David Copperfield: Chapter 28 Summary & Analysis

David passes the time until his dinner party by thinking about Dora and eating very little, which he feels is appropriate to his "love-lorn condition." Having learned from his dinner party with Steerforth, David plans a much more modest meal this time. He manages to persuade Mrs. Crupp to cook for the party, but she manipulates him into agreeing to dine out for the following two weeks. He does, however, procure the ingredients for Mr. Micawber to make punch, which is a specialty of his.

Mr. Micawber, Mrs. Micawber, and Traddles all arrive together and praise David's rooms. Mrs. Micawber is especially delighted with a dressing-table David prepared for her, and Mr. Micawber remarks that the apartment reminds him of his days as a bachelor. This sparks a minor argument between Mr. and Mrs. Micawber that concludes with Mrs. Micawber saying, in tears, that she will never desert her husband. Mr. Micawber hints that Mrs. Micawber's moodiness is the result of their water having been shut off earlier in the day, and David attempts to cheer everyone up by asking Micawber to make punch.

Mrs. Crupp's cooking is mostly a failure, but everyone is in such a good mood that David can't be too unhappy himself. Mr. Micawber reassures him that these kinds of domestic "accidents" happen, especially in households without a wife. He also proposes cooking the (undercooked) mutton on a gridiron David has for frying bacon.

Suddenly, David realizes that Littimer has entered the room and asks him what he wants. Littimer explains that Steerforth has sent him, and will likely be visiting David tomorrow. Littimer then takes over cooking and serving the mutton, making everyone there uncomfortable with his air of extreme respectability. As Littimer prepares to leave, David asks several times whether Steerforth is coming from Oxford without receiving a direct answer. Littimer is similarly vague when David asks whether he stayed long in Yarmouth overseeing the Little Em'ly's refurbishment, and then whether Steerforth has seen the boat yet. Littimer than leaves, much to everyone's relief—and particularly David's, because he feels guilty for harboring suspicions of Steerforth after his conversation with Agnes.

Mr. Micawber announces that the punch is ready and gives a speech. As everyone drinks, Mrs. Micawber asks for David's and Traddles's opinions on her husband's prospects, explaining that his hopes for work in both the corn and coal trades have fallen through. She further says that while she feels her husband would be suited to either banking or the brewing business, the fact that no one will hire Micawber for these jobs poses problems. Traddles and David agree with this, and with Mrs. Micawber's conclusion that "it is clear that [the Micawbers] must live." Finally, she says that the Micawbers cannot simply wait for an opportunity to arise, and that society clearly owes something to a man of Mr. Micawber's talents. She therefore suggests that Micawber should "throw down the gauntlet" by advertising his skills and qualifications in the papers.

David reminds the Micawbers that advertising is expensive, and Mrs. Micawber replies that she has considered this and thinks that Mr. Micawber should first borrow some money on credit. She then delivers a long speech reiterating her position and acknowledging that while financial matters typically require "masculine judgment," her father always regarded her judgment as sound. She then goes to lie down in David's bedroom, and David and Traddles congratulate Mr. Micawber on having such a "heroic" wife.

Mr. Micawber praises Mrs. Micawber's virtues before speaking at length about the joys of having children, despite the financial costs involved. He then moves on to praising Traddles and Traddles's fiancée before hinting that he suspects David is also in love. David is embarrassed, but eventually proposes a toast to "D," which everyone happily drinks to. The conversation then moves on to more "worldly" matters, and Mr. Micawber says he plans to move to a better neighborhood once something "turns up." However, he says that Traddles and David will always be welcome at his home. Mrs. Micawber finally resurfaces and makes tea, all the while pressing David more information about Dora. After tea is over, Mrs. Micawber performs a few ballads, and Mr. Micawber confides that it was partly his wife's singing that led him to fall in love with her.

Sometime after ten at night, David's guests prepare to leave, Mr. Micawber slipping a letter to David as he does so. David, meanwhile, holds Traddles back and warns him not to lend Micawber anything. Traddles says that he doesn't have any money to lend, but tells David that he has already "lent" his name by acting as a guarantor for Mr. Micawber. He also says that Micawber assured him he had nothing to worry about, but David remains anxious.

David is still sitting lost in thought when Steerforth arrives at his apartment. As soon as David sees his friend, he regrets ever having doubted him, although he still considers Agnes a "benignant, gentle angel." Meanwhile, Steerforth teases David about having another dinner party and asks about Micawber, whom he crossed paths with in the street. David explains the Micawbers and their situation and then excitedly tells Steerforth that his other guest was Traddles. Steerforth, however, doesn't remember Traddles at first, and then simply asks whether he is "as soft as ever." Slightly annoyed, David praises Traddles, but Steerforth seems uninterested, prodding at the fire with a poker. 

Steerforth mentions that he is hungry, having just arrived from Yarmouth, where he says he was "seafaring." This reminds David that Littimer had come looking for Steerforth, but Steerforth simply says Littimer is a "fool." David then asks how long Steerforth was in Yarmouth, and whether little Em'ly is married yet. Steerforth replies that he was there for a week and didn't see much of the Peggottys, but that Emily isn't married yet. He also gives David a letter from Peggotty, saying that Barkis is close to death. Steerforth is philosophical about Barkis's impending death, remarking that everyone dies and the important thing is to keep "riding on over all obstacles, and win the race" David notices, however, that there is something agitated and strained about Steerforth's expression.

David tells Steerforth he intends to go visit Peggotty to try to comfort her. Steerforth agrees that David might as well go but declines to accompany him, saying he needs to visit his mother. He then invites David to come stay at Mrs. Steerforth's before going to Yarmouth, joking that he wants David to "stand between" him and Rosa Dartle. David agrees to come the following day and then walks with Steerforth to the main road, thinking that Steerforth deserves a "worthy race to run."

David returns to his room and prepares for bed, at which point he finds and reads Mr. Micawber's letter. It was written shortly before dinner, and explains that Mr. Micawber is "Crushed," his apartment and things having been repossessed. Unfortunately, Traddles' things have also been repossessed, which worries David, who fears his friend won't be able to bounce back from the setback as easily as Micawber always does. He continues to think of Traddles and his fiancée for the rest of the night.