David Copperfield · Chapter
LIX: Return explained
David Copperfield returns to London after a long absence and visits his friend Traddles in Gray's Inn.
What happens
David Copperfield returns to London after a long absence and visits his friend Traddles in Gray's Inn. He reflects on the changes in the city and his own feelings, then encounters Mr. Chillip, who recalls David's birth.
Themes in this chapter
Memory and Nostalgia
David reflects on the changes in London and his own past, feeling both familiarity and loss.
Friendship and Loyalty
David's warm reunion with Traddles highlights the enduring bond between them.
Characters to notice
- David Copperfield
Returns to London after a long absence, visits Traddles, and reflects on his past.
- Tommy Traddles
Now has chambers in Gray's Inn and is working at the Bar; David visits him and they have a joyful reunion.
- Mr. Chillip
David encounters him in the coffee room; Mr. Chillip recalls officiating at David's birth and shares news of his own life.
Key passages
“I landed in London on a wintry autumn evening. It was dark and raining, and I saw more fog and mud in a minute than I had seen in a year.”
David arrives in London on a cold, rainy autumn night, struck by the fog and mud that contrast with his time abroad.
Sets the mood of David's return to England.
“I have often remarked—I suppose everybody has—that one’s going away from a familiar place, would seem to be the signal for change in it.”
David observes that leaving a familiar place often triggers changes in it.
Reflects David's sense of disorientation upon returning.
“We cried with pleasure, both of us.”
David and Traddles both weep from joy at their reunion.
Emphasizes the deep friendship between them.