David Copperfield (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Charles Dickens
- First Published: 1849
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: Early nineteenth century
- Setting: England
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Bildungsroman
- Subjects: Justice, Maturation or coming of age, Family or family life, Self-discovery, Love or romance, Authors or writers, Nineteenth century, Social issues, Autobiography, Friendship, Abandoned children, Schools or school life, Poverty or poor people, England or English people, Theft, Stepfamily, Abandonment, Boys, Victorian era or Victorianism
- Locales: London, England, Australia, Canterbury, England
Characters Discussed
David Copperfield, the orphaned hero- narrator whose story of his early years and growing maturity is one of the best-known works of fiction in the English language. A posthumous child, extremely sensitive in retrospect, he first experiences cruelty and tyranny when his young widowed mother marries stern Mr. Murdstone, and he quickly forms emotional alliances with the underprivileged and the victimized. His loyalties are sometimes misplaced, as in the case of Steerforth, his school friend who seduces Little Em’ly, but his heart remains sound and generous...
[The entire page is 2587 words long]

