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Pickwick Papers: Sam Weller
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Samuel Pickwick wants answers. So he travels to the darker side of English society to find out why people are the way they are. Before he can share what he learns with fellow members of the famous Pickwick Club, his adventures will carry him into the arms of colorful characters, beautiful women and danger.
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The next morning Pickwick returns to his rooms to discover the ebullient Sam striking up a 'friendship' with the new maid Mary. After some thought he decides to hire Sam as his Gentleman's Gentleman. Unfortunately, when he seeks Sam's release as Boot Black, Mrs. Bardell mistakes the request for a proposal of marriage and Pickwick finds himself in a compromising position!
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A few days before going to print the authors came across the invaluable study by Marie Teresa McGowan, Pickwick and the Pirates: A Study of Some Early Imitations, Dramatisations and Plagiarisms of "Pickwick Papers" (Diss. University of London, 1975). For a discussion of wellerisms see esp. pp. 284-296.
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Samuel Pickwick was no longer the chief farcical character. Weller became the joker and Pickwick in some sense the butt of his jokes. Thus it was obvious that the more simple, solemn, and really respectable this butt could be made the better. Mr. Pickwick had been the figure capering before the footlights. But with the advent of Sam, Mr. Pickwick had become a sort of black background and had to behave as such. But this explanation, though true as far as it goes, is a mean and unsatisfactory one, leaving the great elements
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A number of parallels in the two works appear, the most striking of which is the statement of Sam Weller in response to several requests by Mr. Pickwick in the Fleet Prison. At this point in the novel Mr. Pickwick has gone to jail rather than pay an unjust claim awarded by the law court. In order to be able to remain with his employer, Sam has contrived to be imprisoned for failure to pay a debt. Pickwick, upon asking Sam to be seated, receives the reply, "I'd rayther not now, sir." Shortly afterward Sam refuses to tell the name of the one to whom he is indebted, for he knows that Pickwick will re-pay the loan and secure Sam's release: "Wery much obliged to you, sir," replied Mr. Weller gravely, "but I'd rayther not."3 The steadfast "I'd rayther not" is strongly reminiscent of Bartleby's later tag, "I would prefer not to."
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Sam Weller