CONTENTS:
Characters
Setting
Theme
Characters
Short List
Long List
Names and Significance
Short List (most important characters)
David Copperfield
Em'ly
Murdstone
Steerforth
Micawber
Betsy Trotwood
Wickfield
Uriah Heep
Agnes
Dora
Long List (characters and descriptions)
David Copperfield- a young man who made his own way in the world
Clara Copperfield- his mother and a childish but sweet woman
David Copperfield, Sr- his father, who died before he was born
Clara Peggotty- David's nurse and a compassionate and honest woman
Barkis (no first name given)- the driver who is willin' to marry Clara Peggoty and later does so
Daniel Peggoty- her brother, an honest and kind old seaman
Little Em'ly- David's first love; like a daughter to Daniel but actually his niece
Ham- Like a son to Daniel; humble but as honest as they come
Mrs. Gummidge- the wife of Daniel's late partner who lives with him and complains
Edward Murdstone- the vile and perhaps murderous gentleman who marries Clara Copperfield; he sends David to Salem House and the Murdstone and Grinby; also the name of Edward and Clara's son (who dies when she does)
Jane Murdstone- his sister, also violent
Mr. Creakle- the cruel headmaster of Salem House; a Tartar and highly abusive; Mrs. Creakle is his wife and he has a daughter (unnamed also) who attracts David and Steerfoth
Mr. Mell- a humble and poor teacher at Salem House
James Steerforth- head boy at Salem House and David's childhood idol; he calls David "Daisy" to emphasize his naivety; he shows a penchant for doing injustice in firing Mr. Mell and later lives up to it by running away with Emily and then dropping her
Tommy Traddles- David's friend at Salem House; an unlucky boy who draws skeletons because he is constantly beaten; he does as well as can be expected in life and marries his first love
Wilkins Micawber- improvident but also hopeful; a serial debtor who has many children and a wife and takes David in as a boarder while he works at the factory and remains his lifelong friend; he exposes Heep and then makes his fortune in Australia
Betsy Trotwood- David's aunt who abandons him on the night he is born because he is not a girl; he runs away to her house and she treats him kindly and remains a second mother, telling David to never be mean or cruel in anything
Mr. Dick- the kite-making, memoir-writing companion to Betsy who gives good advice but is not all there; his insight is uncanny, and he sets the relationship between Dr. Strong and Annie right
Mr. Wickfield- Betsy Trotwood's lawyer; David lodges with him in Canterbury and realizes his secret drinking problem and also his daughter
Agnes Wickfield- David's companion in Canterbury is a like a sister to him; she marries him later after Dora dies and he does his soul-searching
Uriah Heep- humble and horrible, Heep is Wickfield's assistant who tries to scheme him out of his house and home, exposed by Micawber and David
Dr. Strong- David's teacher who is writing a dictionary; his wife is much younger and David's observance of their relationship shapes his early doubts about marriage
Annie Strong- may or may not be cheating on Dr. Strong with Jack Maldon (my verdict- probably not)
Jack Maldon- her cousin, who goes to India; he may have been dishonorable in his intentions to Annie without her recirprocating
Rosa Dartle- in love with Steerforth, she was his nurse and still lives with his mother; she also hates him
Littimer- Steerforth's manservant; he attempts to marry Emily after Steerforth drops her
Miss Mowcher- Steerforth's friend; a dwarf who sells cosmetics; his relations with her give the reader insight into the pity that dominates Steerforth's character (which includes self-pity)
Martha Endell- a girl whose ruin foreshadows Emily's
Mr. Spenlow- the lawyer David works for at Doctors' Commons; David falls in love with his daughter Dora but doesn't want to tell him; he dies and gives David an opening when he sees that nothing was left to Dora and she is no longer rich
Dora Spenlow- David's first wife; she is a childish and foolish girl but loves him and tries for him; she dies young after losing their child at birth or shortly thereafter (unnamed)
Character Names and Significance
Often Dickens writes stories with a very intentional use of names. One example is in Mr. Micawber's name, which invokes the work macabre, which means "dwelling on the gruesome" or "tending to produce horror in a beholder" ( http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=macabre )
I would think that Steerforth and Dartle have qualities, as does Dora. For instance Steerforth was missing direction in his life, Rosa Dartle is often described as having darting and cold eyes and that fits her personality, and Dora was meant only to be adored.
Murdstone is a very clear use of the name- his name is terrible, as is he, and brings to mind all sorts of images- murder and stone, etc.
The insinuation about the name David Copperfield being the opposite of Charles Dickens' initials is unintentional and if anything was subconscious. A friend mentioned it to him after the book had been published and it was only then that he realized it.
Another way of looking at this is in nicknames, which have even more meaning. For instance, Dickens was fond of attaching the word "little" onto certain character's names: Little Em'ly in this story (Little Paul, Little Dorrit, Little Nell, etc)- this is done only to indicate innocence and victimhood and is very meaningful.
There is also David's nicknames: Steerforth calls him "Daisy" and Betsy Trotwood calls him "Trot". When certain people have pet names for a character there is that added layer of meaning- what one character means to another. In both cases, the person gives the nickname to exhibit ownership and protection over David. Steerforth does so to show how sweet and innocent David is and how little he understands his (Steerforth's) destruction, removing the blame from David. Betsy Trotwood does it for two reasons- to purge David of his old identity until he is ready for a new on and to show her love and support for her. The meaning of the word "Trot" is the same for her as it is for him, in the significance of their journey together.
There are others: Dr. Strong and Mr. Creakle, for example, are opposite and indicate how different the two men are. They also show one's weakness, in that Creakle has to starve and beat the boys, with another's strength, in that Dr. Strong actually educates them.
I looked up the word "mell" to see if it had any significance- it seems to be based on a French word relating to "hurriedly; indiscreetly; carelessly, heedlessly, rashly, thoughtlessly". That does seem appropriate for Mr. Mell, and Steerforth's treatment of him.
More examples- what's in a name
Copperfield- prospects
Murdstone- heart of stone, murderer
Grimby- Grim
Trotwood- independence
Dora- adorable, simple, sweet
Spenlow- spending habits, lack of money
Steerforth- a driving force in David's life
Heep- the "Heep" of infamy; untrustworthy
Micawber- micabre
Barkis- faithful (like a dog)
Setting
Setting Short List- Important Places
Blunderstone- village where David is born
The Rookery (Blunderstone Rookery)- the house where DC is born
Yarmouth- the seaside village of the Peggotys
Salem House- the horrible school where David is first sent
Murdstone and Grinby- the wine bottling company where David is sent to work
Marshalsea- London's infamous debtor's prison to where Micawber is sent
Highgate- Steerfoth lived there with his mother and Rosa Dartle
Doctors' Commons- the family law court where David first works
Setting Long List
The first setting is the Rookery, which is a joke because there are no rooks there. This is where David and his mother lived before she dies.
The second most important setting is Yarmouth. Much happens here. This is where Clara Peggotty takes David while his mother marries Mr. Murdstone and he meets Daniel, Mrs. Gummidge, Ham and little Em'ly. It is where he takes Steerforth and from whence Steerforth steals little Em'ly from Ham, and likewise where Ham and Steerforth are drowned as Ham tries to save Steerforth in the storm.
Salem House is the terrible school where David was sent by the Murdstones. Here he meets Steerforth and Thomas Traddles, who is continually beaten by Mr. Creakle.
LONDON
Murdstone and Grimby- this is where David is sent to work after his mother dies
The Marshalsea- the debtor's prison into which David's new friend Mr. Micawber is thrown.
Doctor's Commons- where David is first employed with the Spenlows
The Spenlow Home- is near London
David has several lodgings and a cottage here or near here
DOVER
Betsy Trotwood's cottage- where David runs to after fleeing London, and where he stays happily until sent to the Wickfields.
CANTERBURY
Where the Wickfields live and where David meets Agnes and goes to school at Dr. Strong's.
HIGHGATE
Where Steerforth lives with his mother and Rosa Dartle.
AUSTRALIA AND SWITZERLAND
None of the actual story takes place here, but the Micawbers are successful in Australia and David broods in Switzerland before returning to London.
THEMES
Theme Short List
Undisciplined Heart
Good and Evil
Autobiographical- Great Expectations and David Copperfield
Theme Short List
love
friendship
child abuse/treatment of children
success and failure
family
good vs. evil
"undisciplined heart".
Undisciplined Heart
David ponders phrases about love at the end of chapter 45:
'The first mistaken impulse of an undisciplined heart.'
'My love was founded on a rock.'
Here's a later quote from chapter 48
'The first mistaken impulse of an undisciplined heart.' Those words of Mrs. Strong's were constantly recurring to me, at this time; were almost always present to my mind. I awoke with them, often, in the night; I remember to have even read them, in dreams,
inscribed upon the walls of houses. For I knew, now, that my own heart was undisciplined when it first loved Dora; and that if it had been disciplined, it never could have felt, when we were married, what it had felt in its secret experience."
Why did did David's marriage not go as he wanted? The answer is the same (also from 48):
'There can be no disparity in marriage, like unsuitability of mind and purpose.' Those words I remembered too. I had endeavoured to adapt Dora to myself, and found it impracticable. It remained for
me to adapt myself to Dora; to share with her what I could, and be happy; to bear on my own shoulders what I must, and be happy still. This was the discipline to which I tried to bring my heart, when I began to think. It made my second year much happier than my first; and, what was better still, made Dora's life all sunshine.
Good and Evil
An interesting exercise is to look at the book from the common Dickensian theme of good versus evil.
Good:
Micawber
Agnes
Betsy Trotwood
Dr. Strong
Peggottys
Barkis
Traddles
Evil:
Murdstones
Uriah Heep
Creakle
Rosa
In between:
Steerforth
Mr. Mell
David Copperfield and Great Expectations: Two Contrasting Autobiographies
Both were ambitious and successful. The difference is mainly related to the period in his life when he wrote the books. David Copperfield was written when he was young, wildly successful and happily in love. This is reflected in the book's happy ending. Dickens still felt betrayed by his father (portrayed in Micawber) and his mother (Mrs. Copperfield) for making him work in a factory. He actually was angrier at his mother, and his portrayal of the sweet but rather naive Clara shows how misused he felt (she marries Murdstone and breaks up David's happy home). Overall Copperfield has a storybook ending- Dickens youthful portrayal of his life through the honest, winning and successful David. Pip on the other hand never finds love, nor does he ever have a real fortune. He squanders his wealth and alienates the people who love him. This later self-portrait shows not only the misgivings Dickens felt about his earlier success at a time when his career was slumping, but also problems in love and marriage. Pip's story is much dimmer and drearier than David's. It is a reflection of an older Dickens on life's real struggle. Pip's adventures are not as cartoonish as David's, nor do they end as happily.
More help on David Copperfield:
All information herein is copyrighted Literature Made Simple 2002.
Cite Literature Made Simple in MLA
Tracy, Trinity. "Notes on David Copperfield." Dickens Made Simple. 2002. http://www.dickensmadesimple.com (date of access).
