I love the Chinese! They got that right. My four children are, of course, THE most beautiful in the world!"

Second only to my grandchildren, I certainly agree with you!"

My grandchildren are definitely the most beautiful, they look just like me.

Haha Kim, but of course they are!