The novel is a satire of human cruelty, stupidity, and greed. In addition, Smollett also caricatured many of his contemporaries and their works in this novel including author Henry Fielding and actor David Garrick. In addition, Smollett also satirized the medical profession while Smollett himself was a surgeon. The novel also contains a lengthy independent story called "The Memoirs of a Lady of Quality", written by Frances Vane, Viscountess Vane. This story follows the romantic adventures of an anonymous noblewoman. This narrative is in the amatory fiction genre and describes a series of love affairs the heroine has with a variety of titled men.
The novel inspired later novelists including Charles Dickens who based the character of Wemmick, the closed-off but secretly gentle assistant to the vicious lawyer Mr. Jaggers in Great Expectations, on Trunnion.
Characters of Peregrine Pickle:
Peregrine Pickle is a young troubled man who is rejected by his cruel mother, ignored by his indifferent father, and hated by his degenerate brother. He is adventurous, mischievous, highly selfish, and unwilling to acknowledge morality. Gamaliel Pickle is Peregrine’s father and Sally Appleby is his mother. Grizzle is Peregrine’s aunt, sister of Gamaliel. Commodore Hawser Trunnion is Peregrine’s uncle who adopts him and spoils him. Trunnion is a rich eccentric retired sea captain who treats and manages his house as a warship. Lieutenant Hatchway and Tom Pipes are Trunnion’s old crew members who live with Trunnion at his home. Emilia Gauntlet is a beautiful young heiress who falls in love with Peregrine. Godfrey Gauntlet is Emilia’s brother. He doesn’t like Perigrine and opposes Emilia’s relationship with him.
Summary of Peregrine Pickle:
Gamaliel Pickle is the son of a rich London merchant and inherits a huge fortune. However, Gamalial himself is no good at business. He decides to retire from business and live on the interest of his fortune rather than risk his principal in the uncertainties of trade. He lives with his sister Grizzle in a huge mansion and his neighbor is eccentric old seaman Commodore Hawser Trunnion. Gamalial picks the eyes of Sally Appleby who seduces him and marries him for his money. Sally soon becomes the dominating force in the house who abuses Gamalial and Grizzly. Sally takes such a dislike to Grizzle that she tries in every way possible to embarrass and humiliate her sister-in-law.
After some time, Sally becomes pregnant and gives birth to Peregrine Pickle, her first son. Sally naturally dislikes Peregrine and treats him the same way she treats Gamalial and Grizzle. Meanwhile, Grizzly realizes that she is no more needed in her brother’s house and tries to woo Trunnion. Trunnion is a rich old man who desires an heir. Trunnion lives with his two old mates Lieutenant Hatchway, a one-legged old veteran, and Tom Pipes. He is a misanthrope and misogynist. Yet, Grizzly succeeds in breaching his obstinacy and marries him. Being old, Trunnion desires an heir. Grizzly and Trunnion try to have a baby but Grizzly fails to become a mother. Trunnion observes that Peregrine is being ill-treated by his mother while his father Gamalial is indifferent and subservient to his wife. Trunnion grows a liking for Peregrine whom he finds smart and independent. When Sally gives birth to her second son, her behavior towards Peregrine becomes further cruel. The younger Pickle too despises Peregrine. Peregrine grows into a headstrong, rebellious boy who shows his high spirits in pranks that mortify and irritate his parents. He is sent away to school, and he rebels against his foolish and hypocritical teachers; at last, he writes to the Commodore to request removal from the school. The Commodore feels pity for the boy and admires his spirit of independence, so he takes him out of school and adopts him as his son and heir.
Trunnion indulges Peregrine’s every whim and spoils him in all possible ways and he turns out to be a spoiled rich brat which means that Peregrine can do whatever he wants with no repercussions. He often indulges in playing cruel pranks on those around him. He makes up some friends who encourage him in his misadventures. One day, Peregrine and his friends steal a peasant’s fruit and then beat the man to death when he objects, laughing to realize that now his family will have to become beggars. Trunnian realizes that he cannot continue to bear Peregrine’s pranks and escapades and thus, he decides to send him to Winchester School. Tom Pipes accompanies him as a guardian. At Winchester School, Peregrine meets Emilia Gauntlet, a young heiress of a rich family. He falls in love with her and this changes his behavior as he grows serious towards his studies. However, Emilia’s brother Godfrey Gauntlet doesn’t like Perigrine and he opposes Emilia being friendly with him. In one instance Godfrey and Perigrine indulge in an angry debate and Godfrey challenges him for a duel. Perigrine tries to shy away but Godfrey insists. First Godfrey proposes a fight with swords but then he offers a fight with pistols if Perigrine is comfortable with that. Perigrine declines using pistols and they fight with swords. In the end, the swords of both of them get broken without hurting anyone of them seriously, yet, the argument between the two persists.
After his school, Trunnian sends Peregrine to Oxford for higher studies. Peregrine continues his pranks at the University too. After graduating, Peregrine travels around Europe and Turrian funds his Grand Tour. Peregrine especially likes Paris and spends a lot of time there where chases women, overindulges in alcohol, and participates in a variety of pranks.
He meets an English painter in Paris who is facing a charge and has been sent to the Bastille for some trifling offense and is about to be released, Peregrine and his friends, playing on his ignorance of the language, let him think he has been sentenced to be broken on a wheel. A little later they tell him that his punishment has been commuted to castration.
After spending enough time on his tour, he returns to England and continues his pranks while living as a con man. In London, he siphons money from wealthy high-society people with the help of a fake magician who pretends to read fortunes. Later, in the resort town of Bath, he pretends to be a doctor while cheating common people. He continues his romance with Emilia and at this point, Tobias Smollett added an independent story titled “The Memoirs of a Lady of Quality,” written by the memoirist Frances Vane, Viscountess Vane, this is an independent story that follows the romantic adventures of an anonymous noblewoman. This narrative is in the amatory fiction genre and describes a series of love affairs the heroine has with a variety of titled men. This story has nothing to do with Peregrine or Emilia.
When Tobias returns to Peregrine, we learn that he continues his pranks as a con man but his fortune turns and out of greed, his own friends swindle away all his money. After losing all of his money, he falls into debt and since he cannot pay his debt, he is imprisoned in the Fleet debtor's prison. During his time in prison, he gets some time for introspection and it appears as if he is repenting. However, he fails to find a way out of the prison. His fortune turns again as his father Gamaliel Pickle dies away and he suddenly and unexpectedly inherits 80,000 pounds. Peregrine repents his terrible behavior and promises to live the rest of his life in a less destructive and antisocial way. He promises to be an honest and morally sound citizen. His changed behavior helps him in marrying Emilia.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards!
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