David Copperfield Chapter 64

A Last Retrospect

• David is starting on his last chapter, and he's going to spend it looking back one last time at all of the characters of his story.
• He sees Agnes sitting next to him, surrounded by family and friends.
• He sees Miss Betsey, 80 years old but tough as ever, with Peggotty by her side.
• Miss Betsey has finally become a godmother to Betsey Trotwood – David's daughter.
• Peggotty always carries the old book David used to read with her, the Crocodile Book, to show to David's children.
• During the summer holidays, David's sons fly kites with Mr. Dick.
• Mr. Dick continues to promise that the Memorial will be finished when he has time.
• David sees a senile old woman who doesn't recognize him any more: Mrs. Steerforth.
• She is accompanied by Miss Dartle, as spiteful as ever, but still looking after Mrs. Steerforth.
• David sees Julia Mills, the woman who helped him meet up with Dora in secret all of those years ago.
• Miss Mills has gotten over her broken heart and married a rich man from Scotland.
• She has become spoiled and irritable with too much money.
• Julia has become a member of the dry, barren society that also controls Mr. Jack Maldon – the kind of society that looks down on good men like Doctor Strong.
• Doctor Strong continues to work on his dictionary.
• He lives happily with Annie.
• Mrs. Markleham also continues to live with the Strongs, but she's not so powerful now.
• Tommy Traddles has become bald and prosperous: he's going to be a judge soon.
• David attends family dinner with Traddles and Sophy, where he sees all of Traddles's Crewler sisters-in-law with their husbands and children. Traddles sits at the head of the table like a proper head of this giant family.
• The only unlucky Crewler has been the eldest, the Beauty, who has been left a widow with one child.
• She is living with Sophy and Traddles.
• All of these faces from his past fade from his memory except one, which shines before him like a light from heaven.
• That face is the one beside him now: Agnes, who continues to guide David to be a better man.