Pickwick Papers

The Pickwick Papers was originally intended as a set of stories that described premade engravings of men sporting in the country, yet each episode’s evocative descriptions go beyond that. Consider the role of imagery in the novel. How does its initial focus on sporting images impact the events that follow and how the text depicts them?

As Dickens’s first novel, The Pickwick Papers set the standard for Victorian serials that followed. Compare this novel’s format with another of his novels or another Victorian serial. In what ways does the style, tone, or format of the other work reflect the influence of The Pickwick Papers?

At the end of the novel, the Pickwick Club dissolves, and all its primary members cease their adventures and begin to settle down. What does this dramatic shift in the conclusion imply about travel and experience?