First Chapter

The story begins with the death of Nick Nickleby, an old man who had a family consisting of his wife and two sons, Nicholas and Kate Nickleby. For the debts that Nick left, they were left homeless and some money. So they called Ralph Nickleby, Kate's uncle and Nicholas, he is a businessman in London, then it could help them with their financial problem. So Nick's wife invited him to a small house where they were staying.

When Ralph came, it showed in his eyes the sadness he felt for the death of his brother and was surprised to learn that he had died of a broken heart. Nicholas don’t loved his uncle very much. As Ralph Nickleby was a rich man and know many people, He was talking to Mrs. Nickleby about the possibility of finding a job of Kate, when he realized that the newspaper had Nicholas had a job opening for a teacher in Yorkshire, Northern London, far from Devon. Immediately, Nicholas and his uncle went to Yorkshire for employment and spoke with Mr. Squeers, the school principal, who at first he was surprising about young age of Nicholas but in the end gives him the job.

Nicholas is very grateful to his uncle and the next day went very sad Devon wondering how they would survive her mother and sister without him. Before Nicholas climbed into the carriage, Newman Noggs, an employee of his uncle, handed a letter to Nicholas where he offered a place to stay in London.

On the evening of the second day, Nicholas went to Yorkshire. Then he saw the school named Dotheboys Hall which was quite unpleasant. When he entered he met the wife of Mr. Squeers and talked about the parents of children who had paid their debts and the parent who not while eating the dinner a meal that was very cold. The next day Nicholas saw Mr. and Mrs. Squeers maltreated children of school, Mr. Squeers hit them often and very strong. But Mr. Squeers was very cruel to a child especially, his name was Smike, the eldest child of the whole school. The day before, Nicholas found him working in the kitchen very scared, so he told him how unhappy he was at the school and began to cry saying that nobody love him and that all he had in his life was suffering.