Victorians! discussion

After the duel has been happily averted, Winkle and Snodgrass return to their inn, where they find another new acquaintance, who tells them all a story about a poor actor. The friends now leave to attend a military exhibition, where they get in the way. They then make some more new acquaintances, Mr. Wardle and his family. Mr. Tupman begins a flirtation with Wardle's spinster sister, and they are all invited to visit at Mr. Wardle's country home the following day. After a disastrous journey, during which Mr. Winkle, who fancies himself a sportsman, shows that he is perhaps not as expert a horseman as he claims, the weary travellers arrive to a warm welcome at the Wardles'.

If you are an animal lover like me, this chapter also shows how horses were routinely abused. It's clear that the Pickwickians don't know how to drive or ride but the stable man blithely sends them off to disaster. In an earlier chapter Dickens comments (via a brief, tongue in cheek bit of dialog) on the wretched condition of the cab horse.

Dickens noticed everything.

I though it was rather cruel to the Pickwickians fending for themselves on the not-so-stupid horses. Too funny! I could picture it completely in my head, the horse avoiding Mr. Winkle getting back in the saddle. This has happened to me. So I guess it was more a recollection than visualization.

I really like Mr. Wardle. He seems as benevolent as Mr. Pickwick. I also enjoyed his mother, who seems to have selective deafness.

It's like a Victorian episode of the series "men behaving badly"! The horse was smart though.
Why are the women so insipid?