David Copperfield: Chapter 44 Summary & Analysis

David finds the transition from courtship to marriage strange—particularly the idea that Dora is now always nearby, and he does not need to scheme in order to see and talk to her. It is also a "wonderful" change, however, and David finds himself charmed by new details he learns about Dora, like the fact that she uses papers to curl her hair.

Despite his happiness, David quickly discovers that neither he nor Dora is really equipped to maintain a household. They hire a servant named Mary Anne who proves to be more of a hindrance than a help: she has a stern look that frightens Dora, and she steals silverware and drinks.

One day, David mentions to Dora that it is past the time they planned to have dinner, and suggests that she talk to Mary Anne about it. Dora objects that she can't and tries to distract her husband by drawing on his face with her pencil and scolding him for being "serious." Eventually, however, David returns to the subject of dinner and Dora grows frightened. David says he only wants to "reason" with her, but Dora insists that that is even worse than scolding, and eventually accuses him of regretting marrying her. David retorts that Dora is being "childish," and that it isn't "comfortable" to go without meals. This further upsets Dora, and she cries that criticizing the housekeeping is the same as criticizing her. David tries to reassure Dora, but she is inconsolable, and David feels horribly guilty.

Later that night, when David returns home from work, he finds Miss Betsey waiting for him. She explains that she has been keeping Dora company, because she is very upset. David explains that he himself is upset, but that he didn't mean to hurt Dora. Miss Betsey is understanding, but says that David has to be patient, and firmly rejects the idea that she might speak to Dora. When David expresses surprise, Miss Betsey hints that she wishes she been more tolerant of her brother's marriage to Clara Copperfield, and urges David to remember how unhappy Clara was after her second marriage. Finally, Miss Betsey says that since David chose to marry Dora, he ought to appreciate her for her prettiness and affection: any qualities Dora lacks David must either try to teach her or learn to do without.

Miss Betsey leaves with a final warning not to use her as a "scarecrow" to frighten Dora. David watches her go, thinking that she looks worried, and realizing for the first time that he and Dora have to "work out [their] future for [them]selves." Dora then comes downstairs and the couple makes up and agrees never to argue again.

Nevertheless, David and Dora continue to have difficulties managing the household. David eventually dismisses Mary Anne, but the next several servants they hire are all either incompetent or dishonest. What's more, the couple has equal difficulty dealing with shopkeepers, who continuously cheat them. Consequently, they are always short on cash despite the fact that they hardly ever have food in the house. Other pieces of bad luck include a washerwoman who sells some of their clothes, a fire that breaks out in their chimney, and a servant who charges her drinks at public-houses to David and Dora's account.

Eventually, David decides to bring Traddles home for dinner, and sends a message to Dora to tell her. Traddles is excited by the prospect, imagining a future day when he will similarly come home to Sophy. When they arrive, however, David begins to wish there were more room around the table: the cottage is crowded with things like Jip's dog house, Dora's guitar, and David's writing table. What's more, Jip continuously gets up on the table to bark at Traddles. David doesn't say anything about this, however, out of fear of hurting Dora's feelings. Over dinner, it further emerges that the oysters Dora bought specifically for Traddles can't be eaten: she forgot to have them opened, and she and David don't own any oyster-knives. The mutton, meanwhile, is undercooked, but Dora is so happy David isn't upset with her, and feels that the evening generally goes well.

After Traddles leaves, Dora apologizes to David and asks him to teach her better housekeeping skills. David says that he is learning as well, and Dora wishes aloud that she had had a chance to learn from Agnes. Shyly, she then asks David if he will humor her by calling her a "stupid name" she likes: "child-wife." David asks why, and Dora explains that she thinks he will be less angry with her failings if he can think of her in that way. Much to Dora's delight, David agrees, and she spends the rest of the evening playing with Jip. According to David, this conversation lingered in his mind for a long time afterwards.

Not long after the dinner party, Dora tries once again to learn cooking and accounting. She is no more successful than before, in part because Jip keeps walking across the account book and smearing the ink. This then distracts Dora, who spends more time playfully punishing Jip than focusing on the accounts. David sometimes takes pity on her, like when he sees her struggling with "bills and other documents, which looked more like curl-papers than anything else," and attempts to instruct her. Since this also depresses and frustrates Dora, however, he typically gives up after a while, feeling guilty.

David takes on more and more of the household work himself to spare Dora worry, but he begins to feel a vague sadness himself. Occasionally, it occurs to him that he wishes Dora were more of a "counselor," who could "sustain [him] and improve [him]," but he dismisses this as a desire for unrealistic, "unearthly" happiness. In retrospect, however, he admits that he was also very young and inexperienced, and that he might have caused a great deal of harm, however unintentionally. On the whole, though, Dora seemed much happier after David stopped pressing her to change.

Dora takes to sitting up with David whenever he is working late at home. One evening, David attempts to send her to bed, but Dora becomes distressed and says she wants to see what he's writing. David teases her about tiring her "bright eyes," and while the compliment pleases her, Dora insists that she wants to stay. Finally, she says she has a "silly" question, and asks if she can hold David's pens as he writes, in order to feel that she is doing something useful. David agrees and—since she finds the task so delightful—concocts other tasks for her to do, including copying pages of writing.

Around the same time, Dora begins carrying the household keys around with her, although she mostly uses them as a toy for Jip. David lets the matter be, however, because Dora enjoys "this make-belief of housekeeping." Dora also becomes very attached to Miss Betsey, who in turn develops such a soft spot for Dora that she constantly tries (unsuccessfully) to win Jip over.