David Copperfield: Chapter 11 Summary & Analysis

David remarks that although he is less naïve than he used to be, he still finds it hard to believe that he was cast off at such a young age to become a "little labouring hind in the service of Murdstone and Grinby."

Murdstone and Grinby turns out to be a warehouse in Blackfriars—a region of central London. The counting-house is on the Thames, and is constantly wet and dirty as a result. Most of its business comes from supplying alcohol to packet ships, and David's job is to clean, label, cork, and pack bottles. Although he shares this work with a few other boys his age, he feels "agony" and "shame" over his new position in life and misses his friends at Salem House.

On David's first day at work, Mr. Quinion introduces him to Mr. Micawber—David's new sublettor. Micawber is a "stoutish, middle-aged person" who speaks in an ornate and over-the-top manner that nevertheless impresses David. Micawber returns later that day to escort David to his home, which is "shabby like [Micawber], but […] made all the show it could." He then introduces David to his family—four children and his wife, Mrs. Micawber, who looks tired and overwhelmed.

Mrs. Micawber shows David his room and laments the necessity of taking in lodgers, implying that she grew up in more genteel circumstances. She also reveals that Mr. Micawber is in debt, and that her efforts to earn money to pay off their creditors have so far been in vain. David further explains that throughout his stay with the Micawbers, the couple received a stream of visits from creditors that would throw both of them into temporary fits of despair.

Throughout this period, Mr. Murdstone pays for David's lodgings, but expects David to pay for his own food and other necessities. Being "young and childish," however, David sometimes spends all his money on a treat, forcing him to go without a meal later on. Even when he spends his money wisely, David is prone to being taken advantage of by older and more experienced shopkeepers.

Meanwhile, David continues to suffer silently at the counting-house. He quickly becomes proficient at the work, but his "conduct and manner" ensure that he remains somewhat estranged from the other boys. He is also preoccupied by the problems of the Micawbers, with whom he has grown very close. He is careful not to accept their offers to dine with them, however, for fear of making their financial difficulties worse.

One day, Mrs. Micawber approaches David and confesses that the family has run out of food, and David offers to give her the money he has in his pocket. Mrs. Micawber refuses, but begins to describe all the items she has pawned or sold, and how painful it has been. David, taking the hint, offers to carry out the transactions for her, and soon disposes of the Micawbers' "more portable articles of property," including Mr. Micawber's books. This is not enough to put an end to the family's troubles, however, and Mr. Micawber is eventually arrested for debt.

David goes to visit Mr. Micawber in prison, and Micawber warns him not to mismanage his money as he himself has. Immediately after this, however, he borrows a shilling from David, and the two have dinner together.

The Micawbers sell off the rest of their furniture, but this is still not enough to secure Mr. Micawber's release. Mrs. Micawber therefore moves into prison with him, and David moves to a room nearby to keep them company. The Micawbers are in some sense better off in prison, where they receive assistance from their relations, and this in turn relieves some of David's anxiety. He is still unhappy and lonely at work, but he will eventually consider himself fortunate not to have associated too much with the other workers.

Eventually, Mr. Micawber decides to apply for release under the "Insolvent Debtors Act." In the meantime, he drums up the other inmates' interest in a petition to change the laws surrounding debt and imprisonment. David is there when the prisoners sign this document, and mentally invents backstories for all of them. Many years later, David recalls these events and pictures himself as a young boy, "making his imaginative world out of such strange experiences and sordid things."