Steerforth abandons Emily and proposes her to Littimer

James Steerforth’s abandonment of Emily Peggotty is the decisive break in their estrangement abroad: after a period of recurring discord, Steerforth leaves without returning and delegates to Littimer the task of telling Emily he is gone and proposing Littimer as her husband. The proposal offers no restoration of Emily’s former life; it turns Steerforth’s departure into a further injury, while the account of it is filtered through the self-justifying testimony of the man he puts forward as her replacement.

Circumstances and Departure

Littimer recounts that Emily was often low in spirits and that, as she grew wearying to James, their life together became less comfortable. Steerforth, in turn, became restless again. Their difficulties were repeatedly patched over, but only temporarily; the arrangement continued longer than Littimer expected, without resolving the underlying strain.

At last, Steerforth left their villa near Naples, in a neighborhood where Emily was said to be partial to the sea. He claimed he would return in a day or so, but left the villa in Littimer’s charge and instructed him to disclose that he was gone. The contrast between the promised short absence and the final departure makes the message itself the moment when Emily learns that the relationship has ended.

The Proposal and Its Presentation

Steerforth also instructed Littimer to propose that Emily marry him. Littimer presents the offer as evidence of Steerforth’s honor: he says that the proposed husband was respectable and prepared to overlook Emily’s past. But David Copperfield concludes that Littimer is speaking of himself, and Rosa Dartle’s expression confirms David’s suspicion. The supposed remedy is therefore not a disinterested provision for Emily but a proposal delivered by the man who would benefit from it.

Littimer says that Emily reacted with extreme distress when he told her Steerforth had left. He then describes her response to the marriage proposal as anger and rejection, while depicting himself as having acted from kindness and a wish to relieve Steerforth of difficulty. His account is not neutral: its polished self-exculpation sits beside his report of Emily’s suffering, exposing the distance between the conduct he calls honorable and the consequences borne by her.

Family Response and Consequences

Emily’s disappearance sends Daniel Peggotty into an urgent search for his niece. When he declares that he will seek her through the world and bring her back, Mrs. Gummidge urges him to wait until he is calmer. She recalls that Daniel took her in when she was a poor widow and that both Emily and Ham Peggotty had once been orphans; this history of shelter and mutual care helps steady him in his grief. His search begins not as a demand to punish Emily but as an attempt to find her and bring her home.

When Daniel appeals to Mrs. Steerforth, he tells her that he loves Emily as his own child and that no wealth could buy her return. He offers to spare Emily public disgrace, even if her family must accept distance from her, and asks that she be allowed to live beyond their reach. Mrs. Steerforth refuses the possibility of a marriage, arguing that it would ruin her son’s prospects because of Emily’s humble connections. Her response makes the class barrier explicit: the protection Daniel asks for is subordinated to the future he imagines for Steerforth.

Later, Martha remembers Emily’s kindness toward her and regrets that their association might lead people to believe she had corrupted Emily. Her concern underscores how Emily’s abandonment also leaves her vulnerable to social judgment, while the family’s response is shaped by loyalty rather than rejection. The episode thus places Littimer’s self-serving proposal against Daniel’s willingness to relinquish contact for Emily’s protection, and against the enduring care that Emily’s friends and family continue to express.