Who Sam Weller is
Sam Weller works as a boots, cleaning guests' shoes at a busy coaching inn called the White Hart. There he meets Samuel Pickwick, who comes to the inn while searching for Alfred Jingle.
Sam speaks in a sharp, joking London voice, with sayings and comparisons that make Pickwick laugh. He understands people's tricks, but his knowledge of the world does not make him bitter.
What Sam Weller wants
Sam sees that Pickwick is a good man who needs someone to look after him. When Pickwick offers him work as his personal servant, Sam agrees and joins him.
His loyalty rests alongside his confidence and practical understanding of the world. He knows how easily people can deceive his master, yet he values Pickwick's kindness.
Sam Weller and the others in the story
Sam and Pickwick bring two different kinds of wisdom to their travels together. Pickwick believes the best of others, while Sam recognises the tricks that escape his master's notice.
Sam's father, Tony Weller, is a stout coachman who also joins the comedy. The father and son are another comic pair alongside Sam and his trusting employer.
Questions
Who is Sam Weller?
Sam Weller is a London inn servant who becomes Samuel Pickwick's personal servant and loyal companion.
Where does Sam Weller meet Pickwick?
He meets Pickwick at the White Hart, a coaching inn in Southwark where Sam cleans guests' shoes.
How is Sam Weller different from Pickwick?
Sam understands deception more readily than his trusting master. His practical sense and Pickwick's kindness make them contrasting companions.