David Copperfield: Chapter 35 Summary & Analysis

David's love for Dora exacerbates his fears of falling into poverty. It's not simply that he would, if married to Dora, have an obligation to provide for her, but rather that he senses that Dora is ill-equipped to the kind of life he now envisions for himself. Dora has so far lived a plush life, where she has never had to consider anything beyond her own amusement (here symbolized by her dancing). David's dreams suggest that Dora will have trouble adapting to a more modest, disciplined existence.

To David's credit, he responds to his aunt's financial crisis quickly and decisively, trying to cut her losses by canceling his articles at Spenlow and Jorkins. The resistance he encounters here, however, is a good example of the kind of institutional red tape Dickens often criticizes in his novels: not only is David unable to recover the premium, but he encounters a system that seems designed to be as confusing and discouraging as possible.

The fact that David immediately takes heart when he sees Agnes suggests that it is she, rather than Dora, who ought to be his fiancée: after all, she is already functioning as his emotional support and moral compass. Part of what makes Agnes an ideal woman, however, is her selflessness, so it is significant that she gently tries to direct David to rely more on Dora, despite appearing to be in love with him herself. Agnes's ultimate wish is to see David happy and successful, even married to another woman.

Thanks to Agnes's presence (and her skills as a housekeeper), the Wickfield household has up until this point been an idyllic place, even taking Mr. Wickfield's alcoholism into account. Uriah's presence in the house, however, entirely changes its character: instead of acting as a shelter from the pressures of the outside world, the Wickfield's home has now been invaded by one of those pressures. Uriah's presence in the household threatens to override even David's memories of the Wickfield home, which likewise serve as a source of comfort and strength; Uriah, for instance, now sleeps in David's bedroom, as if he has taken David's place in the household.

Mrs. Crupp objects to Miss Betsey's presence on the grounds that it's inappropriate for a woman to live in a set of rented rooms. Although Miss Betsey eventually gets her way, even she isn't immune to the strict social conventions surrounding women's behavior in nineteenth-century England.

Miss Betsey's account of how she lost her money is not entirely truthful; Mr. Wickfield was in fact involved, and Miss Betsey is attempting to protect his reputation. Similarly, Agnes's anxiety stems from fears that her father might have been involved in business dealings that were not only unwise, but actually illegal. Although it turns out that Mr. Wickfield did not play the role in Miss Betsey's losses that both she and Agnes suspect, his descent into alcoholism has clearly affected his ability to do his job.

David's offer to join the army or navy, though well meaning, is not especially well thought out. Aside from the risk involved (which Miss Betsey objects to), his apartment is already paid for, so his leaving it would be a waste of money. In other words, David's inexperience and rashness once again surfaces in this scene, contrasting with Agnes's greater maturity and level-headedness.

Once again, Agnes demonstrates her ability to nudge David in the right direction; in fact, David again repeats that she is his "good angel" in this scene, alluding to the gentle guidance she provides for him. His remark also links Agnes's sound career advice to morality, which is appropriate given the connection the novel establishes between work ethic and personal character.

Part of what makes Agnes an ideal homemaker (and Victorian woman) is the fact that she never seems to be working; as David notes in this scene, his apartment seems to have rearranged itself. This is significant, because the Victorian home was supposed to be entirely separate from the outer world of labor and toil.

David's characterization of Uriah often blurs the lines between class and morality. The words David associates with Wickfield and Uriah—"superiority" and "meanness," respectively—most explicitly refer to each man's moral character, but they also have class-based connotations. As a result, it's difficult to determine what David finds most offensive about Uriah: his villainy, or his lower-class background.

Part of what marks Uriah's ambition as evil is the fact that it does not stop at becoming Wickfield's partner. Uriah makes no secret of the fact that he hopes to marry Agnes, and is in many ways depicted as a sexual predator; his "writhing" for instance, escalates as he talks about Agnes's beauty. This is to some extent understandable, since Uriah's status in the firm and in the household does place him in a position where he could easily exploit Agnes. However, it's also worthwhile comparing Agnes's and Uriah's relationship to the similarly cross-class relationship of Emily and Steerforth. Although Dickens condemns the latter in a different way, he doesn't depict it as so viscerally disgusting as the dynamic between Uriah and Agnes. Arguably, this reflects the belief that middle-class women like Agnes were purer than their working-class counterparts, and therefore polluted by the interest of lower-class men.

Since Uriah is the junior partner in the firm, his behavior in this scene—answering on Wickfield's behalf and essentially giving his partner orders—is completely inappropriate. Clearly, however, he intends to make it clear to everyone present that he's effectively in charge of the business at this point.  

Mr. Wickfield's relationship to the past is often unhealthy; his inability to move beyond his wife's death, for instance, contributes to his alcoholism. In this case, however, memory is a source of solace to him (although a bittersweet one, given how his life has changed). Meanwhile, Agnes continues to function more as a mother or wife to her father than as a daughter. The fact that she assists her father in his drinking despite wishing that he would stop is an especially clear example of how tangled and codependent their relationship is. 

Like the repetition of the word "blind," Agnes's ability to make Dora seem even more loveable to David is an indication that David's engagement to Dora is misguided, and that it's actually Agnes herself David loves: everything associated with her takes on added charm. Agnes's approval also foreshadows Dora's eventual blessing of the match between Agnes and David.