Mr Micawber 🔒 Members

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Age and build

burly and large in build

“He was dressed in a legal-looking suit of black, and loomed, burly and large, in that small office” (David Copperfield, part 40)

Face and hair

bald head

“I quite believe that Mr. Micawber saw himself, in his judicial mind’s eye, on the woolsack. He passed his hand complacently over his bald head” (David Copperfield, part 37)

face shines with punch

“He made his face shine with the punch, so that it looked as if it had been varnished all over” (David Copperfield, part 18)

Dress

eye-glass, walking-stick, shirt-collar, genteel air

“It was Mr. Micawber, with his eye-glass, and his walking-stick, and his shirt-collar, and his genteel air, and the condescending roll in his voice, all complete” (David Copperfield, part 18)

tights and stick

“Mr. Micawber, not a bit changed—his tights, his stick, his shirt-collar, and his eye-glass, all the same as ever—came into the room with a genteel and youthful air” (David Copperfield, part 28)

oilskin suit and straw hat for emigration

“He had provided himself, among other things, with a complete suit of oilskin, and a straw hat with a very low crown, pitched or caulked on the outside” (David Copperfield, part 58)

Voice and speech

condescending roll in voice

“the condescending roll in his voice, all complete” (David Copperfield, part 18)

bursts of confidence and genteel expressions

“said Mr. Micawber, with the same genteel air, and in another burst of confidence” (David Copperfield, part 12)

uses 'in short' as a frequent phrase

“I—in short,’ said Mr. Micawber, with the same genteel air, and in another burst of confidence—‘I live there” (David Copperfield, part 12)

Signature words

'in short'

“I—in short,’ said Mr. Micawber” (David Copperfield, part 12)

'something will turn up'

“in case anything turned up’, which was his favourite expression” (David Copperfield, part 12)

'my dear Copperfield'

“My dear Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber, putting out his hand” (David Copperfield, part 18)

'the companion of my youth'

“My dear Copperfield,’ said Mr. Micawber, rising with one of his thumbs in each of his waistcoat pockets, ‘the companion of my youth” (David Copperfield, part 37)

Gait and mannerisms

walks erect with pride after virtuous action

“Mr. Micawber walked so erect before his fellow man, on the strength of this virtuous action, that his chest looked half as broad again when he lighted us downstairs” (David Copperfield, part 37)

settles chin in shirt-collar

“said Mr. Micawber, waving his hand as of old, and settling his chin in his shirt-collar” (David Copperfield, part 18)

hums tunes frequently

“Mr. Micawber, humming a tune, to show that he was quite at ease, subsided into his chair” (David Copperfield, part 29)

gesticulates violently with pocket-handkerchief

“The struggle is over!’ said Mr. Micawber violently gesticulating with his pocket-handkerchief, and fairly striking out from time to time with both arms” (David Copperfield, part 50)

Strengths

eloquent and persuasive speaker

“it was a masterpiece of eloquence; and that those passages in which he more particularly traced his own successful career to its source” (David Copperfield, part 64)

capable of exposing fraud and deception

“Mr. Micawber had so completely hemmed him in, and was always ready with so many new points if an old one failed, that he could not escape from us” (David Copperfield, part 55)

excellent at making punch

“I never saw a man so thoroughly enjoy himself amid the fragrance of lemon-peel and sugar, the odour of burning rum, and the steam of boiling water, as Mr. Micawber did that afternoon” (David Copperfield, part 29)

Flaws

perpetually in debt and avoiding creditors

“The only visitors I ever saw, or heard of, were creditors. THEY used to come at all hours, and some of them were quite ferocious” (David Copperfield, part 12)

prone to despair and theatrical emotion

“It was nothing at all unusual for Mr. Micawber to sob violently at the beginning of one of these Saturday night conversations, and sing about Jack’s delight being his lovely Nan, towards the end of it” (David Copperfield, part 12)

boastful about his difficulties

“I knew he was certain to say something of this kind; he always would be so boastful about his difficulties” (David Copperfield, part 18)

unreliable with money and obligations

“I certainly should not have had the moral courage to refuse it; and I have no doubt he knew that (to his credit be it written), quite as well as I did” (David Copperfield, part 37)

Traits

eternally optimistic despite circumstances

“Walking along the street, reflecting upon the probability of something turning up (of which I am at present rather sanguine” (David Copperfield, part 18)

devoted to his wife Emma

“he would polish up his shoes with extraordinary pains, and go out, humming a tune with a greater air of gentility than ever” (David Copperfield, part 12)

capable of moral courage when roused

“The struggle is over!’ said Mr. Micawber violently gesticulating with his pocket-handkerchief, and fairly striking out from time to time with both arms, as if he were swimming under superhuman difficulties” (David Copperfield, part 50)

ambitious and aspirational

“I quite believe that Mr. Micawber saw himself, in his judicial mind’s eye, on the woolsack” (David Copperfield, part 37)

Lines in their own words

introducing himself with genteel air

“My address,’ said Mr. Micawber, ‘is Windsor Terrace, City Road. I—in short,’ said Mr. Micawber, with the same genteel air, and in another burst of confidence—‘I live there” (David Copperfield, part 12)

expressing his optimism

“in case anything turned up’, which was his favourite expression” (David Copperfield, part 12)

on his difficulties

“At present, and until something turns up (which I am, I may say, hourly expecting), I have nothing to bestow but advice” (David Copperfield, part 13)

on his wife's character

“she had ever been his guide, philosopher, and friend, and that he would recommend me, when I came to a marrying time of life, to marry such another woman, if such another woman could be found” (David Copperfield, part 18)