Article #766-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens

‘My dear Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber, rising with one of his thumbs
in each of his waistcoat pockets, ‘the companion of my youth: if I may
be allowed the expression--and my esteemed friend Traddles: if I may be
permitted to call him so--will allow me, on the part of Mrs. Micawber,
myself, and our offspring, to thank them in the warmest and most
uncompromising terms for their good wishes. It may be expected that
on the eve of a migration which will consign us to a perfectly new
existence,’ Mr. Micawber spoke as if they were going five hundred
thousand miles, ‘I should offer a few valedictory remarks to two such
friends as I see before me. But all that I have to say in this way, I
have said. Whatever station in society I may attain, through the medium
of the learned profession of which I am about to become an unworthy
member, I shall endeavour not to disgrace, and Mrs. Micawber will be
safe to adorn. Under the temporary pressure of pecuniary liabilities,
contracted with a view to their immediate liquidation, but remaining
unliquidated through a combination of circumstances, I have been
under the necessity of assuming a garb from which my natural instincts
recoil--I allude to spectacles--and possessing myself of a cognomen, to
which I can establish no legitimate pretensions. All I have to say on
that score is, that the cloud has passed from the dreary scene, and the
God of Day is once more high upon the mountain tops. On Monday next, on
the arrival of the four o’clock afternoon coach at Canterbury, my foot
will be on my native heath--my name, Micawber!’

Mr. Micawber resumed his seat on the close of these remarks, and
drank two glasses of punch in grave succession. He then said with much
solemnity:

‘One thing more I have to do, before this separation is complete, and
that is to perform an act of justice. My friend Mr. Thomas Traddles
has, on two several occasions, “put his name”, if I may use a common
expression, to bills of exchange for my accommodation. On the first
occasion Mr. Thomas Traddles was left--let me say, in short, in the
lurch. The fulfilment of the second has not yet arrived. The amount of
the first obligation,’ here Mr. Micawber carefully referred to papers,
‘was, I believe, twenty-three, four, nine and a half, of the second,
according to my entry of that transaction, eighteen, six, two. These
sums, united, make a total, if my calculation is correct, amounting to
forty-one, ten, eleven and a half. My friend Copperfield will perhaps do
me the favour to check that total?’

Explanation

**Analysis of the Excerpt from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens**

This passage from David Copperfield (1850) features Wilkins Micawber, one of Dickens’ most memorable comic yet poignant characters. A perpetually optimistic but financially reckless man, Micawber is known for his grandiloquent speech, dramatic gestures, and endless schemes to escape debt—only to fall back into it. This scene occurs near the end of the novel, as Micawber prepares to leave for Canterbury, where he hopes to start anew (though his history suggests otherwise).

The excerpt is rich in characterization, irony, social commentary, and Dickensian humor, while also touching on broader themes of debt, social mobility, and the fragility of human dignity. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text itself, with attention to its language, literary devices, and significance.

1. Context & Character Dynamics

Micawber’s Situation: Micawber has been a recurring figure in David Copperfield’s life—a man of grand pretensions but chronic insolvency. He has just secured a position (likely through Traddles’ connections) that he hopes will restore his fortunes.
Audience: He addresses David Copperfield (the novel’s protagonist and narrator) and Tommy Traddles, a kind-hearted, hardworking lawyer who has repeatedly bailed Micawber out of financial trouble.
Occasion: This is a farewell speech before Micawber’s departure, framed as a dramatic performance—part gratitude, part self-justification, and part financial reckoning.

2. Themes in the Excerpt

Micawber’s speech is a masterclass in self-delusion. He frames his move to Canterbury as a heroic "migration" to a "perfectly new existence", as if he were an explorer rather than a man fleeing creditors. His language is grandiosely optimistic:

"Whatever station in society I may attain, through the medium of the learned profession of which I am about to become an unworthy member, I shall endeavour not to disgrace..."

"Unworthy member": A classic Micawberism—he acknowledges his inadequacy but immediately elevates himself by associating with a "learned profession."
"Station in society": Reflects the Victorian obsession with class. Micawber dreams of upward mobility, but his debt and poor decisions constantly undermine him.
Irony: His "God of Day" metaphor (suggesting a new dawn) is undercut by the fact that this is not his first fresh start—and likely won’t be his last.

B. The Performance of Dignity

Micawber is a master of rhetorical flourish, using formal, almost theatrical language to mask his humiliation:

"Under the temporary pressure of pecuniary liabilities, contracted with a view to their immediate liquidation, but remaining unliquidated through a combination of circumstances..."

"Pecuniary liabilities": A euphemism for debt.
"Combination of circumstances": A vague excuse—Micawber never takes full responsibility.
"Spectacles" and "cognomen": He complains about having to disguise himself (likely to avoid creditors), framing it as an affront to his dignity rather than a consequence of his actions.

His physical gestures (rising, thumbs in waistcoat pockets, drinking punch solemnly) reinforce his self-importance, making the scene both funny and tragic.

C. Friendship, Guilt, and Financial Obligation

The second half of the excerpt shifts to Traddles’ generosity and Micawber’s debt to him:

"My friend Mr. Thomas Traddles has, on two several occasions, ‘put his name’—if I may use a common expression—to bills of exchange for my accommodation."

"Put his name": A euphemism for co-signing loans—Traddles has risked his own credit to help Micawber.
"Left in the lurch": Micawber defaulted, leaving Traddles to cover the debt.
The precise accounting ("twenty-three, four, nine and a half") contrasts with his earlier vague grandiosity, showing how debt forces him into humiliating specificity.

This moment is one of Micawber’s rare acknowledgments of his failures, though even here, he distances himself by calling it an "act of justice" rather than an apology.

3. Literary Devices & Style

A. Dickensian Verbosity & Comic Exaggeration

Micawber’s speech is deliberately overblown, a hallmark of Dickens’ satirical style:

"Consign us to a perfectly new existence": Hyperbole—he’s moving to Canterbury, not another planet.
"The God of Day is once more high upon the mountain tops": A mock-epic phrase, making his minor triumph sound mythic.
"My foot will be on my native heath": A Shakespearean allusion (King Lear), but applied to a middle-aged man returning to his hometown in disgrace.

This gap between language and reality creates humor while also critiquing Victorian pretensions.

B. Repetition & Ritualistic Speech

Micawber’s formulaic phrases ("if I may be allowed the expression," "if my calculation is correct") mimic legal or political oratory, reinforcing his self-image as a man of importance.

C. Irony & Dramatic Contrast

Situational Irony: Micawber acts like a triumphant hero, but the audience knows his history of failure.
Verbal Irony: His "unworthy member" comment is false modesty—he clearly thinks highly of himself.
Dramatic Irony: The reader (and David) knows that Micawber will likely fail again, making his grand promises bittersweet.

D. Symbolism

"Spectacles" and "cognomen": Represent the masks Micawber wears to hide from his creditors and his own failures.
"The cloud has passed": A false dawn—his optimism is temporary.

4. Significance in the Novel & Beyond

Micawber embodies Victorian anxieties about debt and social mobility:

His cyclical failures reflect how systemic economic pressures (poor credit laws, lack of social safety nets) trap people in poverty.
His optimism is both admirable and delusional, critiquing the Victorian belief in self-help (a la Samuel Smiles) when structural barriers exist.

B. Contrast with David & Traddles

David is naïve but learns from hardship; Micawber never does.
Traddles is steadfast and practical; Micawber is all talk, no follow-through.
This scene highlights the difference between real growth and performative hope.

C. Micawber’s Legacy

Micawber is one of Dickens’ most quotable characters ("Something will turn up!"), representing:

The tragicomedy of human folly.
The resilience of the human spirit (despite his flaws, he’s endearing).
A warning about financial irresponsibility in an era of speculative capitalism.

5. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is quintessential Dickens—funny, tragic, socially sharp, and deeply human. Micawber’s speech is a masterpiece of evasion and self-aggrandizement, yet it also reveals his vulnerability. His grand words cannot hide his small failures, and his debt to Traddles is both financial and moral.

Dickens uses Micawber to:

Satirize Victorian class aspirations.
Expose the cruelty of debt culture.
Show how people use language to construct (and conceal) their identities.

Ultimately, Micawber is both a joke and a cautionary tale—a man who never learns, but never stops hoping. His farewell is theatrical, pathetic, and oddly inspiring, capturing the paradox of human nature that Dickens so brilliantly explores.

Final Thought

Micawber’s speech is a microcosm of David Copperfield—a novel about growth, memory, and the stories we tell ourselves. While David matures, Micawber remains stuck in his own narrative, a tragic clown whose optimism is both his curse and his charm. This moment is funny on the surface, but haunting beneath—a perfect example of Dickens’ ability to blend humor with profound social insight.