Pickwick and Scrooge: Two Excellent Men of Business

Abstract:

Created six years apart, Scrooge and Pickwick exhibit extraordinary similarities in their backgrounds and plot trajectories. Scrooge and Pickwick start out as relatively isolated businessmen who make journeys of discovery and learn lessons in compassion. Their metamorphoses are deepened through their relationships with loyal employees. This article explores the scant details about the two men's business lives, including Scrooge's role as a creditor and his connection to the Second Royal Exchange in London, which burned down in January 1838. It also contextualizes Pickwick's ties to the South American sugar trade and the enslaved labor that contributes to his great wealth. The article speculates on the parallelisms between Scrooge and Pickwick and the effects of seeing them both within the scope of their identified business practices.