David Copperfield | Characters & Character Analysis

David Copperfield Characters

David Copperfield

David Copperfield recounts his life from birth. David is an impressionable boy who is easily swayed by stronger personalities. Others, who prey on his innocence, routinely take advantage of him. David's experiences include stints at two schools, one bad and the other good. He also works as a child laborer and experiences the loneliness and desolation of homelessness.

David is fortunate in the many people who grow to love and protect him, including his former nurse, Peggotty, and his aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood. Under their love, David is able to thrive, and eventually becomes a novelist.

One of the main conflicts in David's life stems from his mother, who was weak willed and impractical. Her unfortunate marriage to Mr. Murdstone colors all of David's future relationships with women as he chases after those that are most similar to his mother, including his first wife, Dora. As David matures, however, he...
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