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David Copperfield (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

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...

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