Victorians! discussion

Mr. Pickwick, Sam, Benjamin Allen, and Bob Sawyer travel to Birmingham, so that Pickwick can break the news of Winkle's marriage to his father. On the way, Bob Sawyer rides on top of the carriage and behaves in a drunken, disgraceful way, embarrassing Pickwick, so when he and Allen get hold of the bottle, they decide to drink it all! Once in Birmingham, they go to Mr. Winkle's house. The two drunken young man make a very bad impression, and Mr. Winkle seems to disapprove of his son's match. Pickwick's party departs for London the next morning, but it rains so much that they are obliged to stop for the night at the Saracen's Head, where they encounter Mr. Pott of Eatenswill, who is on his way to disrupt a Ball put on by the Buff party. That evening, his Buff rival editor shows up, and the two get into a fight, with Pickwick in the middle, which Sam breaks up. Once back in London (and reunited with Mary), Sam receives a letter from his father informing him that his stepmother has died. Sam goes to visit his father (whom he finds in a 'referee', as Mr. Weller puts it). It seems that once his wife was dead, he was immediately besieged by widows on all sides! He has decided to sell the inn, invest the money for Sam and himself, and go back on the road. Mr. Stiggins drops by for a drink and to see if he was left anything, and Mr. Weller kicks him soundly, all the way out the door!