The travelling society formed by the Pickwick Club of London comprises of four members. Mr. Pickwick is a businessman and philosopher; Mr. Tracy Tupman is a ladies’ man who never makes a conquest, Mr.Augustus Snodgrass, a poet who hasn’t ever written a poem and Nathaniel, an inept sportsman with no medals or awards. Their travel experiences turn out to be comic misadventures as every personage in the Novel is drawn comically with exaggerated features of characters.
The journey begins with an angry cabman knocking down the Pickwickers, taking them for informers. Mr.Jingle, an adventurer with deep interest in wealthy women, rescues them. He involves the innocent Mr. Winkle in an argument with a hot tempered Army Man named Dr. Slammer.
Pickwickians meet Mr. Wardle, a country squire who invites them to his estate at Dingey Dell. After mishaps with horses, they all arrive at Mr. Wardle’s manor farm where they enjoy card games, storytelling, hunting and a cricket match. Some flirting and Mr. Tupman falls in love with Mr. Wardle’ spinster sister Rachael. However, Jingle outsmarts Tupman and elopes with Rachael. Rachael is saved from her unhappy marriage with Jingle by Mr. Pickwick and Mr. Wardle who follow them to London and seek a lawyer’s help in the case.
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Mr. Pickwick meets Sam Waller in London who is a witty, intelligent boot cleaner and handyman and takes him as a valet. The comic tragedy in Mrs. Bardell’s misconception that Mr. Pickwick wants to marry him is followed by a compromising circumstance when all his friends see Mrs. Bardell faint in Pickwick’s arms.
Sam’s father, Mr.Tony comments on the dangers of matrimony through the story, as his wife had taken up with an alcoholic and ruined his life until her death. The same case happens with Mr. Pickwick when Mrs. Bardell’s starts a breach of promise suit against him. During their visit to Eatans will for witnessing a violent and nonsensical election, they are invited to a costume party by the local literary lioness, Mrs. Hunter where Mr. PickWick finds Mr. Jingle trying to frame a young lady in his trap. Mr. Pickwick who tries to prevent elopement faces embarrassment in turn.
Mr. Pickwick, while in London, to seek legal help for the law suit filed by Mrs. Bardell against him, learns that Mr. Jingle is in Ipswich. Accidently, bedroom mix-ups at an Ipswich Inn, Mr. Pickwick is before the justice, Mr. Nupkins. Mr. Pickwick extricates himself by proving that Jingle is an adventurer to Mr. Nupkins, whose daughter is Jingle’s interest.
At Wardle farm where Pickwickians return to celebrate Christmas and the wedding of Mr. Wardle’s daughter, Isabella, Snodgrass continues his romance with Emily, and Winkle falls in love with Arabella Allen, a friend of Mr. Wardle’s daughters. Mr. Pickwick’s trial leads him to jail as he refuses to pay the damages; Sam also gets imprisoned to server master. Pickwickans also make a trip to Bath where Mr. Winkle learns that his wife has been hidden by her brother. Mr. Pickwick decides to pay the cost to release himself and help Winkle intercede with her brother and his own father after marrying Arabella. Things settle and all gentlemen of the Pickwick club settle out as Mr. Pickwick lives to be a godfather to many children.