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The Toodles

The Toodles
The Toodles-by Phiz

The Toodles represent a Cratchit-like poor, loving family. Polly Toodle is hired by Paul Dombey to nurse his newborn son, Paul Jr after his wife dies in childbirth. Her husband, a stoker and later an engine-driver on the railroad, echos Dickens sentiments in this exchange with the proud Mr Dombey:

'You have a son, I believe?' said Mr Dombey.

'Four on 'em, Sir. Four hims and a her. All alive!'

'Why, it's as much as you can afford to keep them!' said Mr Dombey.

'I could hardly afford but one thing in the world less, Sir.'

'What is that?'

'To lose 'em, Sir.' (Dombey and Son, p. 17)


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The Coming of the Railroad

The Railroad

During the time Dombey and Son was being serialized London was buzzing with 'Railway Mania' (Slater, 2009, p. 251) and this theme looms large throughout the novel.

Read this excerpt from from chapter 6 of Dombey and Son where Charles Dickens describes the coming of the railroad to Camden Town, a suburb in the north of London.


Locations in Dombey and Son
 Locations in Dombey and Son



Charles Dickens' life during the serialization of Dombey and Son
Oct 1846 - Apr 1848

Dickens' age: 34-36

October 1846

December 1846

The Battle of Life, his Christmas book for 1846, published (Ackroyd, 1990, p. 514).

April 1847

Son Sydney Smith Haldimand Dickens born (Slater, 2009, p. 264).

July 1847

Directing and acting in amateur theatricals throughout England and Scotland with a group of friends including George Cruikshank, John Leech, Mark Lemon, Augustus Egg, and George Henry Lewes. The group continued the theatricals through the publication of Dombey and Son and beyond (Kaplan, 1988, p. 231-232).

November 1847

Working with friend and philanthropist Angela Burdette Coutts opens Urania Cottage, a home for 'fallen' women (Slater, 2009, p. 272).

December 1847

Wife Catherine, six months pregnant, suffers a miscarriage in a railway car between Edinburgh and Glasgow (Slater, 2009, p. 273).

April 1848

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Charles Dickens'

Dombey and Son

Dombey and Son - Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation

Dombey and Son - Published in monthly parts Oct 1846 - Apr 1848

Cuttle-Carker by Harry Furniss
Captain Cuttle and James Carker-by Harry Furniss
Charles Dickens' seventh novel, illustrated by Phiz, was the first with his new publishers, Bradbury and Evans. Dickens worried about his new publisher's abilities to sell his work but the new novel's monthly installments were soon selling at up to 34,000 copies a month. William Thackeray, whose monthly installments of Vanity Fair were being sold by Bradbury and Evans during this same time, was selling at best only 5000 copies a month (Patten, 1978, p. 188-189).

In the writing of Dombey and Son Dickens began using notes he called "mems" to outline how the novel would progress and as an aid to decision-making about plot and character development (Slater, 2009, p. 258-260). Edgar Johnson considers Dombey and Son the first masterpiece of Dickens maturity (Johnson, 1952, p. 643).

Plot

(contains spoilers)

The novel tells the story of Paul Dombey, powerful head of the House of Dombey. He wants a son and when a daughter (Florence) is born he despises her. His second child, a son (Paul), is weak and sickly and dies a child.

Paul's first wife dies with the birth of Paul Jr and he remarries. His second wife, Edith, does not love him and eventually runs away with Carker, a manager at the firm. With Carker gone, Paul is incapable of managing the business and it fails. In the end Paul is reconciled with his daughter, living with her family, and doting on his grandchildren.

Mingled with this central thread is the story of Walter Gay and his uncle Solomon Gills, owner of the Wooden Midshipman, a nautical instruments shop. Walter Gay goes to work for the firm of Dombey and Son.

Dombey and Son illustration by Phiz
Jack Bunsby offers advise as to the fate of Walter's ship to Sol Gils, Susan Nipper, Florence, and Captain Cuttle
When Florence is lost in the London streets and captured by Good Mrs Brown, who steals her clothes, she is rescued by Walter. Walter and Florence become friends, which causes Mr Dombey uneasiness, as he loathes his daughter. When a position in the firm opens in Barbados, Dombey sees an opportunity to get rid of Walter and sends him. Walter's ship is lost and all hands are feared drowned.

Solomon Gills goes in search of Walter, leaving the Wooden Midshipman to his friend Captain Edward Cuttle. After the breakup of her home, Florence leaves and is taken in by Captain Cuttle. Walter has survived the shipwreck and returns home. Walter and Florence are to be married, on the eve of their wedding day Solomon Gills returns home after wandering the earth looking for Walter. After the wedding Walter and Florence go to sea for a year. On the day of their return Florence is reconciled to her father. Solomon Gills produces the last bottle of the old Madeira he has been saving for just such an occasion, and all drink to Walter and Florence.

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Complete List of Characters:

Character descriptions contain spoilers
Adams, Jack
Bagstock, Major Joseph
Baps, Mr
Berinthea(Berry)
Betsy Jane
Bitherstone, Bill
Bitherstone, Master
Blimber, Cornelia
Blimber, Dr
Blimber, Mrs
Briggs
Brogley, Mr
Brown, Alice (Marwood)
Brown, Good Mrs
Bunsby, Jack
Carker, Harriet
Carker, James
Carker, John
Chick, John
Chick, Louisa
Cuttle, Captain Edward (Ned)
Dombey, Fanny
Dombey, Florence
Dombey, Paul
Dombey, Paul Jr
Feeder, Mr
Feenix, Cousin
Flowers
Game Chicken
Gay, Walter
Gills, Solomon
Granger, Edith
Howler, Rev Melchisedech
John
Johnson
Jollson, Mrs
Kate
MacStinger, Alexander
MacStinger, Charles
MacStinger, Juliana
MacStinger, Mrs
Martha
Melia
Miff, Mrs
Morfin, Mr
Native, The
Nipper, Susan
Pankey, Miss
Peps, Dr Parker
Perch
Pilkins, Mr
Pipchin, Mrs
Skettles, Sir Barnet
Skettles, Lady
Skettles, Master
Skewton, Mrs
Sownds, Mr
Toodle
Toodle, Jemima
Toodle, Polly (Richards)
Toodle, Rob (The Ginder, Biler)
Toots, Mr
Towlinson
Tox, Lucretia
Tozer
Wickham, Mrs
Withers

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Dombey and Son Links:

Bartleby.com
The Literary Network
The Victorian Web
Wikipedia - Dombey and Son
Hablot Browne's disappointing illustration for Dombey and Son

Leamington Spa

Leamington Spa Pump Rooms 1816
Leamington Spa Pump Rooms 1816
After the death of his son, Paul Dombey goes to recuperate at Leamington Spa with his friend Joe Bagstock. The Royal Pump Room and Baths, where Dombey and Bagstock would have visited, opened in 1814 and were available to the well-to-do, the restorative waters were said to cure a variety of afflictions (Wikipedia).



Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle by Canaletto 1752
Warwick Castle-by Canaletto 1752

While in Warwickshire Paul Dombey and Major Bagstock meet Edith Granger and her mother. Together the group, along with Mr Carker, visits Warwick Castle and "the haunted ruins of Kenilworth" (Dombey and Son, p. 386-391).






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