David Copperfield: Chapter 41 Summary & Analysis

David receives a letter from Dora's aunts inviting him to visit and discuss his request to call on Dora. David accepts this invitation and writes that he will be bringing his friend Traddles with him. He finds himself wishing he could consult with Miss Mills, but her father, who is a merchant trader, has taken her with him to India, much to David's annoyance.

When he dresses for the visit to Dora's aunts, David finds himself torn between wanting to look handsome and wanting to look "practical." Furthermore, as he walks to Putney with Traddles, David worries about Traddles's hair, which tends to stick upright. He asks Traddles if he can fix it, but Traddles laughingly says that nothing he tries works.  He then explains that people have always objected to his hair, including Sophy's sisters. This reminds David to ask whether Traddles made a formal proposal to Sophy's family. Traddles says that he did, but that most of them took the proposal very badly, because they relied so much on Sophy. However, when David suggests that the family's behavior was wrong, Traddles objects and says that both he and Sophy felt guilty for causing so much upheaval, and avoid mentioning the topic to this day.

Traddles's selflessness does not fully strike David at the time, since he is so anxious about the upcoming visit. When they arrive and are shown into a drawing-room, David feels as though he is "on view" and nervously trips over Traddles and then sits on a cat as he tries to greet Dora's aunts. The fact that one of the women first assumes Traddles is David further unnerves David, who has to "lay claim to [him]self." Finally, one of the aunts says her sister Lavinia will explain their thoughts on David and Dora's relationship, since she is more familiar with "matter of this nature." David later learns that both Lavinia and Clarissa consider the former an expert on romance because they believe a man named Mr. Pidger was once infatuated with her.

Miss Lavinia explains that she and Miss Clarissa were somewhat estranged from Mr. Spenlow, and that his death has in any case changed Dora's circumstances. Furthermore, she think David is a respectable young man who loves (or is "persuaded" he loves) Dora. At this point, David breaks in to describe just how much he loves Dora, and the conversation gets off track: Clarissa interrupts with a lengthy speech on Mr. Spenlow's wife, whom Clarissa says should have clarified that there would be "no room" for Spenlow's sisters at the dinner table following her marriage. Lavinia temporarily succeeds in quieting Clarissa to confirm that David wishes to visit Dora as a "suitor," but Clarissa then interrupts again to say that it was nothing to her or Lavinia if Mr. Spenlow wanted to only associate with people from Doctors' Commons.  

Miss Clarissa gives Lavinia permission to continue, and Lavinia says that they have spoken with Dora and believe that David "thinks" he is in love. David attempts to interrupt again, but Lavinia continues, saying that "mature affection […] does not easily express itself," and that it is hard to know whether youthful love will ultimately amount to anything. This, she explains, has influenced her and Clarissa's decision. Despite Lavinia's hesitancy, David senses that she enjoys the idea of overseeing his and Dora's courtship, and again interrupts with a declaration of how much he loves Dora. Traddles backs David up and happens to mention that he himself has been engaged for a long time, which seems to favorably impress Lavinia by reminding her of Mr. Pidger.

Miss Lavinia continues to explain that it is difficult to know whether David and Dora's feelings will last, at which point Miss Clarissa interrupts to say that they would understand Dora better if Mr. Spenlow had sometimes invited them to dinner. Finally, Lavinia announces that she and her sister are willing to allow David to visit Dora, but not to become engaged to her. Lavinia also stipulates that the visits will formally be paid to them rather than to Dora, and that David will not communicate with Dora outside of their supervision. David eagerly accepts these conditions, although Lavinia and Clarissa insist on giving him and Traddles time alone to consider. When the sisters return, they tell David he can come to dinner on Sundays, and tea twice a week. They also invite Miss Betsey.

Miss Lavinia asks David to follow her and leads him to the next room, where he finds Dora trying to eavesdrop. Dora is upset, however, and says she is frightened of David's friend (Traddles). David protests that Traddles is the "best creature," but Dora says that they "don't want any best creatures." She becomes even more distressed when David announces that she will soon meet Miss Betsey, so David gives up trying to persuade her that she's wrong. Instead, he watches as she shows him a new trick Jip has learned (standing on his hind legs in the corner of the room). Eventually, Lavinia returns to fetch David, and Dora runs away to her room when David suggests introducing her to Traddles.

Traddles and David leave, and Traddles remarks that David will likely marry before he does. David then questions Traddles about Sophy, asking whether she plays an instrument, sings, and paints. Traddles replies that she plays and sings a little, and David tells Traddles that he will have to hear Dora sing and see her paintings. They continue to talk about Sophy as they walk home, David continuously comparing her to Dora with "considerable inner satisfaction."

Back at home, David tells Miss Betsey about his success, and she says she's happy for him. He notices, however, that she spends a lot of time pacing that evening while he writes to Agnes, telling her the good news. David eventually receives a response from Agnes that is "hopeful, earnest, and cheerful."

David soon discovers that work leaves him no time to go to tea, so (with Miss Lavinia's permission) he begins to visit on Saturdays as well as Sundays. Meanwhile, Miss Betsey and Dora's aunts pay visits to one another and generally get along well, although the aunts are scandalized by the odd times at which she visits, like just before tea. Jip, however, does not like Miss Betsey and has to be shut away whenever she visits. As for David, he finds himself increasingly worried by the fact that everyone seems to treat Dora as a "toy": Miss Betsey nicknames her "Little Blossom," and Miss Lavinia constantly dotes on her. 

One day during a walk, David tries to convince Dora that she should ask to be treated as an adult. Dora objects, saying that she's happy with everyone's kindness to her, and David argues that she could be happy while being treated "rationally." This causes Dora to begin crying, and she asks why David wants to marry her if he doesn't like her as she is: she says that she is "very affectionate," and that David shouldn't be "cruel" to her. David attempts to comfort her and they make up, with Dora even asking him to give her the cookbook and show her how to keep accounts.

The next time David visits, he brings Dora not only the cookbook but also an account book and a "pretty little pencil case." It quickly becomes clear, however, that Dora finds both confusing, and she ends up doodling pictures in the account book. David's attempts to verbally instruct Dora go no better: for instance, when David asks how she would prepare a specific meal, she says she would tell the servant to make it before "laugh[ing] in such a charming manner that she was more delightful than ever." Eventually, the cookbook ends up serving mostly as a surface for Jip to stand on while holding the pencil case in his mouth. David can't help but find all this charming, however, and he only rarely wishes that people would treat Dora less like a "plaything."