Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from Mudfog and Other Sketches, by Charles Dickens
At the very end of the Mudfog High-street, and abutting on the
river-side, stands the Jolly Boatmen, an old-fashioned low-roofed,
bay-windowed house, with a bar, kitchen, and tap-room all in one, and a
large fireplace with a kettle to correspond, round which the working men
have congregated time out of mind on a winter’s night, refreshed by
draughts of good strong beer, and cheered by the sounds of a fiddle and
tambourine: the Jolly Boatmen having been duly licensed by the Mayor and
corporation, to scrape the fiddle and thumb the tambourine from time,
whereof the memory of the oldest inhabitants goeth not to the contrary.
Now Nicholas Tulrumble had been reading pamphlets on crime, and
parliamentary reports,—or had made the secretary read them to him, which
is the same thing in effect,—and he at once perceived that this fiddle
and tambourine must have done more to demoralize Mudfog, than any other
operating causes that ingenuity could imagine. So he read up for the
subject, and determined to come out on the corporation with a burst, the
very next time the licence was applied for.
The licensing day came, and the red-faced landlord of the Jolly Boatmen
walked into the town-hall, looking as jolly as need be, having actually
put on an extra fiddle for that night, to commemorate the anniversary of
the Jolly Boatmen’s music licence. It was applied for in due form, and
was just about to be granted as a matter of course, when up rose Nicholas
Tulrumble, and drowned the astonished corporation in a torrent of
eloquence. He descanted in glowing terms upon the increasing depravity
of his native town of Mudfog, and the excesses committed by its
population. Then, he related how shocked he had been, to see barrels of
beer sliding down into the cellar of the Jolly Boatmen week after week;
and how he had sat at a window opposite the Jolly Boatmen for two days
together, to count the people who went in for beer between the hours of
twelve and one o’clock alone—which, by-the-bye, was the time at which the
great majority of the Mudfog people dined. Then, he went on to state,
how the number of people who came out with beer-jugs, averaged twenty-one
in five minutes, which, being multiplied by twelve, gave two hundred and
fifty-two people with beer-jugs in an hour, and multiplied again by
fifteen (the number of hours during which the house was open daily)
yielded three thousand seven hundred and eighty people with beer-jugs per
day, or twenty-six thousand four hundred and sixty people with beer-jugs,
per week. Then he proceeded to show that a tambourine and moral
degradation were synonymous terms, and a fiddle and vicious propensities
wholly inseparable. All these arguments he strengthened and demonstrated
by frequent references to a large book with a blue cover, and sundry
quotations from the Middlesex magistrates; and in the end, the
corporation, who were posed with the figures, and sleepy with the speech,
and sadly in want of dinner into the bargain, yielded the palm to
Nicholas Tulrumble, and refused the music licence to the Jolly Boatmen.
But although Nicholas triumphed, his triumph was short. He carried on
the war against beer-jugs and fiddles, forgetting the time when he was
glad to drink out of the one, and to dance to the other, till the people
hated, and his old friends shunned him. He grew tired of the lonely
magnificence of Mudfog Hall, and his heart yearned towards the
Lighterman’s Arms. He wished he had never set up as a public man, and
sighed for the good old times of the coal-shop, and the chimney corner.
Explanation
Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Mudfog and Other Sketches by Charles Dickens
This passage from Mudfog and Other Sketches (1837) is a satirical sketch by Charles Dickens, targeting the moral panic and reformist zeal of early 19th-century Britain. The excerpt critiques the hypocrisy of self-righteous reformers who, in their quest to "improve" society, destroy its simple joys while ignoring their own past indulgences. Below is a breakdown of the text’s key elements—context, themes, literary devices, and significance—with a primary focus on the passage itself.
1. Context of the Excerpt
Mudfog and Other Sketches is a collection of humorous and satirical pieces Dickens wrote early in his career, many of which first appeared in Bentley’s Miscellany. The fictional town of Mudfog (a play on "mud" and "fog," evoking grime and obscurity) serves as a microcosm of Victorian society, allowing Dickens to mock bureaucratic absurdity, class pretensions, and moral hypocrisy.
This particular sketch centers on Nicholas Tulrumble, a self-important reformer who, after reading "pamphlets on crime" and "parliamentary reports," becomes convinced that the Jolly Boatmen—a humble riverside tavern where working men gather for beer, music, and camaraderie—is the root of Mudfog’s "depravity." His crusade against the tavern’s music license is a thinly veiled attack on puritanical reform movements of the time, particularly the temperance movement and evangelical moralism, which sought to regulate (or eliminate) alcohol, dancing, and other working-class pleasures.
2. Themes in the Excerpt
A. Hypocrisy and Moral Self-Righteousness
Tulrumble’s reformist fervor is exposed as performative and hypocritical. The text emphasizes that he once enjoyed the very things he now condemns:
"He carried on the war against beer-jugs and fiddles, forgetting the time when he was glad to drink out of the one, and to dance to the other."
His transformation from a man who once frequented taverns to a sanctimonious crusader mirrors Dickens’ broader critique of Victorian moralists who imposed their standards on the working class while ignoring their own pasts.
B. The Tyranny of "Progress" and Reform
Tulrumble’s argument is pseudoscientific and absurd. He uses flawed mathematics to "prove" that the tavern is corrupting Mudfog:
"the number of people who came out with beer-jugs, averaged twenty-one in five minutes, which, being multiplied by twelve, gave two hundred and fifty-two people with beer-jugs in an hour..."
His statistical manipulation (a common tactic in 19th-century reformist rhetoric) is ludicrously exaggerated—he assumes every visitor is a drunkard and that the tavern’s music is single-handedly causing moral decay. Dickens mocks the arbitrary nature of "moral statistics" used by reformers to justify restrictions on working-class life.
C. The Destruction of Community and Joy
The Jolly Boatmen is a symbol of working-class solidarity and simple pleasures:
"an old-fashioned low-roofed, bay-windowed house, with a bar, kitchen, and tap-room all in one, and a large fireplace with a kettle to correspond, round which the working men have congregated time out of mind on a winter’s night, refreshed by draughts of good strong beer, and cheered by the sounds of a fiddle and tambourine."
Dickens portrays the tavern as a warm, communal space where laborers find respite from hardship. Tulrumble’s victory—banning the music license—does not improve Mudfog; instead, it strips away a source of joy, leaving the town colder and more miserable. His reform is not progressive but oppressive.
D. The Isolation of the Reformer
Tulrumble’s loneliness and regret at the end underscore the hollowness of his moral crusade:
"He grew tired of the lonely magnificence of Mudfog Hall, and his heart yearned towards the Lighterman’s Arms. He wished he had never set up as a public man, and sighed for the good old times of the coal-shop, and the chimney corner."
His rejection by the community shows that his reform has no real benefit—only alienation. Dickens suggests that true morality lies in human connection, not rigid dogma.
3. Literary Devices
A. Satire and Irony
- Situational Irony: Tulrumble, who once enjoyed the tavern, now condemns it with self-righteous fury. His selective outrage is ironic—he ignores his own past while lecturing others.
- Verbal Irony: The name "Jolly Boatmen" contrasts with Tulrumble’s joyless moralism. The tavern is "jolly"; he is stern and humorless.
- Dramatic Irony: The reader knows Tulrumble’s arguments are absurd, but the corporation (too sleepy and hungry to argue) concedes to him, highlighting how weak leadership enables moral tyranny.
B. Hyperbole and Exaggeration
- Tulrumble’s mathematical "proof" of depravity is deliberately overblown:
"three thousand seven hundred and eighty people with beer-jugs per day, or twenty-six thousand four hundred and sixty people with beer-jugs per week."
- This ridiculous inflation mocks reformers who manipulate statistics to justify their agendas.
- His claim that "a tambourine and moral degradation were synonymous terms" is absurdly reductive, exposing the illogic of moral panic.
C. Symbolism
- The Jolly Boatmen: Represents working-class culture, resilience, and joy. Its suppression symbolizes the erosion of traditional pleasures by puritanical reform.
- The Fiddle and Tambourine: Stand for music, dance, and communal celebration—things Tulrumble falsely equates with vice.
- Mudfog Hall vs. the Lighterman’s Arms: The grand but empty Mudfog Hall (where Tulrumble lives in isolation) contrasts with the warm, lively tavern he now misses. This symbolizes the cost of moral posturing.
D. Humor and Caricature
- Tulrumble is a comic villain—his pomposity and blind zeal make him ridiculous.
- The landlord’s extra fiddle (worn as a joke) and the corporation’s sleepiness add farce, undermining the seriousness of Tulrumble’s crusade.
4. Significance of the Passage
A. Critique of Victorian Moral Reform
Dickens targets temperance movements, evangelical campaigns, and bureaucratic overreach that sought to control working-class behavior. Many reformers (like Tulrumble) ignored poverty and exploitation while obsessing over beer and dancing—distractions that made laborers’ lives bearable.
B. Defense of Working-Class Culture
The Jolly Boatmen is a sanctuary for the poor, a place where they escape hardship through camaraderie and simple pleasures. Dickens champions these spaces against elite interference, arguing that joy is not a vice.
C. Warning Against Dogmatism
Tulrumble’s downfall shows that moral absolutism leads to isolation. His regret suggests that human connection matters more than ideological purity—a recurring theme in Dickens’ work (e.g., A Christmas Carol).
D. Relevance to Modern Debates
The sketch remains strikingly relevant in discussions about:
- Moral panics (e.g., "cancel culture," censorship of art).
- Class-based regulation (e.g., laws targeting working-class pastimes while elite vices go unchecked).
- The dangers of self-righteous activism that lacks empathy.
5. Conclusion: The Passage’s Core Message
Dickens’ excerpt is a scathing satire of hypocritical reformers who, in their quest to "improve" society, destroy its humanity. The Jolly Boatmen is not a den of vice but a haven of warmth and community—something Tulrumble once valued but now scorns. His empty victory (winning the license revocation but losing his happiness) exposes the futility of joyless moralism.
Ultimately, Dickens argues that true progress lies not in suppression but in understanding—and that a world without music, laughter, and shared beer is a poorer world indeed.
Final Thought:
This passage is quintessential Dickens—funny, sharp, and deeply humane. It reminds us that reform without compassion is just another form of tyranny, and that the things that bring people together (even simple ones like a fiddle and a pint) are worth defending.