David Copperfield

This article is about the novel by Charles Dickens. For the American illusionist, see David Copperfield (illusionist). For other uses, see David Copperfield (disambiguation).
David Copperfield

Cover, first serial edition of 1849
Author Charles Dickens
Original title The Personal History, Adventures,
Experience and Observation
of David Copperfield
the Younger
of Blunderstone Rookery
Illustrator Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz)
Cover artist Hablot Knight Browne (Phiz)
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre Novel (Bildungsroman)
Published Serialized May 1849 – November 1850; book format 1850
Publisher Bradbury & Evans
Media type Print
Pages 624 (first book edition)[1]
Preceded by Dombey and Son (1848)
Followed by Bleak House (1852–3)

David Copperfield, is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens. The novel's full title is, The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account).[note 1] It was first published as a serial in 1849–50, and as a book in 1850. Many elements of the novel follow events in Dickens' own life, and it is often considered as his veiled autobiography.[2] It was Dickens' favorite among his own novels. 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."[3]

Plot summary

The story follows the life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity. David was born in Blunderstone, Suffolk, England, six months after the death of his father. David spends his early years in relative happiness with his loving, childish mother and their kindly housekeeper, Peggotty. When he is seven years old his mother marries Edward Murdstone. During the marriage, partly to get him out of the way and partly because he strongly objects to the whole proceeding, David is sent to lodge with Peggotty's family in Yarmouth. Her brother, fisherman Mr Peggotty, lives in a houseboat with his adopted relatives Em'ly and Ham, and an elderly widow, Mrs Gummidge. Little Em'ly is somewhat spoilt by her fond foster father, and David is in love with her. On his return, David is given good reason to dislike his stepfather and has similar feelings for Murdstone's sister Jane, who moves into the house soon afterwards. Between them they tyrannise his poor mother, making her and David's lives miserable, and when in consequence David falls behind in his studies, Murdstone attempts to thrash him – partly to further pain his mother. David bites him and soon afterwards is sent away to a boarding school, Salem House, under a ruthless headmaster, Mr. Creakle. There he befriends an older boy, James Steerforth, and Tommy Traddles. He develops an impassioned admiration for Steerforth, perceiving him as something noble, who could do great things if he would.

David goes home for the holidays to learn that his mother has given birth to a baby boy. Shortly after David returns to Salem House, his mother and her baby die, and David returns home immediately. Peggotty marries the local carrier, Mr Barkis. Murdstone sends David to work for a wine merchant in London – a business of which Murdstone is a joint owner.[note 2] David's landlord, Wilkins Micawber, is arrested for debt and sent to the King's Bench Prison, where he remains for several months, before being released and moving to Plymouth. No one remains to care for David in London, so he decides to run away.

"The friendly Waiter and I"

He walks from London to Dover, to his only relative, his eccentric yet kind-hearted great-aunt Betsey Trotwood. She had come to Blunderstone at his birth, only to depart in ire upon learning that he was not a girl. However, she takes pity on him and agrees to raise him, despite Murdstone's attempt to regain custody of David, on condition that he always tries to 'be as like his sister, Betsey Trotwood' as he can be, meaning that he is to endeavour to emulate the prospective namesake she was disappointed of. David's great-aunt renames him "Trotwood Copperfield" and addresses him as "Trot", and it becomes one of several names which David is called by in the course of the novel.

David's aunt sends him to a far better school than the last he attended. It is run by Dr Strong, whose methods inculcate honour and self-reliance in his pupils. During term, David lodges with the lawyer Mr Wickfield, and his daughter Agnes, who becomes David's friend and confidante. Wickfield has a secretary, the 15-year-old Uriah Heep.

By devious means Uriah Heep gradually gains a complete ascendancy over the aging and alcoholic Wickfield, to Agnes' great sorrow. Heep hopes, and maliciously confides to David, that he aspires to marry Agnes. Ultimately with the aid of Micawber, who has been employed by Heep as a secretary, his fraudulent behaviour is revealed. At the end of the book, David meets him in a prison, for attempting to defraud the Bank of England.

After comleting school, David learns to be a proctor. During this time, due to Heep's fraudulent activities, his aunt's fortune has gone down. David begins struggle for his life. He joins in employment under his former teacher Doctor Strong, as a secretary and also starts to learn shorthand, with the help of his former school-friend Traddles. Upon learnig shorthand, he joins in a newspaper for parliementary debate reporting. With considerable help from Agnes and his own great dilligence, hard work and discipline, David ultimately finds fame and fortune as an author, by writing fiction.

David's romantic but self-serving school friend, Steerforth, seduces and dishonours Emily, offering to marry her off to one of his servants before finally deserting her. Her uncle Mr Peggotty manages to find her with the help of London prostitute Martha, who had grown up in their county. Ham, who had been engaged to marry her before the tragedy, died in a storm off the coast in attempting to succour a ship; Steerforth was aboard the same and also died. Mr Peggotty takes Emily to a new life in Australia, accompanied by Mrs. Gummidge and the Micawbers, where all eventually find security and happiness.

David marries the beautiful but naïve Dora Spenlow, but their marriage proves unhappy for David. Dora dies after failing to recover from a miscarriage early in their marriage. After Dora's death, Agnes encourages David to return to normal life and his profession of writing. While living in Switzerland, David realizes that he loves Agnes. Upon returning to England, after a failed attempt to conceal his feelings, David finds that Agnes loves him too. They quickly marry and in this marriage he finds true happiness. David and Agnes then have at least five children, including a daughter named after his great-aunt, Betsey Trotwood.

Characters

David falls for Dora Spenlow.
Agnes Wickfield, David's second wife.

Publication

Like most of Charles Dickens' novels, David Copperfield was published in 19 monthly one-shilling instalments, containing 32 pages of text and two illustrations by Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"), with the last being a double-number:

Major editions

Title page of a copy of the first edition by Bradbury & Evans, signed by Dickens
and many others

Film and TV adaptations

David Copperfield has been filmed on several occasions:

Notes

  1. Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see "Titles, Titling, and Entitlement to", by Hazard Adams in The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Autumn, 1987), pp. 7–21.
  2. The grim reality of hand-to-mouth factory existence echoes Dickens's own travails, in a blacking factory when he was just a boy.

References

  1. 1 2 McCrum, Robert (30 December 2013). "The 100 best novels: No 15 – David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)". theguardian.com. The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  2. "Autobiographical Elements in Charles Dickens' David Copperfield" (PDF). By The Book. The Knowledge Network. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  3. Dickens, Charles (1917). "Preface to the Charles Dickens Edition". The Personal History and Experience of David Copperfield the Younger. Vols. VII & VIII. Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction via bartleby.com.
  4. "Dickensblog". typepad.com.

Bibliography

Online editions

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Adaptations


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