Part One

Following the death of his father, young Nicholas Nickleby travels to London with his mother and his sister Kate in hopes that Uncle Ralph might be in a position to offer some assistance. However, Ralph had little contact with his brother's family and feels no sense of obligation. A hardhearted businessman not at all surprised that his brother died penniless, his offer to Nicholas is to help him secure a not-so-ideal teaching position which Nicholas manages to obtain with Wackford Squeers. As for Kate, her uncle arranges a position with a dressmaker.