David Copperfield: Chapter 27 Summary & Analysis

The day after his conversation with Mrs. Crupp, David decides to go see Traddles, who lives in a neighborhood with an air of "faded gentility" that reminds David of Mr. Micawber. When he reaches Traddles' building, he finds a milkman harassing a servant girl for money she owes him. David asks for Traddles, and she directs him upstairs, where he finds Traddles waiting for him on the landing. Together, they enter Traddles's room, which is extremely cramped and crowded. David notices, however, that Traddles has made several "ingenious" accommodations to fit everything into a single room.

Traddles explains that he usually invites guests to his "chambers"—an office he shares with other law students—in case they don't want to visit his apartment. He says that he is not ashamed of it, however, because he is making his way in the world, and the initial cost of becoming "articled" (apprenticed) was high.

David reminds Traddles of the sky-blue suit he used to wear at Salem House, and Traddles laughs about the "happy times" they had there. David attempts to remind Traddles of how cruelly Mr. Creakle treated the students (and Traddles in particular), but Traddles seems happy to let bygones be bygones.

David asks Traddles about the uncle who raised him, and Traddles explains that he was a cloth-merchant who died shortly after he finished school. This uncle had intended to make Traddles his heir, but took a disliking to him once he had grown up. Traddles does not seem disturbed by this, however, and matter-of-factly recounts that he was left with only 50 pounds when his uncle died, and no sort of job training. Fortunately, he was able to use a contact from Salem House to get a job copying law writings. From there, he progressed to writing up cases and then eventually decided to study law himself. He has also been making a little money helping to compile an encyclopedia; he views this work as a good fit, because he says he has "no invention at all; not a particle."

Traddles also reveals that he is engaged to a curate's daughter, whom he takes walking trips to see. They cannot currently afford to marry, but Traddles is confident that his fiancée would wait for him for years. In the meantime, he says, they have begun to plan for their eventual home together, and he shows David a flower pot and a side table he has collected for this purpose. Traddles acknowledges that furnishing a house requires much more than he currently has, but he remains content to "wait and hope!"

Traddles continues to talk about his circumstances, and eventually mentions that his downstairs neighbors (and landlords) are none other than the Micawbers. David begs Traddles to invite Mr. Micawber in, and Mr. Micawber appears, looking and acting much the same as ever. Mr. Micawber answers David's questions about his family's health (all are well) before recognizing him, at which point he greets him delightedly and calls for Mrs. Micawber to join them.

While they wait for Mrs. Micawber, Mr. Micawber asks David about Doctor Strong and reminisces about their last meeting in Canterbury. He then reminds David (at great length), that he has been prone throughout his life to "periods […] when it has been requisite that [he] should pause, until certain expected events should turn up." This, he says, is one of those times.

Throughout Mr. Micawber's speech, David can hear Mrs. Micawber hastily washing up next door. When she finally comes to Traddles's room and sees David, she faints, and Mr. Micawber has to fetch water to revive her. She reports that the children are well, but seems alarmed when Mr. Micawber invites David to dinner. Guessing that there is not enough food to go around, David instead invites Traddles and the Micawbers to dine with him sometime and then leaves. Mr. Micawber accompanies him to the end of the street, explaining that he is currently involved in the corn business (though he is not being paid) and confirming that Mrs. Micawber is pregnant. He then leaves David, saying that while Mrs. Micawber's relatives may disapprove of her pregnancy, he scorns their opinion.