The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby

The patriarch dies, leaving his wife and children without an income. To seek aid, Nicholas, his mother, and his younger sister Kate travel to London to appeal to their wealthy uncle Ralph Nickleby. Ralph agrees to help by securing Nicholas a job as a tutor and finding Kate suitable work as a seamstress.

Ralph Nickleby arranges for Nicholas to be employed as a tutor, giving him a pathway to support the family. He also finds Kate a seamstress position, though the setup foreshadows the harsher financial world they are entering. The arrangement places Nicholas under Ralph's influence and exposes him to the cold realities of wealth.

Nicholas meets his employer, the sadistic Mr. Squeers, just as he finishes a transaction with Mr. Snawley. He quickly learns of Dotheboys Hall, the Yorkshire boarding school where abuse and neglect are routine. The revelation sets the stage for Nicholas's moral crisis.

Nicholas rebels against the brutal regime of the Squeers and escapes with Smike, the disabled boy who has suffered there. They flee the grim environment and strike out together, forming a dangerous but hopeful alliance. This escape marks the beginning of their mutual dependence.

Nicholas and Smike take refuge with Newman Noggs, Ralph Nickleby's clerk. Nicholas tries to find steady employment, rejecting a low-paying political secretary role and a disastrous tutoring stint with the Kenwigs. The pair cling to the chance of a better life in a precarious urban world.

While wandering in search of food and shelter, Nicholas and Smike encounter Madeline Bray, the devoted daughter of a debtor to Ralph. The encounter introduces Nicholas to a new, morally ambiguous set of relationships tied to Madeline's precarious father.

Nicholas and Smike are hired by actor-manager Vincent Crummles to join his traveling troupe and perform in a production of Romeo and Juliet. They find early success on stage, which gives them a temporary respite from their economic troubles. The theatre world offers them a chance at stability and independence.

Noggs urges Nicholas to hurry back as Ralph endangers Kate's safety. Nicholas confronts Sir Mulberry Hawk and Lord Verisopht about Kate's honor, leading to a carriage duel in which Hawk injures Verisopht. The confrontation reveals the corrupt network that surrounds Ralph.

Nicholas secures valuable employment with the benevolent Cheeryble brothers, and their nephew Frank begins courting Kate. The Cheerybles provide Nicholas a cottage for his family and welcome Smike into their orbit, offering a real foundation for the future.

Squeers returns to London, intending to recapture Smike, but Nicholas and Noggs foil the plot. Smike is severely beaten by Squeers and Snawley, while Kate nurses him back to health and he grows closer to Kate.

Nicholas helps Madeline Bray as her father is coerced by Ralph into an unwelcome marriage settlement. When her father dies, Madeline seems free of obligation, and Nicholas carries her away, warning Ralph to leave her alone. Kate reveals Ralph's true character, deepening the conflict.

Noggs realizes and reveals that Smike is Ralph's son, hidden away by a forged arrangement and kept from his inheritance. He uncovers Squeers' scheme and exposes it to the authorities, threatening Ralph's control and finances. Ralph faces arrest and ruin as the truth emerges.

Smike succumbs to illness on his deathbed, leaving Nicholas devastated but resolute. The police arrive to arrest Ralph, who flees to his garret and hangs himself. In the aftermath, Nicholas marries Madeline, while Kate weds Frank, and the family finds its lasting happiness.