Pickwick Papers

Alcohol is a symbol that often heightens the comedy of The Pickwick Papers. In the novel, the use of alcohol of all kinds usually precedes chaos and hilarity that increases the severity of the Pickwickians’ adventures. The text quickly reveals that the Pickwickians are prone to overindulge in drinking, and even the wise Pickwick himself becomes inebriated early in the novel. When Winkle is accused of offending Dr. Slammer, he believes that, though it would have been completely out of character for him, alcohol could have influenced him to offend this stranger whom he has no recollection of meeting. Pickwick has a lot of fun when he and his friends drink heavily after their shooting party, yet this scene also leads him to fall asleep and be tossed into the pound by the stranger whose land he trespassed on. Additionally, The Pickwick Papers depicts a temperance society meeting at which Sam and Tony prank Stiggins. This scene mocks not only the views of the temperance society’s members but also the hypocritical Stiggins, who stumbles into the meeting drunk. Characters whom the novel portrays as either devious or irresponsible, like Jingle and the rowdy surgeons Ben Allen and Bob Sawyer, are frequently associated with alcohol overconsumption, occasionally giving the symbol more negative connotations. However, as with the stories and poems inserted throughout the novel, alcohol is something that also brings people together and is often consumed in group settings where friends gather. Overall, the text doesn’t take a firm stance on whether alcohol is good or bad, yet its consumption in scenes in The Pickwick Papers is rarely in moderation, making it symbolic of fun and friendship as well as chaos and confusion.