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Like his uncle, Ham Peggotty represents the nobility of the poor. He is a simple ship-builder who is devoted to his family, especially Little Em’ly, whom he adores. The pair were raised together and are eventually engaged until Little Em’ly runs off with Steerforth. Like Mr. Peggotty, Ham does not resent Little Em’ly after she abandons them; he wants her to be brought home safely. His reaction to Little Em’ly’s fallen status is a testament to his inherent goodness and strength of character.
Unfortunately, Ham’s story ends in tragedy when he is killed at sea while trying to provide aid during a shipwreck off the coast of Yarmouth. To make matters worse, Steerforth, the man who seduced and ruined Ham’s fiancé, is the man that he dies trying to save. Ham’s death serves as a commentary on the ways in which the poor are often negatively impacted by the negligent upper class. The manner of Steerforth’s death mirrors his capricious and self-centered nature. Throughout the novel, Steerforth’s careless actions (disfiguring Rosa, getting Mr. Mell fired, and ruining Little Em’ly, to name a few) have brought chaos and destruction to the people around him, and Ham’s death is his swan song. Through Ham’s death, Dickens forces his readers to contemplate what happens when the fortunate irresponsibly interfere with the lives of the less fortunate.
