David Copperfield: The New Wound, and the Old
The recap, key beats, and evidence for The New Wound, and the Old, without reopening the whole book.
Section recap · 2 min read
What happens in The New Wound, and the Old.
David is wrecked by Dora's death. He retreats from London and eventually goes abroad, but before he leaves he has a painful conversation with Agnes that reopens old feelings he has tried to bury. Agnes is steady and kind, but David is too grief-stricken to see what is in front of him. The chapter also ties up the thread of Emily's disgrace: Steerforth's death at sea has closed that story, and the Peggotty family is preparing to emigrate. David's world is contracting, and the chapter shows him at his lowest emotional point before the long absence that follows.
The beats worth remembering.
David's Grief After Dora's Death
David is barely functional after losing Dora. He describes his state as a second bereavement layered on top of earlier losses, and he cannot imagine a way forward.
Conversation with Agnes
Agnes comforts David and gently encourages him to find purpose again. David senses something unspoken between them but cannot act on it in his current state.
Decision to Go Abroad
David resolves to leave England entirely. The plan is partly practical and partly an escape from memories attached to every place he knows.
The moments you can actually use later.
Agnes's Restrained Affection
Agnes does not declare her feelings, but her behavior during this conversation is noticeably tender. A student can use this scene to argue that the novel withholds her interiority deliberately, keeping her readable only through David's limited perspective.
David's Paralysis
David's inability to make decisions or feel hope is shown through his passive drift toward the plan to go abroad rather than any active choice. This passivity contrasts with the energetic young David of earlier chapters and shows how much Dora's death has cost him.
What to carry forward.
Grief Distorts Perception
David is surrounded by people who care about him, especially Agnes, but his grief makes him unable to recognize or respond to what they offer. Students should track how this blindness costs him years.
Emigration as a Recurring Solution
The Peggotty circle's plan to emigrate mirrors the broader pattern in the novel where characters who have been shamed or broken seek a clean start somewhere else. It is not triumphant; it is a last resort.
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How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.