Nicholas giving Squeers a taste of his own medicine is nothing short of cathartic and awe-inspiring. To make it all the more awesome, Squeers' wife and children attack him and try to pull him away, and Nicholas is so busy beating Squeers that he doesn't even notice them.
The lead up to the scene is pretty darn awesome too. Squeers has just begun to flog Smike to within an inch of his life, and he was about to deal a second blow, when:
Nicholas:STOP! Squeers: (turning savagely round) Who cried stop?! Nicholas: (stepping foward) I. This must not go on. Squeer: (almost in a shriek) MUST NOT GO ON?! Nicholas: (thundering) NO! (Aghast and stupefied by the boldness of the interference, Squeers released his hold of Smike, and, falling back a pace or two, gazed upon Nicholas with looks that were positively frightful.) I say must not, shall not. I will prevent it. (Squeers continued to gaze upon him, with his eyes starting out of his head; but astonishment had actually, for the moment, bereft him of speech.) You have disregarded all my quiet interference in the miserable lad's behalf. You have returned no answer to the letter in which I begged forgiveness for him and offered to be responsible that he would remain quietly here. Don't blame me for this public interference. You have brought it upon yourself; not I. Squeers: (almost beside himself with rage and seizing Smike) SIT DOWN, BEGGAR! Nicholas: (fiercely) Wretch, touch him at your peril! I will not stand by and see it done. My blood is up, and I have the strength of ten such men as you. Look to yourself, for by Heaven I will not spare you, if you drive me on! Squeers: (brandishing his weapon) Stand back! Nicholas: (flushed with passion) I have a long series of insults to avenge and my indignation is aggravated by the dastardly cruelties practiced on helpless infancy in this foul den. Have a care, for if you do raise the devil within me, the consequences shall fall heavily upon your own head!
Any time that Nicholas taps into his Beware the Nice Ones moments. He may be the oldest child in the family, but there is a reason he is named head of the family and he makes real good on it.
As mentioned above, when Smike is beaten for running away, Nicholas finally snaps and gives Squeers a taste of his own medicine.
When he learns of Sir Mulberry Hawk assaulting his sister, he attacks him in the finest moment of Big Brother Instinct, resulting in Hawk getting publicly humiliated just as he humiliated Kate. In the 2002 film, while he doesn't get Hawk injured in his attack, he does leave him with those words.
Nicholas: Come near my sister again... and I shall not be so forgiving.
Nicholas: We knew no shame until we knew you, and the degradations we have endured, whether at Dotheboys Hall or in the dark box of a theater, all trace their poisoned roots to you. You did not want us when we came, and it shamed me to seek help from someone unwilling to give it. Now our only shame is the blood which binds our name to yours. Therefore, your brother's widowand her childrenRENOUNCE YOU! May every recollection of your life cast a terrifying darkness over your deathbed. How soon that day may come, I cannot know. But I do know, that in our life, you live no more.
One particular example, is when Ralph's scheme in marrying Madeline Bray to Arthur Gride (Sir Mulberry Hawk in the 2002 film) fails, Nicholas' speech reeks of Tranquil Fury.
Nicholas: The structures you raised all through your misspent life are crumbling into dust. This very day, 10,000 pounds of your hoarded wealth are gone in one great crash. Your day is done. Night is coming fast for you.
John Browdie saving Smike by faking an illness and then taking the opportunity to rescue Smike and bringing him back to Nicholas. This scene alone proves John to be not only a valuable ally to Nicholas but also that he’s quite a Genius Bruiser.
Though a Tear Jerker, Lord Frederick Verisopht's Redemption Equals Death counts as this. In death, he manages to not only ruin his creditors (Sir Mulberry Hawk and Ralph Nickleby, specifically) by making them lose large sums of money, therefore leading to their own demise (Hawk dies in debtor's prison, and Ralph hangs himself) but also forces Hawk to flee the country, therefore saving Nicholas and Kate from his revenge.
Kate herself gets an awesome moment herself when she stands up to her uncle while she and Nicholas try to rescue Madeline from a forced marriage, especially in the 1947 film.
Ralph: I advise you to leave here, my lady. I can use force with your brother. Kate: You can use force with me. I've no doubt you'd like to. Ralph:Will yougo? Kate: No, I will not go! From the moment we came to London, you thought you can do as you like with us. Mama trusted you. We all did. We found you out now, and we are free of your charity! I'm not afraid of you!
The destruction of Dotheboys Hall. The children (who are starving and most have been physically abused for years at this point) rebel against Mrs Squeers and Young Wackford, chasing them away. And all it ultimately takes for the Squeers' reign of terror to come crashing down is one boy being brave enough to snatch away Mrs Squeers' spoon. The descriptions of the riot in the book make it seem as though the boys are quite literally tearing apart the building itself. Although it soon lapses into a Tearjerker with the mention of some boys who genuinely don't want to leave or don't know what to do once they've gone, it's a moment of huge catharsis to see these poor children literally strike back at their tormentors.
