After the death of his father leaves his family destitute, young Nicholas Nickleby must navigate a corrupt society to protect his mother and sister from his cruel uncle. Nicholas seeks employment and stability while confronting a series of exploitative figures, most notably the abusive schoolmaster Wackford Squeers. The narrative follows his movement across England, utilizing a sprawling, third-person omniscient perspective to critique the social injustices of the Victorian era. He must balance his personal integrity against the systemic greed and indifference of the upper classes.

Discussion often centers on the balance between the novel's biting social critique and its exuberant, often comedic characterizations. Readers frequently highlight the vividness of the secondary cast, noting how figures like Wackford Squeers serve as both comic relief and symbols of institutional cruelty. Critics often observe that the pacing is episodic, reflecting the serial publication format common to the author's work. The narrative is widely recognized for its earnest moral stance and its ability to capture the atmosphere of early Victorian life through a lens of both sympathy and sharp irony.