Characters featured in Charles Dickens' novel, Nicholas Nickleby.
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Nickleby Family
Nicholas Nickleby
The hero of the novel. His father has died and left Nicholas and his family penniless. Nicholas is honest and steadfast, but his youth and inexperience of the world can lead him to be violent, naïve, and emotional. He devotes himself primarily to his friends and family and fiercely defies those who wrong the ones he loves.
- A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Nicholas Nickleby often dishes these out to those who wronged those he cares about. For example, Wackford Squeers, who is often known for sadistically beating children, gets the living daylights beaten out of him by Nicholas. Another example is that Sir Mulberry Hawk, who for much of the novel tries to humiliate Kate and therefore damaging her good name, ends up being publicly humiliated himself when Nicholas' attack over him results in a crash that leaves him injured. Needless to say, Hawk does not take it well and plans to seek revenge.
- Babies Ever After: With Madeline Bray.
- Badass Boast: At least twice in the novel, especially when he confronts those that wrong the ones he loves."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! 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!"
"I am the son of a country gentleman, your equal in birth and education, and your superior I trust in everything besides." - Berserk Button: Do NOT wrong those he cares about and treat others with cruelty and disrespect unless you want to be on the receiving end of Nicholas's righteous anger. Squeers, Hawk, and Ralph learned this the hard way.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Nicholas is the warmest and most compassionate person ever, but he's also a definite force to be reckoned with. Threaten those he cares about and he will NOT let you get away with it. Just ask Mr. Squeers, Sir Mulberry Hawk, and Ralph.
- Big Brother Instinct: Upon learning that Sir Mulberry Hawk is subjugating his younger sister to harassment and humiliation, Nicholas violently attacks him and threatens to not be so forgiving should he come near her again."Come near my sister again... and I shall not be so forgiving."
- Big Damn Heroes: He always comes to the rescue of his friends and family when they have been wronged by the villains of the story. He rescues Smike from Wackford Squeers's beatings, rescues his sister Kate from Sir Mulberry Hawk's derision of her, and later rescues Madeline from her marriage to Arthur Gride.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Coupled with "The Reason You Suck" Speech. Several times, he calls his uncle out on his ruthlessness and greed, even renouncing him from the family.
- Character Development: The novel is about the coming-of-age for Nicholas as he enters the world outside of Devonshire. Nicholas starts off being naive, and too trusting. While he stays true to his morals, his time at Dotheboys Hall, at the Kenwigs Family, and at the Crummeles Troup, as well as learning of his uncle's true colours, turns him into a wiser, mature man who agrees that his uncle is untrustworthy and becomes cautious of who to choose as his employer, which pays off when he gets employed by the benevolent Cheeryble Brothers. It reaches to the point where he is no longer shocked at how low people are willing to stoop to satisfy their greed.
- Deadpan Snarker: Nicholas gets a good one at his uncle, regarding his father's death, during Chapter 3.Mrs. Nickleby: (shedding tears) The doctors could attribute it to no particular disease. We have too much reason to fear that he died of a broken heart.
Ralph: Pooh! There's no such thing. I can understand a man's dying of a broken neck, or suffering from a broken arm, or a broken head, or a broken leg, or a broken nose; but a broken heart! —nonsense, it's the cant of the day. If a man can't pay his debts, he dies of a broken heart, and his widow's a martyr.
Nicholas: (quietly) Some people, I believe, have no hearts to break. - The Dreaded: Most of the people who wronged Nicholas' family end up cowering when Nicholas gets violent with them. Even Ralph and Squeers know better that to physically trifle with him.
- Happily Married: Both he and Madeline love each other, and upon marrying, they live in happiness.
- The Hero: The main character of the novel, and the main protagonist.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Smike.
- Hot-Blooded: His youth and inexperience of the world lead him to become violent, naive, and emotional.
- Nice Guy: His compassion and kindness are what earn him the friendship of Smike. It's also what cause Madeline to fall in love with him. He is not to be trifled with though, as he is very protective of those he cares about, including his family. Just ask Squeers, Hawk, and Ralph.
- Papa Wolf: Nicholas Nickleby is fiercely protective of his family, despite the fact that he's only the oldest child in the family, and he can and will use violence on those who wronged them.
- The Dog Bites Back: Nicholas deals a good beating to beating obsessed Mr. Squeers after dealing with a difficult life as his assistant and seeing him beat up Smike.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Nicholas fires off several of them at Ralph, who is less than impressed.
- You Leave Him Alone!: When Smike is caught running away and beaten harshly to "make an example of" in front of the other boys, Nicholas (who feels responsible, having told Smike there was a better world out there) loses control. He orders Squeers to stop, beats the living daylights out of him, and rescues Smike, winning his eternal gratitude.
Ralph Nickleby
The book's principal antagonist, Nicholas's uncle. He seems to care about nothing but money and takes an immediate dislike to the idealistic Nicholas; however, he does harbour something of a soft spot for Kate. Ralph's anger at Nicholas's beating of Wackford Squeers leads to a serious rift with his nephew, and after Nicholas interferes with his machinations several more times, Ralph schemes to deliberately hurt and humiliate Nicholas; but the only man Ralph ends up destroying is himself. When it is revealed that Smike was his son, and that the boy died hating him, he takes his own life. He dies without a will, and his family refuses to take his property, so his hard-earned fortune is given back to the Crown and lost.
- Alas, Poor Villain: He was an utter bastard, but upon learning that the man he was tormenting to get to Nicholas was his own son, who died hating him, as well showing various hints that he may not be a fundamentally bad person, you can't help but feel bad for him when he hangs himself.
- Big Bad: The principal antagonist of the novel, and the archenemy of Nicholas.
- Driven to Suicide: Ralph, after finding out that Smike — a pitiful young man he has been tormenting mostly to get to Nicholas — is his own son, whom he had believed dead.
- Evil Uncle: The uncle of Nicholas Nickleby and the Big Bad of the novel.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Ralph Nickleby may be a ruthless moneylender and capitalist, but God forbid anything should happen to Kate. He clearly draws the line for Sir Mulberry to protect her. She is his only chance for redemption - but in the end he rejects it.
- His Own Worst Enemy: Ralph's greatest enemy is himself. His greed of money, indifference to other's sufferings, and hatred of Nicholas are what led to his downfall and death. When given the chance to redeem himself for the sake of Kate, he rejects it.
- Lack of Empathy: He is utterly insensitive to the sufferings of others. A good example of this, is when Nicholas states that the reason he attacked Wackford Squeers was because of the latter's cruel treatment of Smike, a crippled boy, Ralph has this response: "Oh, you choose to restore that boy?"
- The Scrooge: Obsessed with money and nothing else.
- Villainous Breakdown: As Nicholas interferes with his schemes several times, he starts to lose his composure more as the novel goes on, to the point where he's frothing at the mouth when his scheme to marry Madeline Bray to Arthur Gride fails. And as his ill-gotten fortune starts to fade away, he starts losing his mind even more, and when Smike was revealed to be his son who died the best friend of his greatest enemy, he is Driven to Suicide.
Catherine "Kate" Nickleby
Nicholas's younger sister. Kate is a fairly passive character, typical of Dickensian women, but she shares some of her brother's fortitude and strong will. She does not blanch at hard labour to earn her keep, and defends herself against the lecherous Sir Mulberry Hawk. She finds well-deserved happiness with Frank Cheeryble.
- Babies Ever After: With Frank Cheeryble.
- Beware the Nice Ones: She may be more passive than her brother, but she still retains some of his strong will and fortitude. Best shown when she angrily rebukes the Witterlys for accusing her of flirting with Hawk and Verisopht, which could not be further from the truth, and when she stands up to her uncle on her way with her brother to rescue Madeline.
- Deuteragonist: Kate is the second main character of the novel whose Character Development parallels her brother. She learns to accept the fact that people will use others for their own advantage, and by putting her in unendurable work, installing her and her mother in unsafe lodgings, and worst of all, compromises her reputation (which will make lose every hope of a loving and decent marriage), her uncle is just as exploitive. And like her brother, Kate stays true to her morals, refusing to be compromised by her poor situation or by selfish, entitled people around her.
- Happily Married: She finds well-deserved happiness with Frank Cheeryble upon falling in love with him and later marrying him.
- Morality Pet: To a limited extent. She is the only character to make Ralph feel remorse for his actions (such as putting her on display for a bunch of his colleagues to harass) but not enough to make him stop.
- Nice Girl: Kate is a sweet-natured young lady.
- Silk Hiding Steel: A fairly passive character but shares some of her brother's fortitude and strong will.
- Shipper on Deck: Kate is this for Nicholas and Madeline, especially in the 2002 film.Kate: (smiles teasingly) Nicholas, have you found your matching half? (Nicholas looks at her smiling, confirming it) Well then, we must think of how to find her. For when she knows you, she will love you too.
- The Caretaker: Kate becomes this to Madeline after her father's convenient death.
Mrs. Nickleby
Nicholas and Kate's mother, who provides much of the novel's comic relief. The muddleheaded Mrs Nickleby often does not see the true evil her children encounter until it is directly pointed out to her, and her obtuseness occasionally worsens her children's predicaments. She is stubborn, prone to long digressions on irrelevant or unimportant topics and unrealistic fantasies, and displays an often vague grasp of what is going on around her.
- Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: She can't keep on the same subject for more than two or three sentences.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: She at one point is convinced that a mentally ill neighbour who tosses cabbages over her garden wall is in love with her.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Her muddle-headedness makes it easy for her to be charmed by Sir Mulberry Hawk, not realizing what a manipulative scoundrel he is until Nicholas points it out to her after his altercation with him. She is also easily convinced that the man next door who's throwing vegetables over her garden is in love with, not knowing that he is a complete wacko.
Ralph's Associates
Newman Noggs
Ralph's clerk, who becomes Nicholas's devoted friend. He was once a businessman of high standing but went bankrupt. He is an alcoholic, and his general good nature and insight into human nature is hidden under a veneer of irrational tics and erratic behaviour.
- Big Brother Is Employing You: He was a gentleman before Ralph Nickleby ruined him financially and left him with no other choice but to work for him; his efforts to subvert Ralph's schemes have to be very subtle so as not to be discovered.
- The Dog Bites Back: Newman delivers an effective "The Reason You Suck" Speech to Ralph after putting up with his cruel behavior.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: He gives Ralph a very effective one towards the end of the novel."Hallo, you sir—old Nickleby!—what do you mean when you talk of "a fellow like this"? Who made me "a fellow like this"? If I would sell my soul for drink, why wasn't I a thief, swindler, housebreaker, area sneak, robber of pence out of the trays of blind men's dogs, rather than your drudge and packhorse? If my every word was a lie, why wasn't I a pet and favourite of yours? Lie! When did I ever cringe and fawn to you. Tell me that! I served you faithfully. I did more work, because I was poor, and took more hard words from you because I despised you and them, than any man you could have got from the parish workhouse. I did. I served you because I was proud; because I was a lonely man with you, and there were no other drudges to see my degradation; and because nobody knew, better than you, that I was a ruined man: that I hadn't always been what I am: and that I might have been better off, if I hadn't been a fool and fallen into the hands of you and others who were knaves. Do you deny that? [...] Here, you Nickleby! Don't pretend not to mind me; it won't do; I know better. You were talking of tampering, just now. Who tampered with Yorkshire schoolmasters, and, while they sent the drudge out, that he shouldn't overhear, forgot that such great caution might render him suspicious, and that he might watch his master out at nights, and might set other eyes to watch the schoolmaster? Who tampered with a selfish father, urging him to sell his daughter to old Arthur Gride, and tampered with Gride too, and did so in the little office, WITH A CLOSET IN THE ROOM? Aha! you mind me now, do you? What first set this fag to be jealous of his master's actions, and to feel that, if he hadn't crossed him when he might, he would have been as bad as he, or worse? That master's cruel treatment of his own flesh and blood, and vile designs upon a young girl who interested even his broken-down, drunken, miserable hack, and made him linger in his service, in the hope of doing her some good (as, thank God, he had done others once or twice before), when he would, otherwise, have relieved his feelings by pummelling his master soundly, and then going to the Devil. He would—mark that; and mark this—that I'm here now, because these gentlemen thought it best. When I sought them out (as I did; there was no tampering with me), I told them I wanted help to find you out, to trace you down, to go through with what I had begun, to help the right; and that when I had done it, I'd burst into your room and tell you all, face to face, man to man, and like a man."
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: Newman is only called "Mr Noggs" by his housemates, who still remember him like a gentleman; Ralph derisively calls him "Noggs".
Sir Mulberry Hawk
A lecherous nobleman who has taken Lord Verisopht under his wing. One of the most truly evil characters in the novel, he forces himself upon Kate and pursues her solely to humiliate her after she rejects him. He is beaten by Nicholas, and swears revenge, but is prevented in this by Lord Verisopht. He kills Verisopht in a duel and must flee to France, putting a stop to his plans of revenge. He lives abroad in luxury until he runs out of money, and eventually returns to England and dies in debtors' prison.
- Abhorrent Admirer: To Kate, since he's a cad.
- Attempted Rape: He flat-out attempts to rape Kate in the 1980 stage adaptation, whereas in the book it's more ambiguous, where it just shows Hawk trying to force himself upon her.
- Ax-Crazy: Nicholas' attack over him caused him to lose his Faux Affably Evil demeanor, and gain an unrelenting desire for vengeance. The book describes him as this before he kills Lord Verisopht.He was very pale, his eyes were bloodshot, his dress disordered, and his hair dishevelled. For the face, it expressed nothing but violent and evil passions.
- The Casanova: Aside from being known for ruining young gentlemen of fortune, he's also known for being a chauvinistic womanizer.
- Casanova Wannabe: But when he tries to womanize Kate, she is outright repulsed and disgusted by his advances.
- Dirty Coward: When Nicholas confronts him for his conduct against Kate, he attempts to weasel his way out of the confrontation. Nicholas rightly calls him a coward.
- Faux Affably Evil: Acts like a charming gentleman but it's only a front to hide his true predatory self.
- Foil: To Nicholas. While Nicholas started out poor and earnestly works to earn his forturne and cherishes his relationships with his family and friends, Sir Mulberry Hawk is spoiled by his wealth and never works for his success in life, nor does he nurture positive relationships with people. Also, while Nicholas treats women with courtesy and respect, Hawk demeans women and believes that they only exist for the satisfaction of his desires.
- Hate Sink: A disreputable, cowardly, sleazy scoundrel who is unrepentant in his "unmanly and brutal conduct" against Kate, hates on Nicholas for humiliating him with his attack on him even though he himself humiliated Kate and forced himself upon her, and shows no remorse in killing Verisopht. Yep, this guy is despicable.
- The Hedonist: Sir Mulberry Hawk lives only for pleasure; he gambles, drinks, and womanizes women.
- Humiliation Conga: Nicholas's attack over him for humiliating Kate is definitely this. He gets scarred from the eye to the lip, causing the spooked horse pulling the carriage to charge forward, resulting in a crash that leaves Hawk with a broken limb, with several people witnessing it all, and the entire incident gets spread abroad in all directions, even getting a song written about it, even printed on paper! It's not to say that he didn't deserve it.
- Laser-Guided Karma: Spent a portion trying to humiliate Kate, ends up getting publicly humiliated himself after Nicholas attacks him. And his murder of Verisopht ends up costing him his money when he returns to London, and he ends up in debtor's prison where he dies.
- Man of Wealth and Taste: He is described in the list of characters in the book as a "man of fashion and a gambler."
- Manipulative Bastard: He manipulates Lord Verisopht into getting himself into horrendous debt (and is implied to have done it before with other foolish young gentlemen) and charms his way into Mrs Nickleby's company so Kate won't have anyone to protect her.
- Meaningful Name: His surname "Hawk" comes from a predatory bird, a hawk, which fits his predatory nature.
- Not Good with Rejection: After Kate rejects his advances, he stalks her solely to humiliate her. Yep, he does not take rejection well.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: A licentious aristocrat who believes that all young women exist only for the satisfaction of his desires. The 1999 radio play verision even has him stating outright during his quarrel with Verisopht that Kate is a "common slut", which could never be further from the truth.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: He attempts to force himself upon Kate upon meeting her, ambiguously trying to rape her, which is something even Ralph himself is against.
- Seven Deadly Sins: Hawk has commited all seven of them in the course of the novel:
- Envy: Hawk is envious of Verisopht's feelings for Kate and ends up killing him for it.
- Gluttony: He gambles, drinks, and womanizes excessively.
- Greed: Wants Kate for himself, and gambles pointlessly.
- Lust: He lusts after young women, especially Kate.
- Pride: Sees himself as above everyone and believes he can get away with everything he does.
- Sloth: Never works for success, has his cronies Pike and Pluck do all the dirty work for him.
- Wrath: Vows revenge on Nicholas after he attacks him for his treatment of Kate, even planning to extend it to Kate, and winds up murdering Verisopht in a duel when he tries to intervene.
- The Sociopath: A predatory cad underneath a charming facade, he forces himself upon Kate with complete disregard for her feelings and relentlessly stalks her solely to humiliate her after she rejected him, charming his way into anyone who might protect her. When Nicholas confronts him for this, he refuses to answer for his conduct and constantly looks down on him. After he gets attacked by Nicholas and getting publicly humiliated in the process, he remains unrepentant and plans to get back at Nicholas for his humiliation, and extend his revenge to Kate. And when he kills Lord Verisopht in a duel, he shows no remorse for it.
- Stalker with a Crush: To Kate, and she's not happy.
- The Unfettered: Unlike Ralph and Lord Verisopht, Hawk has no consicence or standards. He will do whatever it takes to have what he wants.
- Vague Age: He is described as something older than the young Lord Verisopht, but it doesn't say how old he is. He could be somewhere between his 30s to his 60's.
- Villainous Breakdown: After getting attacked by Nicholas for his conduct against Kate, Sir Mulberry Hawk loses his Faux Affably Evil demeanor and becomes hellbent on getting his revenge against Nicholas, and even plans to extend it to Kate, whom he was actively stalking in the first. It soon reaches to the point where he remorselessly murders Lord Verisopht in a duel."When I am off this cursed bed, I'll have such revenge as never man had yet. By God, I will! Accident favouring him, he has marked me for a week or two, but I'll put a mark on him that he shall carry to his grave. I'll slit his nose and ears—flog him—maim him for life. I'll do more than that; I'll drag that pattern of chastity, that pink of prudery, the delicate sister, through...!"
- He has another one when Verisopht strikes him.
Hawk: (in a thick hoarse voice) Let me go! He struck me! Do you hear? I say, he struck me. Have I a friend here? Who is this? Westwood. Do you hear me say he struck me!
Westwood: I hear, I hear. Come away, for tonight!
Hawk: (fiercely) I will not, by God! A dozen men about us saw the blow.
Westwood: Tomorrow will be ample time.
Hawk: (gnashing his teeth) It will not be ample time! Tonight... at once... here! - Vitriolic Best Buds: With Lord Frederick Verisopht. After Nicholas' attack over him, their friendship is considered fizzled, and Hawk shows no remorse in murdering Verisopht.
Lord Frederick Verisopht
Hawk's friend and dupe, a rich young nobleman. He owes both Ralph and Sir Mulberry vast sums of money. He becomes infatuated with Kate and is manipulated by Hawk into finding her whereabouts. After Nicholas confronts them in a coffeehouse, Lord Frederick realises the shame of his behaviour and threatens Hawk if he attempts retaliation for the injuries Nicholas caused him. This quarrel eventually leads to a physical fight, which results in a duel in which Lord Frederick is killed. In death, he manages to ruin both Ralph and Sir Mulberry as he dies unmarried, which, in the terms of his father's will, disinherits him and forces his creditors to lose massive amounts of money.
- Affably Evil: While not so much as evil, he's sincerely charming and gentlemanly. The gentlemanly side eventually rules out whatever evil he had left in him when he turns against Hawk.
- Heel–Face Turn: He turns against Hawk after realising the shame of his behavior towards Kate and seeing Nicholas' heroism in defending Kate.
- Heel Realization: Realizes the shame of his behaviour towards Kate after Nicholas confronts Hawk.
- Meaningful Name: His last name Verisopht is basically a corruption of "Very soft", which fits his status as the Token Good Teammate of Ralph's associates and one who performs a Heel–Face Turn to stop Hawk from going through with his revenge against Nicholas and Kate.
- Redemption Equals Death: While not evil so much as easily manipulated and a playboy, Lord Frederick Verisopht fits this trope. Upon realizing that his actions allowed Kate to be degraded by Sir Mulberry Hawk, he confronts and threatens Hawk and gets killed in a duel against him, because he knows that dying unmarried will disinherit him and lose his creditors (Hawk and Ralph Nickleby) large sums of money. His death also forces Hawk to flee the country, saving Kate and Nicholas from his revenge.
- Token Good Teammate: Lord Frederick Verisopht is the only one of Ralph's associates with a functioning conscience. It gets him killed when he stands up to Sir Mulberry.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Mulberry Hawk. After Nicholas' attack over him, their friendship is considered fizzled.
Mr Pluck and Mr Pyke
Hangers-on to Hawk and Verisopht. They are never seen apart and are quite indistinguishable from one another. Pluck and Pyke are intelligent, sly and dapper, perfect tools to do Hawk's dirty work for him.
- Even Evil Has Standards: They may have no problem carrying out Hawk's plan to entrap Kate, but as the illustration The Last Brawl Between Sir Mulberry And His Pupil shows, they draw the line against violence, as evidenced by their horrified reactions to Hawk and Verisopht's fight.
- Sycophantic Servant: To Hawk.
Arthur Gride
An elderly associate of Ralph. A miser, he lives in a large, empty house extremely frugally, despite his vast wealth. He gains possession of the will of Madeline's grandfather, and attempts to cheat her out of her fortune by marrying her. He is cowardly, servile and greedy, with no redeeming characteristics whatsoever (although he does know something about romantic feelings). He alone among Ralph's conspirators escapes legal punishment, but he is eventually murdered by burglars, who have heard rumours of his vast wealth.
- Abhorrent Admirer: To Madeline Bray, since he's old, ugly, greedy and lecherous.
- Dirty Old Man: He's a man who's 75 years old and very lecherous, especially towards Madeline.
- Hate Sink: He has no redeeming characteristics whatsoever. He is cowardly, servile, and greedy.
- Lean and Mean: Very thin with a greedy, cowardly personality.
- The Scrooge: In a lesser fashion than Ralph.
Peg Sliderskew
Gride's elderly housekeeper. Illiterate, very deaf, and becoming senile, she ends up playing a large part in the denouement when she steals a number of papers from Gride, including Madeline's grandfather's will.
Brooker
An old beggar. A mysterious figure who appears several times during the novel. We eventually find out that he was formerly Ralph's clerk. He was responsible for bringing Ralph's son (Smike) to Dotheboys Hall. An ex-convict, he returns to extort money from Ralph with the information that his son is alive. When that fails, he goes to Noggs, and eventually brings his story to light. In the epilogue, it is mentioned that he dies repentant of his crimes.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He is the one revealing Smike's true identity, and thus is the one instrumental in breaking Ralph Nickleby good and proper. Even more awesome - he does it on his own, helping Nicholas almost in absentia.
- Sentenced to Down Under: He is revealed to have had this happen to him, which prevented him from making up for his crimes sooner.
Yorkshire
Smike
A poor drudge living in Squeers's "care". About 18 years old, Smike is a pathetic figure, perpetually ill and dim-witted, who has been in Squeers's care since he was very young. Nicholas gives him the courage to run away, but when that fails Nicholas saves him and the two become travelling companions and close friends. He falls in love with Kate, but his heart is broken when she falls in love with Frank Cheeryble. After Smike dies peacefully of "a dread disease" (tuberculosis), it is revealed that he is Ralph Nickleby's son.
- Broken Bird: Years of being at Dotheboy's Hall, mistreated and abused by Wackford Squeers had left him hopeless and broken-spirited.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Smike becomes undyingly loyal to Nicholas after the latter showed him kindness for the first time in his whole life.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: Smike dies in Nicholas' arms under an old tree, in the garden where Nicholas grew up.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Nicholas.
- Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Stated all but word-for-word when the news of his death is delivered to the Cheerybles.
Wackford Squeers
A cruel, one-eyed, Yorkshire "schoolmaster". He runs Dotheboys Hall, a boarding school for unwanted children. He mistreats the boys horribly, starving them and beating them regularly. He gets his comeuppance at the hands of Nicholas when he is beaten in retaliation for the whipping of Smike. He travels to London after he recovers, and partakes in more bad business, fulfilling his grudge against Nicholas by becoming a close partner in Ralph's schemes to fake Smike's parentage and later to obfuscate the will that would make Madeline Bray an heiress. He is arrested during the last of these tasks and sentenced to be transported to Australia.
- Boarding School of Horrors: His boarding school Dotheboys Hall is one of the most famous examples in all of literature. He starves the boys at school, regularly beats them, make them do menial physical labour, and give them only the barest rudiments of an education (impaired by his own Book Dumb nature).
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: As cruel as he is to the schoolboys, he genuinely loves his wife and his children.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He never counted on Nicholas' sense of justice and that he will fight to protect Smike and those he cares about.
- Faux Affably Evil: He hides his cruelty towards the boys beneath a chummy facade towards the public when in London.
- Jerkass: A cruel, sadistic brute of a schoolmaster who abuses the boys under his care.
- Sadist Teacher: Takes sadistic pleasure in caning the boys at Dotheboy's Hall for the most petty of reasons.
- Sentenced to Down Under: He is transported for seven years, and his boarding school closed, on charges of stealing a will and conspiracy.
- The Dog Bites Back: Beating obsessed he is, he suffers this when he gets beaten himself by Nicholas.
- Thin-Skinned Bully: Mr. Squeers takes sadistic pleasure in beating school children under his care with his cane. But when he receives the same treatment from Nicholas, he roars for mercy.
- Unholy Matrimony: With Mrs Squeers. She calls him "Squeery" and saves all the best food for him; he compliments her lovingly on her ability to break the students' spirits.
Mrs. Squeers
The wife of Wackford Squeers, who is even crueler and less affectionate than her husband to the boys in their care. She dislikes Nicholas on sight and attempts to make his life at Dotheboys Hall as difficult as possible.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: As monstrously and openly cruel as she is to the boys in Dotheboys Hall, she genuinely loves her husband and her children.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: She believes Nicholas to be a haughty, stuck-up monkey, when he's really not. Likewise with Mr. Squeers, she also never counted on the fact that Nicholas will fight to protect Smike.
- Jerkass: Unlike her husband, who although is just as cruel as her, at least conceals it with an affable façade, she is more open in her cruelty and makes no attempt to conceal it.
- Sadist Teacher: Runs Dotheboys Hall with her husband like a prison, and makes life there difficult for Nicholas.
- The Dog Bites Back: Mrs Squeers literally gets a taste of her own medicine (treacle) when the boys revolt.
- Unholy Matrimony: With Mr Squeers. She calls him "Squeery" and saves all the best food for him; he compliments her lovingly on her ability to break the students' spirits.
Fanny Squeers
The Squeers' daughter. She is 23, unattractive, ill-tempered, and eager to find a husband. She falls in love with Nicholas until he bluntly rebuffs her affections, which causes her to antagonise him passionately and openly. Tilda Price is her best friend but the relationship is strained by Fanny's pride and spitefulness. She is haughty, self-important and is deluded about her beauty and station.
- Abhorrent Admirer: To Nicholas, because she's ugly and the daughter of Wackford Squeers, who abuses the children in his care.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: At first, she seems like a shy, yet eager lady who's desperate to find a husband, and not at all interested in mistreating the schoolboys at Dotheboys Hall. Not to mention, she seems to have a great friendship with Matilda, born from their childhood. But deep down, she's an ill-tempered, selfish, haughty woman who can make Nicholas' situation agreeable if he was her friend or husband, and can make his situation difficult if he was her enemy, which she makes good on when Nicholas rebuffs her affections. And her pride and selfishness lead her to end her volatile friendship with Matilda.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Her response to Nicholas rebuffing her affections? By making his life at Dotheboys Hall a living hell, and indirectly increasing the cruelty on his only friend Smike.
- Entitled to Have You: She believes that she and Nicholas are a good match because he's a gentleman's son and she's the daughter of a schoolmaster, and as such, has a fantasy that Nicholas has fallen in love with her at first sight, and cannot (or perhaps won't) fathom the idea that Nicholas will think otherwise and rebuff her, and when he does, she makes his life at Dotheboy's Hall a living hell.
- It's All About Me: In the 2002 film. She has this fantasy that Mr. Nickleby has fallen in love with her from the moment he laid eyes on her, which could not be further from the truth. She's absolutely oblivious to all the suffering her family brings upon their students, which Mr. Nickleby on the other hand is painfully aware of. So it's beyond her comprehension when he not only confesses he does not love her, but that he's been thinking about the school, the students, everything but her.
- Not Good with Rejection: After Nicholas rebuffs her affections, Fanny snaps and joins the rest of her family in making Nicholas' life as hellish as possible.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Fanny Squeers works hard for an upper-class accent, but when she gets upset, she loses control over her h's.
- They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!: When she decides to put a final end to her volatile friendship with Tilda, she invokes this trope as well:"Have the goodness not to meddle with my Christian name ... ma'am."
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Tilda, until she ends it.
- Woman Scorned: Fanny, jealous of Tilda for being the first one to get engaged, starts chasing after Nicholas and convinces herself he loves her back. When he rejects her — right in front of Tilda and her fiance — Fanny snaps into full Yandere mode and joins the rest of the family in making Nicholas' life as hellish as possible.
Wackford Squeers Jr.
The Squeers' loutish son. His parents dote on him and he is very fat as a result of their spoiling him. He is preoccupied with filling his belly as often as he can and bullying his father's boys, to his father's great pride. When the boys revolt, they dip his head several times in a bowl of the disgusting "brimstone" (sulphur) and treacle "remedy" (actually an appetite suppressant) they are regularly force-fed on pain of punishment.
- Fat Bastard: Wackford Squeers Jr., due to both his gluttony and his father's use of him as an advertisement.
- Overlord Jr.
- The Dog Bites Back: Gluttonous Wackford Jr. has his head shoved in the treacle when the boys revolt against the Squeers family.
John Browdie
A bluff Yorkshire corn merchant, with a loud, boisterous sense of humour. At the start of the novel he is engaged to Tilda Price and marries her about halfway through the book. Although he and Nicholas get off on the wrong foot, they become good friends when John helps Nicholas escape from Yorkshire. He later comes to London on his honeymoon and rescues Smike from Squeers' captivity, proving himself a resourceful and intelligent ally.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He is usually seen either laughing lustily or threatening to beat someone's head in.
- Nice Guy: He may be a Boisterous Bruiser, but he's a great friend and ally to Nicholas.
- Oop North: Often referred to as "the Yorkshireman" in case there was any doubt where that accent comes from.
Matilda "Tilda" Price
Fanny's best friend and Browdie's fiancée. A pretty miller's daughter of 18, Tilda puts up with Fanny's pettiness because of their childhood friendship but later breaks off their friendship after she realises the extent of Fanny's selfishness. She is rather coquettish but settles down happily with John Browdie.
- Happily Married: Settles down happily with John Browdie.
- The Tease: Matilda is very coquettish, and enjoys making other people jealous by flirting with others, like her fiancé and her friend.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: With Fanny, until they end it due to Fanny's selfishness.
Phib "Phoebe"
The Squeers' housemaid, who is forced to endure Mrs Squeers' foul temper and Fanny's scorn in order to keep her job. She flatters Fanny to keep her in good humor. She is described as hungry.
Around London
Miss La Creevy
The Nicklebys' landlady. A small, kindly (if somewhat ridiculous) woman in her fifties, she is a miniature-portrait painter. She is the first friend the Nicklebys make in London, and one of the truest. She is rewarded for her good-heartedness when she falls in love with Tim Linkinwater.
Hannah
Miss La Creevy's faithful but noticeably stupid maid.
Mr Snawley
An oil merchant who puts his two stepsons into Squeers's "care". He pretends to be Smike's father to help Squeers get back at Nicholas, but, when pursued by the Cheerybles, cracks under the pressure and eventually confesses everything.
- Luke, I Am Your Father: Mr. Snawley uses his fake paternal authority to try to drag Smike away from Nicholas, much to their dismay. It's a plot devised by Ralph to get revenge on Nicholas for defying his authority.
Mr and Madame Mantalini
Milliners, Kate's employers. Alfred Muntle (he changed his name to Mantalini for business purposes) is a handsome man with a large bushy black mustache who lives off his wife's business. He is not above stealing from his wife and dramatically threatens to kill himself whenever he does not get his way. Madame Mantalini is much older than her husband and equally prone to dramatics. She eventually gets wise and divorces him, but not until he has ruined her with extravagant spending and she is forced to sell the business to Miss Knag. Mantalini is seen again at the end of the book living in much reduced circumstances, romantically tied to a washerwoman, but still up to his old tricks.
- Casanova Wannabe: Mr Mantalini.
- Henpecked Husband: Mr Mantalini. None of his endearments ("my soul's delight"; "my cup of essential pineapple", etc.) can prevent his wife's spying on him, scolding him, and finally putting him to work washing clothes. Perhaps very understandable, since he is a Casanova Wannabe who hits on every woman he meets, including the seamstresses employed by his wife.
- Slap-Slap-Kiss: Mr. and Madame Mantalini spend their entire marriage either fighting or smooching.
Miss Knag
Mrs Mantalini's right-hand woman and the chief assistant in the showroom. Miss Knag is well into middle age but is under the impression that she is exceptionally beautiful. When Kate begins her employment with the Mantalinis, Miss Knag is quite kind to her because the younger woman is clumsy, making Miss Knag look more accomplished by comparison. But when she is insulted by a disgruntled customer who prefers to be served by Kate, she blames Kate and ostracizes her. She takes over the business when the Mantalinis go bankrupt, immediately firing Kate. A spinster, she lives with her brother Mortimer, a failed novelist.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She acts kind towards Kate at first because of her clumsiness, but when a disgruntled customer insults her, prefering to be served by Kate, she immediately blames Kate for this and ostracizes her, and eventually firing her immediately as soon as she takes over the Mantalini's business.
The Kenwigs family
Newman Noggs's neighbors. Mr Kenwigs and his wife Susan are dependent on the latter's wealthy uncle Mr Lillyvick, and everything they do is designed to please him so he will not write their children (including their baby, named Lillyvick) out of his will. Their daughter Morleena is an awkward child of seven. The family and their acquaintances are described by Dickens as "exceptionally common."
- Foil: To the Squeers family. Both employ Nicholas as a teacher of sorts to the children at a meager payment. While the Squeers family is cruel and heartless towards Nicholas, the Kenwigs family is warmer and more welcoming towards Nicholas.
Mr Lillyvick
Mrs Kenwigs's uncle. He is a collector of the water rate, a position which gives him great importance among his poor relatives. They bend over backwards to please him, and he is completely used to getting his way. He falls in love with Miss Petowker and marries her, to the Kenwigs' great distress. When she elopes with another man, he comes back to his family a sadder but wiser man.
Henrietta Petowker
A minor actress with a prestigious company and a major star with the significantly less prestigious Crummles troupe. Mrs Crummles' protégée. She marries Mr Lillyvick after meeting him at the Kenwigs' wedding anniversary party, but leaves him for another man within a few months.
Henry and Julia Wititterly
A wealthy, social-climbing couple who employ Kate as a companion to Mrs Wittiterly. Mrs Wittiterly is a hypochondriac and puts on a show of her frailty and poor health, but she has a fierce temper when she does not get her way. Mr Wittiterly flatters his wife and toadies to her every whim. They are oblivious to the degradation Kate is subjected to under their noses, only concerned that they are being visited by noblemen. Mrs. Wititterly becomes jealous of Kate. She reprimands Kate for flirting with the noblemen that call, but never allows Kate to miss the visits since it's obvious that she is the reason for the call. Nicholas rescues Kate from their employ, and they are happy to see her go. They do not pay Kate her last salary.
Charles and Ned Cheeryble
Identical twin brothers, wealthy "German-merchants" (merchants who trade internationally) who are as magnanimous as they are jovial. Remembering their humble beginnings, they spend much of their time doing charity work and helping those in need. This generosity leads them to give Nicholas a job and provide for his family, and almost single-handedly revive his faith in the goodness of man. They become key figures in the development of Ralph's defeat and the Nicklebys' happy ending.
- Always Identical Twins: They're identical not only in looks, but in temperament as well.
- Big Good: They're responsible for the vast majority of positive turns of fortune the other characters in the novel enjoy, and go out of their way to promote all three marriages that the book ends on.
- The Dividual: Once they're both introduced, there's very little need to keep track of which brother is which, since they act with one accord and always consult one another on even trivial matters.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: They both hoped to marry in their youth, but they seem to have comfortably settled into this trope long before the events of the novel.
- Nice Guy: They are very reasonable and helpful as they help Nicholas with his salary. Also they are responsible in helping him defeat Ralph.
- Oireland: The Cheeryble Brothers in the 1980 Production had audible Irish accents, and were even played by two redheads - giving a strong impression of the Fighting Irish as well.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: They are fair-minded, sensible, and kind-hearted who help restore Nicholas' faith in the goodness of man.
- The Scrooge: Averted. They are not only moneylenders but they are some of the kindest, most sensible people in the novel.
Frank Cheeryble
Ned and Charles's nephew, who is just as open-hearted as his uncles. He shares Nicholas's streak of anger when his sense of chivalry is roused; Nicholas first meets him after he has kicked a man for insulting Madeline Bray. He falls in love with Kate and later marries her.
- Babies Ever After: With Kate.
- Beta Couple: With Kate. They have a stable get-together compared to Nicholas and Madeline, who had to go through some drama in order to be together.
- Happily Married: With Kate.
- Hot-Blooded: Frank Cheeryble is described that way, for attacking a man who was talking dirty about Madeline.
- Oireland: Even moreso than his uncles, presented with traces of the same accent, with an Establishing Character Moment fulfilling no less than three tropes: Hot-Blooded, Fiery Redhead, and Fighting Irish.
- Nice Guy: Just as open-hearted as his uncles. No wonder Kate fell in love with him.
Madeline Bray
A beautiful but destitute young woman. Proud and dutiful to her dying father, she is willing to throw her life away if it means ensuring his comfort. Nicholas falls in love with her at first sight, and she comes to feel the same way about him.
- Babies Ever After: With Nicholas at the end of the novel after marrying him.
- Birds of a Feather: With Nicholas Nickleby. They both are at first destitute due to their father's poor financial decisions, both show Undying Loyalty to their families, both willing to do anything to ensure the happiness and comfort of their families, both ending up attracting some abhorrent admirers at some point (Arthur Gride for Madeline, Fanny Squeers for Nicholas), and both end up being taken advantage of by Ralph Nickleby.
- Broken Bird: Years of being dutiful to her dying, yet tyrannical father left her broken to the point of being afraid of even the mere prospect of happiness. She even describes herself as this in the 2002 film."Nicholas, I feel you know what it's like... to be without happiness. But... do you know what it's like to be afraid of it? To see the world as... so conniving that you cannot take pleasure in the appearance of something good, because you suspect that... it's only a painted drop behind which other troubles lie. That's been my life. Every good thing has been a trick."
- Happily Married: Both she and Nicholas love each other, and upon marrying each other, they live in happiness.
- Heroic Sacrifice: A defied, non-fatal example. She's willing to throw her happiness and life away by marrying Arthur Gride to ensure her father's comfort, but his sudden death frees her of such obligations.
- Scarpia Ultimatum: Madeline suffers from a variation of this. Arthur Gride and Ralph Nickleby team up to inform her that if she marries Arthur, her invalid father will be sent off to live comfortably in a French villa; if she doesn't, his disease and their poverty might kill him any day.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Madeline falls in love with Nicholas because not only is he a Nice Guy, he is also very protective of her and his family.
- Undying Loyalty: To her father, to the point where she'll throw her happiness and life away to ensure his comfort.
Walter Bray
Madeline's father, formerly a handsome gentleman. He is an extremely selfish man who has wasted his wife's fortune and is dying in a debtors' prison, owing vast sums of money to both Ralph and Gride. He maintains a scornful and prideful attitude towards Nicholas. He fools himself that he is acting for the benefit of his daughter by agreeing to her marriage with Gride, but when he realizes what he has done, he dies of grief before the marriage goes through, freeing Madeline from her obligations.
Tim Linkinwater
The Cheerybles' devoted clerk. An elderly, stout, pleasant gentleman, he is jokingly referred to by the Brothers as "a Fierce Lion". He is prone to hyperbole and obstinately refuses to go into retirement. He finds happiness with Miss La Creevy.
- Full-Name Basis: Tim Linkinwater.
- Fat Bastard: Averted. He may be fat but he is a very pleasant fellow.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Tim Linkinwater to the Cheeryble Brothers.
The Man Next Door
A madman who lives next to the Nickleby family's cottage in the latter part of the novel. He falls instantly in love with Mrs. Nickleby, and he repeatedly throws vegetables over the wall in their garden as a token of his affections. To Kate's distress, Mrs. Nickleby refuses to believe that her suitor is insane until he suddenly switches his attentions to Miss La Creevy.
- Wacky Marriage Proposal: The old neighbor tries to court Mrs. Nickleby by throwing cucumbers over the garden wall and dancing around in his underwear.
The Crummles troupe
Mr Vincent Crummles
Head of the Crummles theatre troupe, a larger-than-life actor-manager who takes Nicholas under his wing. He takes great pride in his profession, but also sometimes yearns for a quieter life, settled down with his wife and children. Eventually, he and his family take their act to America to pursue greater success on the theatrical stage.
- Large Ham: Mr Vincent Crummles should be an honorable example.
Mrs Crummles
Mr Crummles's wife. A formidable but loving presence in the company, she is a great diva, but Dickens leaves the question of her actual ability up to the reader.
- Large Ham: Even more so than her husband.
Miss Ninetta Crummles, The "Infant Phenomenon"
Daughter of Mr and Mrs Crummles. She is a very prominent member of the Crummles troupe: a dancing part is written for her in every performance, even if there is no place for it. She is supposedly ten years old, but is actually closer to eighteen, having been kept on a steady diet of gin to keep her looking young.
- Child Prodigy: Subverted. She is advertised as being only ten but is actually eighteen, her growth having been deliberately been stunted with gin. Suggests that the public's obsession with child stars (and attempts to pass them off as younger than they are) is Older Than Radio.
Mr Folair
A pantomimist with the Crummles company. He is an apt flatterer but does not hesitate to say exactly what he thinks of people once their backs are turned.
Miss Snevellicci
The talented leading lady of the Crummles troupe. She and Nicholas flirt heavily, and there is a mutual attraction, but nothing comes of it. She eventually leaves the troupe to get married.
Mr Lenville
A melodramatic, self-centred tragedian, who becomes jealous of the attention Nicholas is receiving as an actor, and attempts to pull his nose in front of the company, an act which results in the actor himself being knocked down and his cane broken by Nicholas.
