Another man Quote by Charles Dickens
““This was a vagrant of sixty-five, who was going to prison for not playing the flute; or, in other words, for begging in the streets, and doing noting for his livelihood. In the next cell, was another man, who was going to the same prison for hawking tin saucepans without a licence; thereby doing something for his living, in defiance of the Stamp-office.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Pickwick Papers”, 1836
A satire on how minor legal infractions can lead to harsh punishments, while more serious offenses are overlooked.
In simple terms: Minor crimes punished harshly, serious ones ignored.
Key Takeaway
Question the fairness of legal penalties.
Themes
justice
law
class
satire
punishment
Mood
ironic
thought‑provoking
Type
literary
social commentary
When to use this quote
- court sentencing
- street vendors
- license enforcement
- social welfare
- historical law
Key Concepts
Legal inequality
social critique
criminal justice
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about the balance of law enforcement?
- How do modern societies treat petty versus serious crimes?
A Different Perspective
The narrative exaggerates for effect, not all cases reflect reality.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
