Mrs. Micawber

Character Analysis

Like Mr. Micawber, Mrs. Micawber is primarily Comic Relief. She shares his talent for big words that don't say much and for writing panicky letters to David. But she is essentially a good-natured woman who is devoted to her children. She does have two main catch phrases: whenever she gets a little drunk, she starts to cry and protest that she "never will desert Mr. Micawber" (12.16). She also frequently thinks back to her family, who she remembers fondly whenever she's feeling annoyed with Mr. Micawber's total inability to hold down a job. She acknowledges that Mr. Micawber and her family do not seem to understand one another, but she lives in the mistaken hope that some day, some relation of hers will throw Mr. Micawber a bone, and they'll get settled at last. Her dreams of reuniting Mr. Micawber with her family only die on the day she leaves England's shores to resettle in Australia.