Nicholas Nickleby, Chapter 12 summary
Chapter 12 of 65 · 18 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 12, Nicholas Nickleby firmly rejects Fanny Squeers, whose wounded pride turns into deliberate mistreatment of him and increased cruelty toward Smike. As Nicholas considers leaving the school, Smike asks whether he could find him outside it, and Nicholas promises help and support.
What happens
- After Squeers attacks a boy while drunk, Phoebe soothes Fanny with false claims that John Browdie prefers her to Miss Price.
- Miss Price announces her approaching marriage, quarrels with Fanny over Nicholas, and then renews their friendship.
- The women meet Nicholas on his walk, and Miss Price encourages Fanny’s belief that he loves her.
- Nicholas explicitly rejects Fanny and declares his hatred of the school, provoking her revenge.
- Fanny increases Nicholas’s hardships, while the family repeatedly beats Smike because of his devotion to Nicholas.
- Nicholas comforts Smike over a failed lesson and promises support outside the school before Squeers enters.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Smike states the cost of his attachment to Nicholas. The family turns affection into a reason for further abuse, deepening Nicholas’s distress.
Quick check
Why does the Squeers family increase its abuse of Smike?
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