On Charles Dickens’David Copperfield
Ⅰ.Introduction
David Copperfield is a 19th century master of the British critical realism of a representative of Charles Dickens (1812-1870).When the writer was young, his family was forced to be in prison.Therefore, he was in school only for a few years, but later became a famous writer by his hard working.Because the book blended into the writer’s unusual life experience, it was also named “the favorite child in his heart” by Charles.The book is written in first person point of view, which portrays the David Copperfield grown-up course.Meanwhile, David Copperfield’s destiny symbolized the middle-cla intelligentsia questing for roads development in the 19th century British society.
Ⅱ.A Summary of the Book
The story deals with the life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity.David is born in England in about 1820.His father had died six months before he was born, and he grows up with mother and his servant Mi Peggotty who loves him very much.Seven yeas later, his mother marries Mr.Edward Murdstone who is a cruel man and always beats David for falling behind with his studies even deprives of mother’s rights of love for child.Before their marriage, Mr.Murdstone sends David to mi Peggoty’s brother’s house, in Yarmouth.Peggoty is a loyal and kind fish man and lives with a couple orphans, Emily and ham.David loves Emily in his childhood and has a happy life during this time.Because of miing her mother, David returns home.David dislikes his stepfather and always is tortured by the man.Later David is sent away to abroad school, Salem House.Here David is friends with James Steerforth who leave and then reappear later.David returns home for the holidays and finds his mother has had a baby boy.He never gets joy at home only stays in the study all day.Soon after David goes back to school, he gets the information that his mother died.He has to return home immediately.At the house, no one likes him except Peggotty.Later1
Mr.Murdstone sends him to work in a factory in London.David lives in Wilkins Micawber’s house and has a poor life.Because of owing debts, Mr.Micawber is sent to prison.David has nobody left to care for him in London, so he runs away and finally finds his great-aunt Betsey Trotwood after suffering a lot.Even though his great-aunt doesn’t like boy and is a little eccentric, she still decides to bring him up and renames him “Trotwood Copperfield”.Mi Betsey sends David to school to further his study and asks him to live in her lawyer Mr.Wickfield’ home.David makes a deep friendship with Mr.Wickfield’s daughter Agnes.At his home, David learns a lot but doesn’t like a man named Uriah Heep.The man likes flattering people and complies in appearance but opposes in heart.After graduating from high school, David meets with his friend Steerforth during a trip.They go to Yarmouth and call at Peggoty’s house.Emily succumbs to the temptation of Steerforth and elopes with him before he marries to Ham.Later David returns to London and works at the law office of Mr.Spenlow.He falls in love with Mr.Spenlow’s daughter Dora.This time, he hears that Mr.Wickfield has been trapped by Heep’s conspiracy, which makes David very angry.Later David marries Dora, but the marriage is not happy.Dora is a beautiful girl but knows nothing, and she loves David but can not be a virtuous wife.When David confronts with difficulties that his grant-aunt is going to go bankrupt, Mr.Micawber, his former landlord appears again as Heep’s secretary.After thinking about a lot, Mr.Micawber helps them to disclose Heep’s conspiracies and plots of framing up Mr.Wickfield and mi Betsey.In the meantime, Peggoty and ham finally find Emily who has been abandoned by Steerforth.When they decide to bring her back to Australia to have a new life, ham dies from rescuing a man on the ship which is in distre.The man turns out to be Steerforth.Emily spends all her life alone.David becomes a writer and has a succeful career, but Dora dies because of disease.David is in deep grief and chooses to go on a trip to forget it.During this time, he still keeps in touch with Agnes.Three years later, when he comes back to London, he finds that Agnes always loves him.They go together and have a happy life with Mi Betsey and the servant.
Ⅲ.My Views on the Book
After finishing reading the book, I find the book is different from other book I ever read.The book is in first person, so reading the book just like reading a man’s autobiography.From childhood to maturity, everything happens in succeion.Under the writer’s words, every character is shaped vividly.We know the protagonist, David Copperfield.He lives a poor life in his childhood.He is innocent and lively, so he shows directly his hatred to Mr.Murdstone when he dislikes him.He is a kind, smart and hard-working man.When coming up against difficulties, he is always brave in the face of adversity.His confidence and great efforts contribute to his succeful career and family.Besides the protagonist, there are two characters who give me deep impreion.The first one is Mr.Micawber.He is a poor man who owes a lot of debts.He may be upset when people ask for payment of debts, but later he will be happy again.I still remember his advice to David in the book.“yearly income￡20, yearly expenses ￡19.6 result happine; yearly exprees ￡20.6 result unhappine and ruin.The flower is faded, the leaf is dried up, and the sun goes down upon a desert.In short you are ruined as I am.” After saying these words, he may borrow money to buy drinks.He is such a funny man in my mind.He is a man who is always optimistic and kind-hearted.Later his help of disclosing Heep’s devilment also leads him to a peaceful life.The other character is Agnes.She is a special woman in my mind, and her thoughts and self-cultivation surpa her beauty.She is willing to tolerate Heep’s conspiracy in order to protect her father.She has a penetrating insight and can lend hand to David when David is in danger.She always loves David secretly.I thing the silent love is the greatest love in the world.Seeing the man who you love has a happy life is the happine to you.Of course, Agnes gets David’s love at last, which she deserves.
Even though the book is in first person point of view, we can still see many people’s good qualities in the hero’s eyes.Those characters inspire me to be a mature people and tell me how to deal with difficulties in the right way.
