|David Copperfield by Charles Dickens|
The Old Story
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David Copperfield is the story of a young man who encounters many hardships in his life. He starts out as an impoverished, parentless child, eventually gets adopted by a family member, and becomes an author of his time. David Copperfield was written in 1849-1850, as an autobiography of Dickens as well as David Copperfield. As the reader of David Copperfield, you will find that it is at times entertaining, musing, emotional, and extremely long.
David Copperfield starts out with David being born, and a visit from his Aunt Betsy, who automatically runs out the door when she hears that David is a boy, and not a girl as she has wanted it to be. He grows up living with his mother, Clara Copperfield, and his nurse, Clara Peggotty. Up until the age of eight, his mother and Peggotty are the only ones he has known in life, so far. When at the age of eight, his mother decides to marry Mr. Murdstone, a very dark, gloomy and treacherous man, who eventually begins to break down the “family barrier” that David, has always known, by “discipline.” Mr. Murdstone sends David away to Salem House, an academy school for boys with strict regiments. David meets two major students here who, are and will be, influential later in his coming years. David’s mother eventually dies within a few months of marrying Mr.Mursdtone, and he is then sent away to a blacking warehouse in London. From there, he decides to run away to his Aunt Betsy, who then adopts him.
David eventually gets an education with Dr. Strong while rooming with the Wickfields. At the end of education, he and his Aunt decides to have him move to London to practice in the Commons. David falls in love with Mr. Spenlow’s, his boss, daughter, and gets married after a few years.
Throughout the whole novel, David is faced with several challenges in his life, as a young boy, a teen and an adult. These challenges change and shape the way in which David sees the world that he lives in. Along with these challenges, David also encounters a cast of unique characters that all leave an indelible impact on his life. As David is growing into adulthood, he learns the way to society and becomes a successful man as he has desired.