More than 50 years have passed since this story made its first big debut. It's nineteenth century England when Nicholas Nickleby's father dies and leaves his family destitute. His greedy moneylending uncle finds Nicholas a job teaching in a repulsive school in Yorkshire. Nicholas leaves the school and takes one of the poor boys, Smike, with him. The two join a troop of actors. Nicholas then has to protect Smike, while trying to stop his Uncle Ralph taking advantage of his sister Kate, and later his sweetheart, Madeline Bray, whose father is in debtors prison.