david copperfield book review

A Review of 'David Copperfield'

The novel celebrates humanity while exposing Victorian society's ills

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" David Copperfield " is probably the most autobiographical novel by Charles Dickens . He uses many incidents of his childhood and early life to create a considerable fictional achievement.

"David Copperfield" also stands as a midpoint in Dickens' oeuvre and is at least somewhat indicative of Dickens' work. This novel contains a complicated plot structure, a concentration on the moral and social worlds, and some of Dickens' most wonderful comic creations. "David Copperfield" is a broad canvas on which the great master of Victorian fiction uses his entire palette. Unlike many of his other novels, however, "David Copperfield" is written from the point of view of its titular character, looking back on the ups and downs of his long life.

"David Copperfield" traces the life of David, the protagonist, from a happy early childhood through a miserable span of cruel surrogate parents, harsh working conditions, and crushing poverty to an ultimately wiser, contented existence as a happily married adult. Along the way, he meets a memorable cast of characters, some hateful and selfish and others kind and loving.

The main character is modeled closely after Dickens' life, especially since his hero finds later success as a writer, The story, published as a serial in 1849 and 1850 and as a book in 1850, also serves as Dickens' critique of the bleak conditions for many children in Victorian England, including its notorious boarding schools.

Copperfield's father dies before he is born and his mother later remarries the frightful Mr. Murdstone, whose sister soon moves into their house. Copperfield is sent away to boarding school after he bit Murdstone when he was undergoing a beating. At the boarding school, he becomes friends with James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles.

Copperfield doesn't complete his education because his mother dies and he's sent to work at a factory. There he boards with the Micawber family. At the factory, Copperfield experiences the hardships of the industrial-urban poor until he escapes and walks to Dover to find his aunt, who adopts him.

After finishing school, he goes to London to seek a career and reconnects with Steerforth, introducing him to his adoptive family. Around this time, he falls in love with young Dora, the daughter of a renowned solicitor. He is reunited with Traddles, who also is boarding with the Micawbers, bringing the delightful but economically useless character back into the story.

In time, Dora's father dies and she and David marry. Money is tight, however, and Copperfield takes up various jobs to make ends meet, including writing fiction.

Things aren't well with Mr. Wickfield, with whom Copperfield boarded during school. Wickfield's business has been taken over by his evil clerk, Uriah Heep, who now has Micawber working for him. However, Micawber and Traddles expose Heep's misdeeds and finally have him thrown out, returning the business to its rightful owner.

Copperfield can't savor this triumph because Dora has become ill after losing a child. She dies following a long illness and David travels abroad for many months. While he's traveling, he realizes that he's in love with his old friend Agnes, Mr. Wickfield's daughter. David returns home to marry her and becomes successful writing fiction.

Personal and Societal Themes

"David Copperfield" is a long, sprawling novel . In keeping with its autobiographical genesis, the book reflects the ungainliness and largeness of everyday life. In its early parts, the novel displays the power and resonance of Dickens' critique of a Victorian society, which provided few safeguards for the poor, particularly in the industrial heartlands.

In the later parts, we find Dickens' realistic, touching portrait of a young man growing up, coming to terms with the world, and finding his literary gift. Although it portrays Dickens' comic touch, its serious side isn't always apparent in Dickens' other books. The difficulties of becoming an adult, marrying, finding love, and becoming successful feel real, shining from every page of this delightful book.

Full of lively wit and Dickens' finely tuned prose, "David Copperfield" is an excellent example of the Victorian novel at its height and Dickens as its master. It deserves its sustained reputation into the 21st century.

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Book review: “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens

Among the many distinctive characters in David Copperfield , I have a soft spot in my heart for Jane Murdstone.

Actually, that’s wrong.  It’s not so much a soft spot for her.  It’s for the way Charles Dickens makes it clear who this woman is.

David is still a very young boy.  His mother Clara has just remarried.  His stepfather — one might as well say “evil stepfather” — Edward Murdstone has Clara under his thumb.  Even so, he calls in his spinster sister as a reinforcement:

It was Miss Murdstone who was arrived, and a gloomy-looking lady she was; dark, like her brother, whom she greatly resembled in face and voice; and with very heavy eyebrows, nearly meeting over her large nose, as if, being disabled by the wrongs of her sex from wearing whiskers, she had carried them to that account. She brought with her two uncompromising hard black boxes , with her initials on the lids in hard brass nails . When she paid the coachman she took her money out of a hard steel purse , and she kept the purse in a very jail of a bag which hung upon her arm by a heavy chain, and shut up like a bite . I had never, at that time, seen such a metallic lady altogether as Miss Murdstone was. She was brought into the parlour with many tokens of welcome, and there formally recognized my mother as a new and near relation. Then she looked at me, and said: ‘Is that your boy, sister-in-law?’   My mother acknowledged me.   ‘Generally speaking,’ said Miss Murdstone, ‘I don’t like boys. How d’ye do, boy?’   Under these encouraging circumstances, I replied that I was very well, and that I hoped she was the same; with such an indifferent grace, that Miss Murdstone disposed of me in two words:   ‘Wants manner!’ Having uttered which, with great distinctness, she begged the favour of being shown to her room, which became to me from that time forth a place of awe and dread, wherein the two black boxes were never seen open or known to be left unlocked, and where (for I peeped in once or twice when she was out) numerous little steel fetters and rivets , with which Miss Murdstone embellished herself when she was dressed, generally hung upon the looking-glass in formidable array.

“Disabled by the wrongs of her sex”

OK, where to start?

Well, first, of course, Dickens makes it clear that Jane Murdstone is the antithesis of what a woman of his era is expected to be — bright, warm and pretty.  Instead, she’s “gloomy-looking” and “dark” and resembles her brother in appearance.  Sounds like him, too.

Add to this the name of the brother and sister, Murdstone, which brings to mind “murder,” and she’s really getting ugly.  This echo is intentional on the part of Dickens as he makes clear some 150 pages later when David’s aunt is railing against the siblings, complaining that Clara “goes and marries a Murderer—or a man with a name like it.”

The Murdstones by Phiz

Then, there are Jane’s eyebrows which not only are “very heavy” but also nearly meet above her “large nose.”

It’s at this point that Dickens, in continuing the description, goes completely over the top in an hilarious way that perhaps no other writer could pull off.

The eyebrows look “as if, being disabled by the wrongs of her sex from wearing whiskers, she had carried them to that account.”  She’s a bearded lady, so to speak, and she not only looks and sounds like a man but also wants to be a man. Or at least act as hard and sharp as a man.

“A metallic lady”

The key to this passage, however, are all the metal metaphors.

Miss Murdstone is “a metallic lady” with “uncompromising hard black boxes” that are marked with her name in “hard brass nails.”  She carries “a hard steel purse,” which is “a very jail of a bag” and is shut up “like a bite.” And what David later sees in her room are the “numerous little steel fetters and rivets” that Miss Murdstone uses as adornments.

Dickens has Miss Murdstone’s number.  Like the little boy David, Dickens does not like her at all, and he wants the reader to know, right from the get-go, that she, like her brother, is an odious person.

As it happened, I read David Copperfield immediately after reading Anthony Trollope’s Barchester Towers .  The two books were published very close to each other — David Copperfield in 1850 and Barchester Towers in 1857.

Reading Trollope, I was struck again at how human and humane he is.  He likes his characters very much, even the ones who are mean-spirited and self-centered, such as Mr. Slope, the oily, conniving, lying chaplain to the bishop and the cause of so much havoc in the Barchester Towers story.

Trollope makes it clear that Mr. Slope is pretty repugnant.

At a moment when the clergyman is paying court to an exotic beauty, Trollope notes that Mr. Slope, “big, awkward, cumbrous and…ill at ease,” bends over and kisses her hand. It was, he writes, “a sight to see”:

The lady was fair, as we have said, and delicate; every thing about her was fine and refined; her hand in his looked like a rose lying among carrots, and when he kissed it he looked as a cow might do on finding such a flower among her food.

Trollope is no fan of Mr. Slope.  Even so, he can’t deny the humanity that he shares with the clergyman.  He sees Mr. Slope, as he sees the other characters in his novel, as a fully rounded person.  Which means not all good or, in this case, all bad.  He writes:

And here the author must beg it to be remembered that Mr. Slope was not in all things a bad man.  His motives, like those of most men, were mixed; and though his conduct was generally very different from that which we would wish to praise, it was actuated perhaps as often as that of the majority of the world by a desire to do his duty.  He believed in the religion which he taught, harsh, unpalatable, uncharitable, as that religion was.  He believed those whom he wished to get under his foot…to be the enemies of that religion  He believed himself to be a pillar of strength, destined to do great things; and with that subtle, selfish, ambiguous sophistry to which the minds of all men are so subject, he had taught himself to think that in doing much for the promotion of his own interests he was doing much also for the promotion of religion.

Dickens is not so gentle-hearted, as his description of Jane Murdstone shows.

Or the way he describes Uriah Heep and his mother.  Let’s look at one of many examples.

David, now a young man making a career as a writer, comes to visit Agnes Wickfield and her father.  Upon arrival, he finds Uriah Heep ensconced in a new office as the full partner of the ever-more-debilitated Mr. Wickfield.

Going in search of Agnes, the dear “sister” of his childhood, he find her in a room but not alone.  Mrs. Heep, Uriah’s mother, had intruded into the room, and David tells the reader:

Though I could almost have consigned her to the mercies of the wind on the topmost pinnacle of the Cathedral, without remorse, I made a virtue of necessity, and gave her a friendly salutation. ‘I’m umbly thankful to you, sir,’ said Mrs. Heep, in acknowledgement of my inquiries concerning her health, ‘but I’m only pretty well. I haven’t much to boast of. If I could see my Uriah well settled in life, I couldn’t expect much more I think. How do you think my Ury looking, sir?’   I thought him looking as villainous as ever, and I replied that I saw no change in him.   ‘Oh, don’t you think he’s changed?’ said Mrs. Heep. ‘There I must umbly beg leave to differ from you. Don’t you see a thinness in him?’   ‘Not more than usual,’ I replied.   ‘Don’t you though!’ said Mrs. Heep. ‘But you don’t take notice of him with a mother’s eye!’   His mother’s eye was an evil eye to the rest of the world, I thought as it met mine, howsoever affectionate to him; and I believe she and her son were devoted to one another. It passed me, and went on to Agnes.   ‘Don’t YOU see a wasting and a wearing in him, Miss Wickfield?’ inquired Mrs. Heep.   ‘No,’ said Agnes, quietly pursuing the work on which she was engaged. ‘You are too solicitous about him. He is very well.’   Mrs. Heep, with a prodigious sniff, resumed her knitting….   At dinner she maintained her watch, with the same unwinking eyes. After dinner, her son took his turn; and when Mr. Wickfield, himself, and I were left alone together, leered at me, and writhed until I could hardly bear it….   This lasted until bedtime. To have seen the mother and son, like two great bats hanging over the whole house, and darkening it with their ugly forms, made me so uncomfortable, that I would rather have remained downstairs, knitting and all, than gone to bed.

“Two great bats”

The punchline here — and the phrase that sums of the feeling that Dickens had about these two characters — is “two great bats hanging over the whole house.”

Leave it to Trollope to see his characters fully rounded, leave it to him to see their humanity, to understand what deep, if flawed, emotions move them.

That’s not for Dickens.  For him, the world has bad people in it, and Uriah Heep and his mother are prime examples.

In the novel, David goes through life and the world with an openness, an earnestness, a sweetness that makes him able to accept and like and even love people like Daniel Peggotty and Wilkins Micawber.

But not Uriah Heep.

Here, David describes him as “villainous as ever,” and leering and writhing in his usual awkward, nervous, twisted way.

David, the boy and man who wants to like everyone, walks into the room where Agnes is and immediately wants, without remorse, to consign Mrs. Heep “to the mercies of the wind on the topmost pinnacle of the Cathedral.”

David doesn’t like these two people.  And neither does Dickens.

“TO RUB HIS OFF”

David’s distaste for Uriah Heep dates from their first meeting.

David was a young boy, and Heep was a “cadaverous” 15-year-old

whose hair was cropped as close as the closest stubble; who had hardly any eyebrows, and no eyelashes, and eyes of a red-brown, so unsheltered and unshaded, that I remember wondering how he went to sleep. He was high-shouldered and bony…and had a long, lank, skeleton hand, which particularly attracted my attention, as he stood at the pony’s head, rubbing his chin with it, and looking up at us in the chaise.

Later, during the visit, David saw Heep shutting his office.

[F]eeling friendly towards everybody, [David] went in and spoke to him, and at parting, gave him my hand. But oh, what a clammy hand his was! as ghostly to the touch as to the sight! I rubbed mine afterwards, to warm it, AND TO RUB HIS OFF.

“Rough and ready”

For comparison, look at how Dickens describes David’s first meeting with Daniel Peggotty.

Peggotty, David’s beloved nurse, has taken the boy to Yarmouth to visit her brother and the many people under his care.  The family lives in a high and dry boat that has been turned into a house.  David finds it all delightful.

By and by, when we had dined in a sumptuous manner off boiled dabs, melted butter, and potatoes, with a chop for me, a hairy man with a very good-natured face came home. As he called Peggotty ‘Lass’, and gave her a hearty smack on the cheek, I had no doubt, from the general propriety of her conduct, that he was her brother; and so he turned out—being presently introduced to me as Mr. Peggotty, the master of the house.   ‘Glad to see you, sir,’ said Mr. Peggotty. ‘You’ll find us rough, sir, but you’ll find us ready.’   I thanked him, and replied that I was sure I should be happy in such a delightful place…   Having done the honours of his house in this hospitable manner, Mr. Peggotty went out to wash himself in a kettleful of hot water, remarking that ‘cold would never get his muck off’. He soon returned, greatly improved in appearance; but so rubicund, that I couldn’t help thinking his face had this in common with the lobsters, crabs, and crawfish,—that it went into the hot water very black, and came out very red.

Mr. Peggotty is the salt of the earth, a man who, although “hairy,” has “a very good-natured face.”

Mr. Peggotty and his family meet David. By Phiz

In English society, David is a member of a much higher class, but it is a measure of his child’s curiosity and his general openness to the wonder of life that he is ready to embrace Mr. Peggotty and his clan.

His willingness to embrace these unquestionably odd people (at least, for someone from his background) stands him well as his life and the novel progress.

Rough and ready

The art of Trollope’s novels is in his ability to see the full person, the mix of good and bad, in each of his characters.  This has been described as realistic writing and, as such, can be compared with a photograph.

But, if Trollope takes a photograph of his characters, Dickens paints an impressionistic masterpiece of his.

Trollope limns the subtle gradations of his characters.  Dickens splashes in thick, strong, emphatic brushstrokes the essential nature of his.

Trollope is refined.  Dickens is messy and raw and crude.  He’s rough and ready.

Trollope is chamber music.  Dickens is a wild Beethoven symphony.

I am a great fan of Trollope.  But Dickens is breathtaking in his sprawling chaotic novels of Uriah Heeps, Daniel Peggottys and David Copperfields.

Patrick T. Reardon

Written by : Patrick T. Reardon

For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.

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David Copperfield

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David Copperfield , novel by English writer Charles Dickens , published serially in 1849–50 and in book form in 1850. David Copperfield has always been among Dickens’s most popular novels and was his own “favourite child.” The work is semiautobiographical, and, although the title character differs from his creator in many ways, Dickens related early personal experiences that had meant much to him—his work in a factory, his schooling and reading, and (more cursorily) his emergence from parliamentary reporting into successful novel writing.

The story is told in the first person by a middle-aged David Copperfield , who is looking back on his life. David is born in Blunderstone, Suffolk , six months after the death of his father, and he is raised by his mother and her devoted housekeeper, Clara Peggotty . As a young child, he spends a few days with Peggotty at the home of her brother, Mr. Peggotty, in Yarmouth , which Mr. Peggotty shares with Ham and Emily , his orphaned nephew and niece, respectively. When the visit ends, David learns that his mother has married the cruel and controlling Mr. Edward Murdstone . That evening Murdstone’s sister also moves in and assumes the management of the household.

One day Mr. Murdstone takes David to his bedroom to beat him, and David bites his hand. After that, the eight-year-old David is sent to a boarding school run by the sadistic Mr. Creakle. There David becomes friends with the kind and steadfast Tommy Traddles and with the charismatic and entitled James Steerforth . Partway through David’s second semester at the school, his mother dies shortly after giving birth to a son, who also perishes. After that, Peggotty is dismissed, and she marries Barkis , who drives a wagon. David is not returned to school, and at the age of 10 he is sent to work at Murdstone’s wine-bottling factory in London . He lodges at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Micawber , a generous couple who are constantly facing financial disaster. Eventually, Mr. Micawber is sent to debtors’ prison, after which David runs away to Dover to find his great-aunt, the self-sufficient Miss Betsey Trotwood , and, on the advice of her simpleminded and good-hearted boarder, Mr. Dick , she takes him in.

Miss Betsey arranges for David to go to a school run by Doctor Strong and to stay with her business manager, Mr. Wickfield, and his daughter, Agnes . Working for Mr. Wickfield is an off-putting teenaged clerk named Uriah Heep . After David completes his schooling, he goes to visit Peggotty. On the way to Yarmouth, David encounters Steerforth, and together they visit Peggotty and Mr. Peggotty. Emily’s engagement to Ham is announced, but she appears interested in Steerforth.

After agreeing to Miss Betsey’s idea that he should become a proctor (a type of attorney), David begins an apprenticeship at the London office of Spenlow and Jorkins. He maintains his friendship with Steerforth, though Agnes Wickfield disapproves. He is reacquainted with Uriah Heep, who is about to become Wickfield’s partner and who intends to marry Agnes. One day Spenlow invites David to his home, and David becomes infatuated with Spenlow’s childlike daughter, Dora .

David finds that Traddles is now a boarder with Mr. and Mrs. Micawber. Upon learning that Barkis is on the point of death, he returns to Yarmouth. After Barkis’s funeral, Emily runs away with Steerforth, and Mr. Peggotty vows to find her. David returns to London and becomes engaged to Dora. Miss Betsey unexpectedly arrives with the news that she has been financially ruined as a result of Uriah Heep’s partnership with Wickfield. To add to his income, David begins working for Doctor Strong as a secretary, and at Traddles’s suggestion he starts reporting on parliamentary debates for newspapers; later he also writes fiction.

Uriah Heep hires Mr. Micawber as a clerk. Eventually, David marries Dora. After she suffers a miscarriage, she never regains her strength and she dies. During this time Emily returns to London after being abandoned in Naples by Steerforth. One day Mr. Micawber, in concert with David and Traddles (who is now a lawyer), confronts Uriah Heep with detailed evidence that he has been cheating Wickfield and was responsible for Miss Betsey’s losses; Heep is required to return the money. Plans are then made for Mr. and Mrs. Micawber to join Mr. Peggotty and Emily when they immigrate to Australia to make a fresh start. Ahead of the departure, David goes to Yarmouth to deliver a letter from Emily to Ham, but a dangerous storm arises. Several ships are lost, and one shipwreck occurs close enough to shore that Ham tries to swim out and save the last two survivors. Ham drowns, and, when the body of one of the sailors is washed ashore, it proves to be Steerforth. David spends the next three years in continental Europe, and, when he returns, he marries Agnes.

A complex exploration of psychological development , David Copperfield —a favourite of Sigmund Freud —succeeds in combining elements of fairy tale with the open-ended form of the bildungsroman . The fatherless child’s idyllic infancy is abruptly shattered by the patriarchal “firmness” of his stepfather, Mr. Murdstone. David’s suffering is traced through his early years, his marriage to his “child-wife,” Dora, and his assumption of a mature middle-class identity as he finally learns to tame his “undisciplined heart.” The narrative evokes the act of recollection while investigating the nature of memory itself. David’s development is set beside other fatherless sons, while the punitive Mr. Murdstone is counterposed to the carnivalesque Mr. Micawber.

Dickens also probed the anxieties that surround the relationships between class and gender. This is particularly evident in the seduction of working-class Emily by Steerforth and in the designs on the saintly Agnes by Uriah Heep as well as in David’s move from the infantilized sexuality of Dora to the domesticated rationality of Agnes in his own quest for a family.

Notable adaptations of David Copperfield included a 1935 film starring Freddie Bartholomew , Basil Rathbone , Lionel Barrymore , and W.C. Fields ; a 1970 British television movie featuring performances by Ron Moody, Ralph Richardson , Michael Redgrave , and Laurence Olivier ; and a well-regarded 1999 BBC miniseries starring Daniel Radcliffe .

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Common Sense Media Review

Dickens' coming-of-age epic is a timeless treasure.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Charles Dickens' classic novel David Copperfield is loosely based on the life of the author. It tells the story of the hardships, changes, and good fortune that David encounters on his life journey. The book was serialized (1849-50) before it was first published in book form in 1850…

Why Age 12+?

Young David gets ale from a barmaid when he's only about 11. At a housewarming d

David is beaten badly once as a child, and he bites the perpetrator. He witnesse

David falls in love a few times in the novel and shares a couple of kisses. A co

Any Positive Content?

A loving and resilient child, David grows to be a man of integrity and understan

Children should be raised with loving kindness and treated with gentleness.

Dickens shows readers details of 19th-century English life, including diet, educ

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Young David gets ale from a barmaid when he's only about 11. At a housewarming dinner in his own home, David drinks so much wine that he fades in and out of consciousness; he describes the room spinning when he goes to bed. An older man is preyed upon by an employee, who gets his boss drunk repeatedly to dupe him into signing documents and agreeing to things he doesn't remember afterward. Men smoke cigars and pipes.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

David is beaten badly once as a child, and he bites the perpetrator. He witnesses a tinker beating a woman; she's described as bloodied, lying in the road. David later fights twice with a butcher, who leaves wounds on David's face the first time, but David wins the second fight. Boys are caned at school, and David learns that as a boy, a school friend hit a woman with a hammer. Drowning deaths are described.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

David falls in love a few times in the novel and shares a couple of kisses. A couple of young women are "ruined" and "disgraced," but their mistakes are understood rather than described.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Positive Role Models

A loving and resilient child, David grows to be a man of integrity and understanding. He pities rather than judges those who make mistakes, and he forgives his friends' worst transgressions. He never turns up his nose at the less fortunate or less educated. He becomes a true and forgiving friend, a devoted nephew, and a faithful husband.

Positive Messages

Educational value.

Dickens shows readers details of 19th-century English life, including diet, education and careers, and the fate of borrowers who can't pay their debts. He also shows the hard lives of seamen, and the limits of gender roles at the time the novel takes place.

Parents need to know that Charles Dickens ' classic novel David Copperfield is loosely based on the life of the author. It tells the story of the hardships, changes, and good fortune that David encounters on his life journey. The book was serialized (1849-50) before it was first published in book form in 1850. Dickens is beloved for his complex rags-to-riches stories; realistic, sympathetic views of class disparities and poverty; and unforgettable characters like David. Dickens is also remembered as a writer who was paid by the word for his serialized novels, so this story is long but enthralling. It includes some violence against children, drownings at sea, cigar and pipe smoking, and some troubling alcohol abuse. This book has been adapted for the screen multiple times. The 1935 version featuring W.C. Fields is especially delightful, as is a 1999 BBC special starring Bob Hoskins and a very young Daniel Radcliffe. A 2020 film with Dev Patel as the main character includes a diverse cast, and is told in a series of flashbacks. David Copperfield is available in an excellent audiobook version read by Richard Armitage.

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What's the Story?

Charles' Dickens semi-autobiographical novel DAVID COPPERFIELD begins on the night of the title character's birth, when David's paternal aunt, Betsey Trottwood, pays a visit to his widowed mother. Young David is doted on by his sweet, young mother and his devoted nurse, Peggotty, who takes David to Yarmouth, where he develops strong friendships with her brother and his family. Meanwhile, Mrs. Copperfield -- who is susceptible to flattery -- has been taken in by the hard-hearted Mr. Murdstone, who soon becomes David's cruel, demanding stepfather. David's life goes from bad to worse when he is sent away to a school where students are mistreated and the richest pupils lord it over the less privileged. David's saving grace is his friendship with the Micawber family, who are always broke and looking for a break. When the Micawbers leave town, seeking greener pastures, David feels alone, and he decides to strike out on his own, to try his luck with a relative he's never met. The story follows David's path as he comes into adulthood, portraying his friendships, loves, education and career, and the ways he tries to protect his loved ones.

Is It Any Good?

This classic coming-of-age tale is a delightfully entertaining, important work that's well worth its thousand-plus pages. Tenderhearted David Copperfield was one of Charles Dickens' own favorite characters, and no wonder. He represents Dickens himself to some extent, and he's full of innocence and goodness -- qualities that make him lovable, and easy prey to some degree. This lengthy novel is full of wonderfully realized characters, from eccentric Betsey Trottwood and Mr. Dick to the steadfast Peggottys to the mean-spirited Murdstones and more. It has some surprisingly modern qualities, as well, despite its vintage (1850). Betsey Trottwood lives an unusual, independent life for a woman of her time. Dickens also reveals the failings of "firmness" in child rearing and education, and he emphasizes the joys of marriage when the couple are true partners in their life and work. HIs relevant point of view speaks to the timelessness of David Copperfield.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about what aspects of David Copperfield seem timeless and what seems dated. Does this story resonate with you as a modern reader?

How does society treat women in this novel, and what does the author seem to value in terms of women's qualities and conduct?

Have you watched any of the film versions of this novel? What are some of the decisions filmmakers made to fit such a long story into a movie-length work?

Book Details

• Author : Charles Dickens
• Genre : Coming of Age
• Topics : Friendship , Great Boy Role Models
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Penguin Classics
• Publication date : August 10, 2020
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 18
• Number of pages : 1024
• Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
• Last updated : August 10, 2020

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DAVID COPPERFIELD

by Charles Dickens & illustrated by Alan Marks ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1995

A more or less self-contained excerpt from the novel, in a creative abridgement done by Dickens for one of his public readings (Anthea Bell's afterword provides notes about these performances and the texts Dickens prepared for them). The fragile pen-and-ink drawings have been flooded with watercolor and given a smudged, atmospheric look. Marks (The Fisherman and His Wife, 1991, etc.) zeroes in on the basic dramatic premise of each scene—wet and dark exteriors, warm and dry interiors, characters engaged in lively conversation or sending each other meaningful looks. Marks's storytelling skills are further demonstrated by the different sizes of the pictures, their distribution, and layout—on the whole, they evocatively conjure this hearty tale, and will send readers off to the original. (Picture book. 8-12)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995

ISBN: 1-55858-453-6

Page Count: 59

Publisher: NorthSouth

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1995

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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More by Charles Dickens

BOOK REVIEW

by Charles Dickens ; adapted by Brooke Jorden ; illustrated by David Miles

by Charles Dickens & illustrated by Brett Wright

by Charles Dickens ; adapted by Adam McKeown ; illustrated by Gerald Kelley

by Andrew Clements & illustrated by Brian Selznick ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1996

With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating...

Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively. 

When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements ( Temple Cat , 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess-like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after. 

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-689-80669-8

Page Count: 105

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1996

More by Andrew Clements

by Andrew Clements ; illustrated by Brian Selznick

by Andrew Clements

HOW TÍA LOLA CAME TO (VISIT) STAY

From the tía lola stories series , vol. 1.

by Julia Alvarez ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2001

Simple, bella, un regalo permenente: simple and beautiful, a gift that will stay.

Renowned Latin American writer Alvarez has created another story about cultural identity, but this time the primary character is 11-year-old Miguel Guzmán. 

When Tía Lola arrives to help the family, Miguel and his hermana , Juanita, have just moved from New York City to Vermont with their recently divorced mother. The last thing Miguel wants, as he's trying to fit into a predominantly white community, is a flamboyant aunt who doesn't speak a word of English. Tía Lola, however, knows a language that defies words; she quickly charms and befriends all the neighbors. She can also cook exotic food, dance (anywhere, anytime), plan fun parties, and tell enchanting stories. Eventually, Tía Lola and the children swap English and Spanish ejercicios , but the true lesson is "mutual understanding." Peppered with Spanish words and phrases, Alvarez makes the reader as much a part of the "language" lessons as the characters. This story seamlessly weaves two culturas while letting each remain intact, just as Miguel is learning to do with his own life. Like all good stories, this one incorporates a lesson just subtle enough that readers will forget they're being taught, but in the end will understand themselves, and others, a little better, regardless of la lengua nativa —the mother tongue.

Pub Date: March 1, 2001

ISBN: 0-375-80215-0

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Knopf

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2001

More In The Series

by Julia Alvarez

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by Julia Alvarez ; illustrated by Raúl Colón

by Julia Alvarez ; illustrated by Sabra Field

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Book Review

David copperfield.

• Charles Dickens
• Coming-of-Age , Drama , Historical

Readability Age Range

• 12 years old and up
• Bradbury & Evans

Year Published

They say, “Write what you know.”

It seems Charles Dickens used this advice in his semi-autobiographical novel, David Copperfield. Both Charles and his fictional creation, young Davey, overcome childhood adversity using it to inspire their works as prolific authors.

Plot Summary

You’d think there wouldn’t be a worse guardian than the evil stepmother from Cinderella . Well, David Copperfield knows better.

Though his father has passed away, Davey is content to live with his gentle mother, Clara, and their housekeeper, Peggotty. But Davey is not destined for this comfortable life. The cold Mr. Murdstone marries Clara and slowly begins to crush her kind and hopeful spirit. When Mr. Murdstone’s sister, Miss Murdstone (of course) comes to live with the Copperfields, they send Davey away to a boarding school in London.

Despite its physically abusive headmaster, Mr. Creakle, life at Salem House isn’t all bad. Davey makes acquaintance with a shy boy named Tommy Traddles and greatly admires an older boy, J. Steerforth, who promises to help Davey succeed at school.

Just as life seems to be looking up for 9-year-old Davey, his mother dies, leaving him subject to the will of Mr. Murdstone, who cruelly sends him to fend for himself in London. There, Davey lives with the Micawber family and miserably works in a bottling factory. When the Micawber family decides to move to Plymouth, leaving Davey homeless, he makes a resolution: He will run away from London and tell his story to his enigmatic aunt, Miss Betsey.

But that’s just the beginning for young Davey. He’ll go to school, deal with conniving clerks, meet old friends and fall in love—perhaps more than once. And through it all, Davey’s unrelenting grit, fortunate friendships and dogged perseverance help him overcome all difficulties—and teach readers about how to deal with their own.

Christian Beliefs

Dickens makes several biblical allusions throughout the novel including references to Samson, the Prodigal Son and Lazarus’ miraculous resurrection (a church story that frightened Davey as a child). Some characters directly quote Scripture, including Mr. Wickfield who calls someone the “millstone around his neck” and a letter writer who references Psalm 115. At a funeral, the clergyman quotes Scripture reciting, “I am the Resurrection and the Life, saith the Lord.”

Davey refers to humans as “created beings,” and he states that an evildoer will have to deal with the Judgment Throne. He also likens his moments with Dora (on whom he’s developed a serious crush) to being in the Garden of Eden. Mrs. Micawber compares the reconciliation of two families to the lion laying down with the lamb, and Miss Betsey likens trespassers on her property to Cain.

Davey observes that Miss Betsey does not behave like an ordinary Christian, and he notices that a character owns a book about Christian martyrs. When Davey and the Murdstones go to church, Miss Murdstone accuses some people of being “miserable sinners.”

In a letter, Mr. Micawber writes, “God of day is once more high upon the mountain tops.” While Agnes (a good friend of Davey’s)  struggles to help her father, she states, “There is a God to trust in,” and when their issues are resolved, David and Agnes thank God for their happiness.

Someone states that one day, “all of us shall be alike in quality afore our God,” and during a difficult circumstance, the character acknowledges that “the Lord was above all.”

When a character dies, Davey describes that the “Angel of Death” visited her. A character asserts that “Satan finds some mischief still for busy hands to do,” and another character asserts that someone “sold himself to the devil.” Davey starts a job as a proctor for Ecclesiastical Law, which is related to the laws of a church. Part of his job involves cases about church excommunication.

Other Belief Systems

Like in most classic literature, Dickens makes mythological allusions to Greek and Roman gods. A character mentions Phoebus, who is the Greek god of the sun, and another mentions Lares, a Roman household god. Davey makes a comment that a character looks like a “sight of shame for gods and men.”

Before he was born, a woman predicts that David Copperfield is destined to be unlucky and to see ghosts and spirits, and when he is born Davey has a “caul” which people believed indicated good luck. A character uses playing cards to tell someone’s future, and Davey explains that he thinks fate brought him to a woman whom he likes romantically.

In fact, Dickens employs spiritual imagery to describe many women throughout the story. Davey compares Agnes with angels and cherubim, and he likens Dora to a fairy or sylph. After spending time with Dora, Davey wonders if a magician transported them to another location, and he tells Dora that he “idolized and worshiped her.” Davey compares someone to an “ill-looking enchantress,” and another character is referred to as his father’s “little witch.”

A character asserts that some people are willing to bow down to idols.

Authority Roles

Clara Copperfield’s new husband, Mr. Murdstone, is a cold man who intimidates her and physically abuses Davey. He uses his commanding personality to usurp power over Clara’s household and weaken her relationship with Davey. Davey greatly dislikes Mr. Murdstone, but as a child, he still obeys him for the sake of his mother. Likewise, Clara remains a devoted wife to Mr. Murdstone despite his domineering nature (though, Dickens makes it clear that Clara should have stood up for herself and Davey).

At Salem House, the school’s headmaster, Mr. Creakle, is physically abusive, and the students are afraid of him. Mr. Mell, on the other hand, is a kind teacher at Salem House who attempts to develop genuine relationships with his students. However, because of his kindness, the students take advantage of Mr. Mell and even insult him in class.

During his time at Salem House, Davey greatly admires Steerforth who seems to be a leader among the boys. While Steerforth pretends to be a noble figure, he is very prideful and uses his positive position at school to manipulate teachers and other students. Dr. Strong, the headmaster at Davey’s new school, is a respectable man who uses his authority to help his students move forward and make a name for themselves.

While Agnes Wickfield is not necessarily an authority role, Davey admires her and views her as an equal. He goes to her for advice, and she often is his only comfort in difficult times. Charles Dickens is often criticized for his depiction of women, and Agnes is a rare example of an admirable female role model in his stories.

Profanity & Violence

Characters in David Copperfield rarely use profanity. One says the word, “d–ned” and another uses “a–.” Characters employ creative insults such as calling characters “hound,” “goblin,” prog” and “polly” (which is slang for “sissy”). There are several uses of the word, “stupid,” and we also hear exclamations such as, “In the name of Heaven.” Characters use “Lord” as an exclamation, and some say phrases like “God knows,” “My God” and misuse the word Christ. We also hear some uses of “what the devil” or “go to the devil.” Davey observes that his schoolmates are dancing “like wild Indians,” and he refers to a little person as a “dwarf.”

Many characters in David Copperfield die, including a newborn infant and women. Sometimes, characters see the bodies of their dead relatives, but descriptions are never gruesome. While most deaths are of natural causes or sickness, there is a scene in which two characters die in a shipwreck, leaving some covered in blood.

The novel also covers a great deal of childhood trauma. Mr. Murdstone “boxes” Davey’s ears and beats him mercilessly. When Davey retaliates by biting him, Mr. Murdstone locks him in his room for five days. Mr. Creakle, the headmaster at Salem house, is known for beating his students with a cane, and he consistently abuses Davey and the other students. Davey even hears rumors that Mr. Creakle broke the ribs of a young student. While Davey is on the run from London, a man robs him and threatens to rip his body open.

Miss Betsey hits and yells at the boys who attempt to trespass on her yard, and to punish her dog for bad behavior, Dora puts his nose on a hot tea pot. Steerforth tells Davey that when he was a child, he got mad at a woman and threw a hammer at her. There is also a scene in which a man hits a woman (drawing blood) and pushes her to the ground.

Davey gets in a physical fight with a man who gives him puffy eyes. Later, Davey fights this man again and knocks out his teeth. Some characters have a conversation about blood, and a woman threatens someone and calls her a “purchased slave.”

Annoyed with a clerk named Uriah Heep, David imagines throwing him over a banister and stabbing him with a hot poker. In one chapter, a woman slaps Steerforth, and in another, Davey slaps another man.

Adults and children alike drink alcohol. At Salem House, for example, Steerforth purchases wine to share with the other school aged children, and Davey drinks beer as a child. Miss Betsey’s nighttime routine includes a glass of wine. Several characters get drunk, including Davey, and a character has a serious drinking problem. When Miss Betsey adopts Davey, Miss Murdstone asserts that she must be intoxicated to make such a decision.

Several characters smoke, including Mr. Murdstone (who Davey observes “smoked incessantly”). Davey attempts to smoke a cigar, too. Characters discuss a person who had died of excessive alcohol and smoking.

Sexual Content

Several characters kiss, but the descriptions of these romantic encounters are not graphic. When they were children, Davey and another girl shared an innocent kiss, and Davey believed he was in love with her. As an adult, Davey mentions “making love” to his wife, and he describes a moment in which she sits on his lap. A man who has romantic feelings for another character attempts to sit close to her on a carriage ride. Davey sees a woman breastfeeding two babies at the same time.

We learn that a main character was married to an abusive man who she paid off so they could separate. Mr. Micawber explains that before he was married, he was a celibate, and Mrs. Micawber affirms that she will never leave her husband. Uriah claims a woman is cheating on her husband. An engaged woman runs off with another man before her wedding. Later, this relationship turns sour, and she gets tricked into joining a brothel. Another female character is suspected of being a prostitute. Two characters get engaged but hide the engagement from the woman’s father.

Discussion Topics

When he was a child, Davey admired and blindly followed Steerforth, not recognizing his flaws until much later in life. What are some initial “red flags” in Steerforth, and what are strategies to recognize these potential problems in people close to you?

As Christians, we’re called to submit to authority, but many of David Copperfield’s superiors treat him unfairly. How should Christians interact with these unjust leaders? (Consider Romans 13 and Jesus’ responses during His trial).

During his time at Steerforth’s home, Davey is aware of and embarrassed by his youth. What does the Bible say about being young (1 Tim 4:12)? How could Davey have applied biblical principles to his idea of his youth.

When Davey tells Miss Betsey about Dora, she utters “Blind! Blind! Blind” in response to his description. And after Davey spends time with Agnes, an old beggar mutters, “Blind! Blind! Blind!” In what ways was Davey blind about his infatuation with Dora and his true connection with Agnes? What are some differences between Agnes and Dora, and how should Davey have responded to those differences?

What’s wrong with the clerk Uriah Heep’s “umbleness?” What does biblical humility look like? (Consider Luke 14:11 and 1 Peter 5:5-6.)

Get free discussion question for books at focusonthefamily.com/magazine/thriving-family-book-discussion-questions .

Additional Comments

In true Charles Dickens fashion, David Copperfield takes its time introducing us to his characters, settings and storylines. But in doing so, Dickens adeptly welcomes his readers into Davey’s experiences in a way that modern literature often can’t capture. Despite Davey’s childhood trauma and some very minor language, most families will find David Copperfield navigable. And through this nearly 800-page coming of age journey, readers will learn valuable lessons about hard work, partnership in marriage and the importance of a person’s latent character.

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

Review by Sarah Rasmussen

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David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

• Publication Date: September 1, 1997
• Mass Market Paperback: 912 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics
• ISBN-10: 0140434941
• ISBN-13: 9780140434941
• About the Book
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Book Reviews on...

David copperfield, by charles dickens.

David Copperfield was Charles Dickens’s own favourite amongst his novels, based in part on events in his life. Sigmund Freud thought it was so good that he gave the book to his fiancée.

Dickens had a background in theatre, and while his books are long, they work well read out loud. The audiobook of David Copperfield is brilliantly narrated by actor Richard Armitage.

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“That famous Victorian imperative: “Make ’em laugh; make ’em cry; make ’em wait.” It does all that in that spades.” Read more...

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Jenny Hartley , Biographer

Other books by Charles Dickens

The mystery of edwin drood by charles dickens, the pickwick papers by charles dickens, what christmas is as we grow older by charles dickens, a christmas carol: and other stories by charles dickens, a christmas carol by charles dickens, nicholas nickleby by charles dickens, our most recommended books, war and peace by leo tolstoy, middlemarch by george eliot, on liberty by john stuart mill, nineteen eighty-four by george orwell, the confessions by augustine (translated by maria boulding), republic by plato.

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Book Review | David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Some one thousand plus pages later (depending on which edition you read), it’s a pretty accurate description. Beginning just before his birth, with David telling the story as it was related to him, the first-person account ends sometime in Copperfield’s mid-life. From his orphaned childhood to step-parents with less than scrupulous morality, David’s childhood has all the hallmarks of 19th century England, at least in so far as it is portrayed by Dickens, the Bronte sisters, or George Elliot (or even Victor Hugo, who finished Les Miserables in Britain’s Guernsey). Orphans, step-parents, premature death (as in, death by some means other than of old age), the conflict between marriages for love and for money, and the constant worries about annual income, debt, and debtor’s prison all make their appearance in David Copperfield.

When I first began reading David Copperfield , I bemoaned the length. I was reminded by another friend (who knew I had so many friends…and friends that read Dickens?) that unlike more recently written novels, 19th century writers like Copperfield (and Thackery) would publish their stories in serial format. Essentially, I was binge reading the 19th century equivalent of Netflix. Indeed.

Regardless, it is a long read, and there are times when it feels like it, as well. On the other hand, if you understand that it was read in weekly (or bi-weekly?) installments, by people whose light was limited to what was afforded by coal, oil, candle, or daylight, and this was the cutting edge of entertainment–the boob tube was still a century away–then the length takes on a different perspective. We are growing with Copperfield, sharing his travails as his mother is forced to send him away to boarding school, his adventures as he sets off on the road, alone and nearly penniless, to find a long-lost aunt who spurned him at birth upon discovering that he was, much to her dismay, a boy instead of a girl, and the warm flush of young love, as well as the loss of love’s labors lost…it’s a regular, serialized drama, fit for the age.

That said, it doesn’t lose much it’s shine, though the style took some time for me to warm to. By the end, though, if just be the sheer number of pages during which I’ve been in his head, Copperfield is a friend, and I was a bit sad to put down the book. Dickens’ world is small, even while it reflects a much larger world “out there,” and the universe of characters is finite and all of them will play a role in his protagonist’s life (a character who, in himself, often seems to echo Dickens’ own self-conception). Dickens gives each their own story that is both connected to and separate from the others. Their voices are distinct, proving Dickens’ ear for dialect, class, and education, not to mention character. I loved to hear the eccentricities of Betsey Trotwood’s aversion to donkeys in her yard, Wilkins Micawber’s elaborate way of speaking, the sniveling of the villainous Uriah Heep, and the contrasts between innocent Dora Spenlow and the “girl next door” Agnes Wickfield. Through both tragedy and triumph, all get their just deserts in way that is satisfying, if more trite than we might expect in a modern novel. But this is not a modern novel–it is a reflection of an age when life was short and brutal, when England ruled the waves, and literature was still a rare occupation. As such, it’s a rare treasure, a classic, and appreciable for the window it opens on an age now past.

David Copperfield is the story of a young man’s adventures on his journey from an unhappy & impoverished childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a successful novelist. Among the gloriously vivid cast of characters he encounters are his tyrannical stepfather, Mr Murdstone; his formidable aunt, Betsey Trotwood; the eternally humble yet treacherous Uriah Heep; frivolous, enchanting Dora; & the magnificently impecunious Micawber, one of literature’s great comic creations. In David Copperfield —the novel he described as his “favorite child”—Dickens drew revealingly on his own experiences to create one of his most exuberant & enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy & comedy in equal measure.  Originally published as a monthly serial, from 4/1849 to 11/1850.

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Dan Burton lives in Millcreek, Utah, where he practices law by day and everything else by night. He reads about history, politics, science, medicine, and current events, as well as more serious genres such as science fiction and fantasy.

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David Copperfield

Charles dickens.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Charles Dickens's David Copperfield . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

David Copperfield: Introduction

David copperfield: plot summary, david copperfield: detailed summary & analysis, david copperfield: themes, david copperfield: quotes, david copperfield: characters, david copperfield: symbols, david copperfield: literary devices, david copperfield: theme wheel, brief biography of charles dickens.

Historical Context of David Copperfield

Other books related to david copperfield.

• Full Title: The Personal History, Experience, and Observations of David Copperfield the Young, Of Blunderstone Rookery, Which He Never Meant to be Published on Any Account
• When Written: 1848–1850
• Where Written: London, England
• When Published: Published in serial form between 1849 and 1850, then published as a novel in 1850
• Literary Period: Victorian
• Genre: Bildungsroman, autobiographical novel
• Setting: Victorian England (primarily London, but also Dover, Yarmouth, Suffolk, and Canterbury), Switzerland.
• Climax: James Steerforth and Ham Peggotty die in a storm off the coast of Yarmouth, and the Micawbers, Mr. Peggotty, Little Em'ly, and Martha depart for Australia.
• Antagonist: Uriah Heep, Mr. Murdstone
• Point of View: First person

Extra Credit for David Copperfield

The Man Who Came to Dinner. Uriah Heep's physical appearance might have been inspired in part by the writer Hans Christian Andersen, whom Dickens met shortly before he began writing David Copperfield . Ironically, however, Dickens and Andersen were on very good terms at the time, and it was not until a decade later that Dickens took a disliking to Andersen's personality. In 1857, a planned short stay with the Dickens family stretched to five whole weeks, and Andersen's eccentric behavior—which included lying down crying on the front lawn over a bad review—further irritated Dickens.

Quoth the Raven. Charles Dickens had a succession of pet ravens, all named "Grip," one of whom probably served as the inspiration for Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven": Dickens brought the bird with him to his 1842 tour of America, during which he met Poe.

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David Copperfield

Introduction, david copperfield summary, david copperfield characters analysis, clara copperfield, edward murdstone, jane murdstone, clara peggotty, daniel peggotty, ham peggotty, little em’ly, mrs. gummidge, miss betsey trotwood, richard bailey, dora spenlow, agnes wickfield, wilkins micawber, mrs. emma micawber, master wilkins and miss emma, james steerforth, mrs. steerforth, rosa dartle, miss mowcher, markham and grainger, francis spenlow, miss clarissa spenlow and miss lavinia spenlow, mr. jorkins, mary anne paragon, mr. wickfield, mr. creakle, mrs. creakle, miss creakle, charles mell, george demple, thomas traddles, miss sophy crewler, the reverend horace crewler, mrs. crewler, caroline crewler, sarah crewler, louisa crewler, lucy crewler, and margaret crewler, mrs. strong, mrs. markleham, mr. quinion, mealy potatoes and mick walker, miss larkins, miss shepherd, martha endell, jack maldon, themes in david copperfield, the trouble of the feeble, impartiality in marriage, wealth and class, david copperfield literary analysis, more from charles dickens.

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David Copperfield

David copperfield by charles dickens.

Last Updated on September 23, 2021

David Copperfield was Dickens’s eighth novel.  Like many of his other novels, it was first published as a serial. The first installment was published in May of 1849. The last installment was issued in November of 1850.

The novel held a special place in Dickens’s heart. In the preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens wrote, “like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield.”

Table of Contents

Dickens’s Life at the Time

Death in the family – fanny dickens, autobiographical elements of david copperfield, themes of david copperfield, quotations from david copperfield, david copperfield characters, david copperfield matching quiz.

Frontispiece of the first edition of The Haunted Man from 1848

In July of 1848 Dickens’s sister, Fanny, was terminally ill.  She died in September of that year.  

The Haunted Man , his last Christmas book was published in December of 1848.

In January of 1849 Dickens began to write David Copperfield.  His son Henry Fielding Dickens was born that month too.

In August of 1850 daughter, Dora Annie Dickens was born.  She was named after Dora in David Copperfield .

Fanny Dickens around 1842

In 1848 Dickens’s beloved sister, Fanny was terminally ill.  She had been his childhood companion, the model for Fan in A Christmas Carol and now she was dying of consumption.

Her death was painful and lingering.  She finally passed away in September of 1848. 

After her death, Dickens and some of his friends went on a walking tour of some of Dickens’s childhood haunts.  His thoughts naturally turned to Fanny and to their childhood.

It seems natural that in early 1849 he began to write what he later called his favorite child, the novel David Copperfield .

1839 Portrait of Charles Dickens by Daniel Maclise

David Copperfield contains many autobiographical elements.  At a surface level, it is easy to notice that even the name of the main character, David Copperfield, has the inverted initials of its author, Charles Dickens.

David’s employment at Murdstone and Grinby’s is drawn from Dickens’s own painful experiences at Warren’s Blacking Factory. 

Even their careers, reporter and then novelist , are similar. 

Maria Beadnell

David’s love for Dora Spenlow is modeled after Dickens’s youthful fascination for Maria Beadnell .

Various versions of Dickens’s parents surface in the novel. 

John Dickens, the father of Charles Dickens

Both his father and Mr. Micawber were imprisoned for debt.  Mr. Dick, good-hearted but unable to deal with the world, may represent another incarnation of Dickens’s father.

Elizabeth Dickens, the mother of Charles Dickens

The character of David’s pretty, young mother was inspired by Dickens’s mother.  Elizabeth Dickens attended a ball on the very night she gave birth to her son Charles.  

Perhaps the death of David’s mother represented the change Dickens felt toward his mother when she was eager for him to work at Warren’s Blacking Factory .

David Copperfield and Dora Spenlow

The novel is an example of a bildungsroman.  That’s a type of novel that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the principal character during their formative years.    To Kill A Mockingbird , Little Women , Jane Eyre and the Harry Potter novels are other examples of bildungsromans. 

Dickens, through the voice of David Copperfield, shares with us some of the values that he believed lead to his success in life:

My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest.

I have been very fortunate in worldly matters; many men have worked much harder, and not succeeded half so well; but I never could have done what I have done, without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one object at a time, no matter how quickly its successor should come upon its heels, which I then formed.

Some happy talent, and some fortunate opportunity, may form the two sides of the ladder on which some men mount, but the rounds of that ladder must be made of stuff to stand wear and tear; and there is no substitute for thorough-going, ardent, and sincere earnestness.

More About David Copperfield

David Copperfield (1999) – Dickens’ Colorful Characters: A Must-See Adaptation for Harry Potter Fans

David Copperfield Review

It’s never a dull moment when you step inside the world of Charles Dickens. The nuances and intentional play within the story (the colorful characters framing what is otherwise a dark world, usually for the hero) are always on point. Thought to be one of Dickens’ most autobiographical stories, David Copperfield is also said to be his favorite. Or that’s what the closing commentary epilogue of this DVD (hosted by Russell Baker) reveals. David wasn’t the only orphan Dickens empathetically wrote about, but he is one of my favorite characters.

RELATED | David Copperfield (2000) – A Dickens Adaptation Starring Hugh Dancy

Though most of us know the iconic Dickens story, let’s meet the characters and the people who play them. A young David Copperfield (Daniel Radcliffe) lives a happy childhood with his mother (Emila Fox). His father died before he was born and his father’s aunt, Betsey Trotwood (Maggie Smith) left in disgust when David was born a boy rather than a girl. But lurking around the corner is a dark shadow in the form of Edward Murdstone (Trevor Eve). Charming the young widow, it isn’t long before Clara and Murdstone are married, shortly followed by the arrival of his sister, Jane Murdstone (Zoë Wanamaker). A cruel, demanding woman, she takes over the household duties stripping Clara and her loyal servant Peggotty (Pauline Quirke) of their duties. Before long, Clara dies to leave David an orphan and thrust into the streets as a factory worker.

Time passes, and eventually, David reunites with his Aunt Betsey who raises him and arranges for the best education money can buy. As a young man about to start out in the world, David (Ciaran McMenamin) reacquaints himself with his school chum, James Steerforth (Oliver Milburn); meets the beautiful Dora Spenlow (Joanna Page) whom he marries; and through it all, relies on the constant presence of his childhood friend and “sister,” Agnes (Amanda Ryan).

Additional to the main players, familiar faces will be spotted in the talents of Cheri Lunghi, Ian McKellen, Bob Hoskins, Carl Johnson, Alun Armstrong, Dawn French, and many more. This 1999 PBS Masterpiece adaptation follows the same general timeline as the Hallmark Entertainment adaptation (2000) with the exception of one difference. This version of David Copperfield doesn’t give David or the audience the emotional release or the chance to see him tell off his stepfather, whereas the 2000 miniseries does. In some ways, it doesn’t really matter because Hugh Dancy’s David is a much “moodier” character than the young actor playing David in this Masterpiece Theatre version.

Every time I watch David Copperfield , I’m surprised by the lack of time spent on David’s adult years. It feels just as important (strictly speaking of the adaptations since the book isn’t familiar to me) to explore his early years as it does his latter. Still, I often cannot help but wish things would fast-forward or move a touch quicker. It’s been years since I watched this version and I always thought, overall, I preferred this one. But of the two adaptations I enjoy re-watches of (this and the 2000 miniseries), I have to confess that I think Hugh Dancy is the superior David. He gives more layers to David than Ciaran does. That being said, the entire cast of this adaptation is phenomenal. I’m always impressed with the cast these BBC productions ensemble. They have the ability to charm us, make our skin crawl and redeem themselves, all in a single glance.

What I do like best about this two-part adaptation is the ending. It might not be as romantic as its peer, but it does give the audience a wonderful sense of completion and brings the entire story full circle. The costumes are pretty, which is a given and I liked again meeting up with the antics of Mr. Micawber or better know the kind-hearted and good Agnes Wickfield. Fortunately, all of these happy events do come to pass; we simply have to sit through about 60-80 minutes of David’s childhood first. All of which has its high points too. Not only will Harry Potter fans enjoy seeing Radcliffe as young David, but if you’re anything like me, you’ll love seeing Maggie Smith ( Downton Abbey ) play a huge role as well.

In the end, this David Copperfield is a lovely adaptation of a timeless classic. Costume drama aficionados will enjoy seeing so many familiar faces in new surroundings. Those of us who don’t mind a darker bent on period drama (which all of Dickens adaptations are) should add this to our “must watch” list. In the spectrum of Dickens stories, this is one of the “happier,” and best of all, this 3-hour classic will leave you with a smile.

Content note: A few scenes show David being abused, but beyond that (and it’s generally mature themes), there is no content to note. David Copperfield is rated TV-PG.

Have you seen this adaptation of the Dickens classic? Which version of David Copperfield is your favorite? I’d love to read your thoughts!

You can buy this miniseries on Amazon Video for a relatively inexpensive cost.

Photos: PBS

OVERALL RATING

“Hello, Gorgeous.”

ROMANCE RATING

“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My

feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me

to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”

Looking for more period dramas? Browse our  period drama archives , which includes a review of Dickensian plus reviews of Dickens’ adaptations  Great Expectations (2012), Little Dorrit and  Nicholas Nickleby .

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Rissi is a self-diagnosed Bookaholic and TV fandom addict. She’s currently an avid blogger and reader who enjoys interacting with readers, and often dreams about finishing her first novel. When not writing or reading, she can be found working as an INSPYs advisory board member or contributing to e-zines. Her scribbles are housed on her blog Finding Wonderland (https://www.rissiwrites.com).

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MARION HILL

Book review 14: david copperfield by charles dickens.

by MHill | Oct 26, 2011 | 2011 Book Reviews , Book Reviews , Marion's Favorite Books | 5 comments

I was asked recently what’s my favorite novel.  I must admit I didn’t have to think long or hard about it.

I told this person it was David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.

Oddly enough, I had to read Dickens in Middle School and absolutely hated it.  But as an adult, I really enjoyed reading David Copperfield.

David Copperfield is the story of his journey from boyhood to manhood. Everything David goes through in his life strengthens his character as he is trying to develop a disciplined heart.

He has to deal with the death of his mother, an abusive stepfather, a best friend who turns on him, a love lost, and eventually discovers true love and happiness from an unexpected person.

Through all these experiences, David grows and matures into a man. But, realizes the heart can’t be tamed.  While I would disagree with that somewhat…the power of Dickens’ story and the cast of characters (like the evil Uriah Heep, and the good-hearted, but financially challenged Mr. Micawber) pulled me into the novel immediately.

Dickens admit in his preface to the novel, “Of all my books, I like this the best. It will be easily believed that I am a fond parent to every child of my fancy, and that no one can ever love that family as dearly as I love them. But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield.

After reading it, I could see why this novel was his favorite and that’s one of the reasons it has become my favorite too.

I read Great Expectations by Dickens, now I will go purchase this one thanks to your review

Thanks John. Really appreciate your comment. I still have to read Great Expectations. How was it?

I just want to say I’m beginner to blogging and site-building and seriously savored this web blog. Very likely I’m want to bookmark your website . You absolutely come with really good posts. Regards for sharing with us your website.

This was my pick to read in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens and I am sure in part this is his favourite because he was able to channel so much of his own childhood and experience into it, in the freeing way that writing fiction allows. Writing his own story tormented him, it is amazing how he was more free to imagine it in a slightly different form.

Thanks for sharing your favourite books on my blog Marion and introducing me to a couple of new authors, will be looking for Helprin as well, have seen the name coming up, have a feeling perhaps he has a new book out?

Your blog is a must read for me and I look forward to your book reviews. They are thoughtfully written and interesting.

I must admit I hated Dickens when I had to read it in middle school. However, I read David Copperfield in my early 30’s and loved it. I can still remember scenes and the maturing of David. Dickens has been accused of sentimentality in his novels by his critics but I thought it worked well in David Copperfield.

As for Mark Helprin, he published his latest novel, In Sunlight and In Shadow, in Oct 2012. I have not read it yet.

My favorite Helprin novels are Winter’s Tale and A Soldier of the Great War (which could have made favorite 5 list). He writes beautifully fat novels dare I say like Dickens. LOL!

I would start with Winter’s Tale first and then read A Soldier of the Great War.

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• Book Review 1: Winter’s Tale By Mark Helprin « Kammbia1's Blog - [...] have added Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin to my favorite novels list along with David Copperfield by Charles Dickens,…
• Wisdom of Marion 2.24: If You Had To Start Your Library Over Again What Novels Would You Choose? « Kammbia1's Blog - [...] David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (My favorite novel.  I would have never thought that in a million [...]
• Wisdom of Marion 2.25: Has Your Book Collection Changed As You’ve Gotten Older? « Kammbia1's Blog - [...] in my 40′s, I have books like David Coppefield by Dickens, Lost Mission by Athol Dickson, Winter’s Tale by…

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• Movie Review

The Personal History of David Copperfield is a beautiful new take on a classic story

It’s also a great showcase for dev patel, dreamboat.

By Joshua Rivera

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Consider, for a moment, the career of Armando Iannucci, noted Scottish satirist. He’s  famous for whip-smart and ruthless political comedies like the acidic TV show Veep and the brutally comic films In The Loop and The Death of Stalin . His latest project, out this week to rent or buy on demand, is quite different from all that. Here’s the swerve: The Personal History of David Copperfield is a relatively straightforward adaptation of Charles Dickens’ most famous novel, David Copperfield . Unlike a lot of Iannucci’s most famous work, The Personal History of David Copperfield is a warm and loving story, a period drama that, like Greta Gerwig’s Little Women , is faithful to its source material yet modern in its vision. (It does retain Iannucci’s sharp wit, which dazzles.) 

The story of The Personal History of David Copperfield is quite simple: it follows its eponymous protagonist on his journey from boy to man. Like a lot of Dickensian characters, David Copperfield (Dev Patel) begins life stuck between hope and tragedy; his father dies while he’s still young — a classic storybook setup — but his mother provides a warm and nurturing environment despite the family’s lack of means. It can’t last, though. Copperfield’s mother marries a cruel man who eventually ships him off to London. Then the young Copperfield’s life becomes one lived in transit, as he is shuttled back and forth between surrogate parents and families. Crucially, though, the young Copperfield takes lessons from his travails — from the aunt who lives in a house made from a boat to even his creditor-dodging landlord.

He writes down phrases that lodge in his brain on scraps of paper and collects them in a small box, which is his most prized possession. One day he will string those words together and, in doing so, tell the story of his life (which is what we’re watching). As the original novel was a work of autobiographical fiction, The Personal History of David Copperfield also strives to emulate the feeling of a young man learning to tell his own story. 

It begins on a stage. Copperfield introduces an audience to a play based on his life, and then the stage bleeds into the English fields outside the place Copperfield was born — an event that Copperfield, who is present, narrates. This playfulness continues throughout the film: memories and parallel events are projected on walls in front of characters, and some scenes are actually rendered as dioramas. Through it all, Copperfield’s box slowly fills. 

Next to Dev Patel’s magnetic charm and charisma, that box is perhaps the most endearing thing about the film. It’s a visual testament to how wonderful it is to meet people, and how the person you think of as you is actually an amalgamation of many different minds. Storytelling becomes survival and illumination; Copperfield clings to his box of words when he sleeps in a ditch after he’s lost everything. He turns to it again when it’s time to finally decide the person he wants to be. 

That The Personal History of David Copperfield retains its source material’s Victorian setting also makes it feel surprisingly modern, as the industrialization preceding the birth of the modern middle class echoes its contemporary implosion. Factories spring up, which means there’s work. But the work is brutal — and brutal to watch, even as we know that labor movements lie in the future. In Copperfield’s Victorian present, precarity abounds. While it’s technically possible to attain a better life, one bad stroke of luck can send you back to the gutter. Capitalism, like the God of the Old Testament, is fickle. 

But his dream of making it persists. Copperfield’s fortunes rise and fall. Though it ends in success, his real treasure is that little box of phrases. In the story, he is able to make meaning out of a socioeconomic machine outside of his grasp. The Personal History of David Copperfield , like Dickens’ novel, is an exercise in personal myth-making that is less about the protagonist’s success than the community he forms — which is just as well because it is hard, in these times, to feel good about a story of just one man making it. 

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Book Review: Couples mix in Paris as feminist voices rise in Lauren Elkin’s novel `Scaffolding’

This image released by FSG shows “Scaffolding” by Lauren Elkin. (FSG via AP)

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If you’re a Francophile with an interest in psychoanalysis, Lauren Elkin’s smart and steamy debut novel, “Scaffolding,” may be for you.

Even if you’re just a reader looking for an intriguing story of desire and love among a bright corps of professionals in France, Elkin’s book can be a beguiling puzzle — and a deep intellectual dive.

It features a swinging polyamorous cast, but the erudite Elkin — a Franco-American translator, author and essayist on arts and culture — writes with serious intent.

Set in contemporary Paris, the historic sites and charms of the city provide a backdrop for the narrative, mostly told by Anna, a 39-year-old psychoanalyst. She has had a miscarriage and fallen into depression. Taking leave from work, she finds her own psychiatrist of little help. Her husband, David, a lawyer, is away in London, busy with a long Brexit case.

Enter Clementine. She’s bright, animated, with a young art model’s physique and a zeal for feminist causes. She’s moved into a nearby apartment with her boyfriend, Jonathan, also a lawyer with a heavy workload. She has time to share with Anna.

There are baguettes from a local bakery, much wine and deep, tedious conversations amid cigarette smoke. Over time the melancholy Anna and her bubbly new friend reveal much about themselves and past intimacies.

As their lives become entwined, Anna is besieged by relentless noises of refacing work at her apartment building. Soon scaffolding is raised outside her windows and an invasive cracking and scraping of the blackened outer building crust begins. Meanwhile, inside their apartment, Anna and David finally begin renovating the old, dismal kitchen, expanding and brightening the space with removal of a wall.

The incessant grinding sounds of wrecking and reconstruction reflect the transitioning of the apartment space, but they also serve figuratively as the arc of Anna’s life moves through those rooms.

The novel is often written in spurts of short pages, thoughts and recollections akin to jottings in a journal. Elsewhere the story turns on a century or more of psychoanalytic concepts, mostly from Sigmund Freud to Jacques Lacan.

Many Americans will at least have heard of Freud. But many more will not be familiar at all with Lacan. A Parisian who died in 1981, Lacan interpreted Freud while creating daunting new theories in the field. In “Scaffolding,” Anna wrestles with these dense Lacanian thoughts, and the novel, in a way, hinges on the deeds and misdeeds of his avid followers.

The story is told in three sections. The first and last are set in Anna’s modern Paris, where Clementine and feminist allies furtively post protest signs at night, decrying male abuse and violence against women. The middle section of the book is set decades earlier, in mid-20th century France, when Lacan was alive and viewed as a maestro by his acolytes. The focus here is on the desires and torments of two new characters: Florence, a Lacan follower who wants to have a baby, and her husband, Henry, a paralegal who doesn’t.

The changing of time periods and narrators makes the story resemble a where-does-this-fit puzzle, at times a challenge. But piecing it together in the end is part of what makes “Scaffolding” a pleasure overall — maybe even therapeutic.

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