David Copperfield

The Personal History and Experience of David Copperfield the Younger (for Chapter 1-3 see PDF 1) by CHARLES DICKENS originally appeared in serial form (1849), like most of his works. David Copperfield is born six months after his father's death. His mother, a beautiful young woman, marries again, and another child, David's brother is born. Mr Murdstone, the second husband, is very strict. He sends David away to Salem House, a boarding school, where he is badly treated.
After the early death of David's mother, David is taken from school and sent to London to start employment at Murdstone & Grinby, a wine merchant. David is poorly paid for the dirty work he does there. In London, he has lodgings with the Micawber family, who are constantly short of money.

Utterly hopeless, David runs away from London in order to find his aunt, Betsey Trotwood, in Dover. She had cut off all ties to David and his mother, when he was a small child, but now she receives him with open arms and offers him a place to live. With the help of her lawyer, Mr Wickfield, she arranges for David's education. David continues his education at Dr Strong's school in Canterbury and lives in Mr Wickfield's home.
He meets Mr Wickfield's daughter Agnes who has taken charge of her father's household after her mother's death, and Uriah Heep, Mr Wickfield's clerk, whose false modesty is disgusting to David.

Having finished his education, David goes to London in order to become a proctor. He has to change his plans for the future, however, after his aunt has suffered severe financial losses. So he earns his living as a stenographer in court and starts writing novels. He renews his friendship with Traddles, a fellow-student from Salem House. Traddles's important function will be to sort out right from wrong at the end of the novel.
David marries Dora Spenlow, a delicate and childlike young woman, who dies after only a few years. By that time, David has become quite a successful writer. He becomes aware of his love for Agnes who has been his loyal friend since his childhood. Agnes becomes his second wife.

Other persons who play an important part in David's life are the persons around Pegotty, the nurse who looked after David when he was a child: her brother Mr Pegotty who takes care of his nephew Ham, and Ham's pretty cousin Emily.
Mr Micawber and his family turn up again and again throughout the novel, until they finally leave for Australia to start a new life there.
Uriah Heep and Steerforth, David's former friend at Salem House, represent the dark characters of the novel who cause much misery to the persons David loves.