Dickensians! discussion
David Copperfield - Group Read 1
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May - June 2020: David Copperfield: chapters 1-14
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France-Andrée - For this reason, and others later in his life - Charles Dickens never confided many of these early secret to his first biographer and very close friend John Forster. Forster was never fully informed of some great secrets, and also used his discretion about the iniquities of Charles Dickens's married life that he did know. The side read is a sanitised biography, just as Elizabeth Gaskell's The Life of Charlotte Brontë was - but we will talk about it properly in another thread :)
Another parallel is the sign David saw for "Mrs. Micawber's Boarding Establishment for Young Ladies", which never happened. Mrs. Dickens too attempted to have a boarding establishment for ladies when they moved to 4 Gower Street North at the end of 1823, but it amounted to nothing and the family had to move in April of 1824.
Young Davy always seem to lose the ones he love (did I say that before?) and yet it seems so risky to go in search of Aunt Betsy, because he remembers being told she "gently touched his mother's hair"! We are on tenterhooks now, as to what will happen to him.
Jean: Thank you for the picture of King’s Bench Prison. I think it closely resembles a modern day apartment building. Interesting. I’m also glad you explained egg “flip”. I was uncertain but thinking it was akin to eggnog. I wish I had been counting how many times the Micawbers were hopeful that “something would turn up”. I will associate that phrase with the Micawbers for the rest of my life and I might add with a smile.
I was amazed that it was considered safe to send money by mail but apparently it was. I cheered Davy’s decision to run away and seek his aunt.
Davy detected a “defiant manner” about the long-legged young man that he “did not much like” and I wish he had listened to his gut instinct. Of course, Dickens wanted to keep us on the edge of our seats.....
Jean: For fun, I looked up some Victorian slang. I can now say your chapter summary was “bang up to the elephant”!
Davy is going to have to learn to be more leery of people--and to follow his instincts. Not an auspicious start to his journey, but I am so very glad he is going to take the chance on Aunt Betsey. She has so much promise to be his salvation. He is trusting in that little pat on the head, but I do think that is an indicator of something softer inside Aunt Betsey...besides, if ever a tyke was due for a break it would be Davy.
A chapter with some hope. I am glad Davy is seeking Aunt Betsey. And, I too, would like him to be more leery of people. I am off to read ahead now, because I cannot wait.
This chapter does leave the reader hanging. Poor David is learning the hard way that not everyone is trustworthy.First the waiter at the inn who ate up most of his dinner, now the even worse young man with the cart who stole his box and money.
I hope David gets a break soon.
I too hope Davy will now meet with some honest people after being tricked again. He was so determined to be fair to his boss and not take money he hadn't earned, yet he keeps finding others dont have the same moral outlook.I was sorry to see Mr Micawber leave, though I feel the scene has been set for him to turn up again (when something turns up for him maybe). I chuckled at his speech to Davy " I have nothing to bestow but advice. Still, my advice is so far worth taking that -in short, that I have never taken it myself ..."
I found the sentence funny when David mentioned his honesty in not going away from the job immediately, when he just before had been obscuring the truth to Paggotty in his letter to her.
The Micawbers would not like to stay in prison, but like some of us are scared by the unknown and would maybe prefer the status quo. I do hope Mr. Micawber has learned his lesson and wont get in another bind like that. Mrs Micawber hystrionics make me think that her family must have pressured her to leave her husband, yes, she's exagerating, but there must be a reason for her to insist like that.Thank you Jean for the flip precision, but it's the lamb's fry that got me a little disgusted... it's a dish made with sheep's testicles (always based on the notes in my version) maybe it's because I'm a vegetarian or because eating testicles is not part of my culture, but I went: "yeeeeeeeeeeew!!!!"
I'm glad David makes the effort to find a solution to his situation, he could have let it go, go with the flow, but he prefers action to idleness and decides on the last resort he can think of, his aunt.
Not taking the money he is not owed from his employer is very honest and that's why he doesn't see it coming when he has his money stolen. I could give him the advice my mother gave me when I was young "don't count your money openly in public"; poor him though, he is learning this the hard way.
I wonder if aunt Betsey knows about David's situation at all. If she hasn't had any communication with the family at all, will she know how bad it has gotten for him? We'll see.
France-Andrew: This is a bit off topic so I’ll keep this short. (view spoiler) make an appearance in the 1988 comedy, Funny Farm. Plenty of other lol scenes that make this oldie but goodie worth watching but it did educate me on that particular (view spoiler)
Sorry, France-Andree, auto-correct is out of control!
Lori: thank you, I’m still going to do a hard pass on that particular dish. That’s a gorgeous cat by the way.
I have missed the last couple of days, but just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the comic relief provided by the Micawbers! I guess Dickens (as has been noted in Jean's comments) is giving us more insight into his own improvident family in the description of how deeply the luckless Micawbers allow their desperate situation to affect them:"At these times, Mr. Micawber would be transported with grief and mortification, even to the length (as I was once made aware by a scream from his wife) of making motions at himself with a razor; but within half an hour afterwards, he would polish up his shoes with extraordinary pains, and go out, humming a tune with a greater air of gentility than ever. Mrs. Micawber was quite as elastic. I have known her to be thrown into fainting fits by the king's taxes at three o'clock, and to eat lamb-chops, breaded, and drink warm ale (paid for with two teaspoons that had gone to the pawnbroker's) at four. One one occasion, when an execution had just been put in, coming home through some chance as early as six o'clock, I saw her lying (of course with a twin) under the grate in a swoon, with her hair all torn about her face; but I never knew her more cheerful than she was, that very same night, over a veal-cutlet before the kitchen fire," (143).
This passage is couched in a droll tone, but it makes it clear that despite the alarming nature of their dramatic reactions to events, there is no real effect on them; once the shock of the blow has been absorbed, they immediately return to their previous behavior. It leads one to believe that Dickens saw this same behavior in his own parents, which also helps explain his bitterness over the effects their actions took on him.
Rosemarie wrote: "This chapter does leave the reader hanging. Poor David is learning the hard way that not everyone is trustworthy.First the waiter at the inn who ate up most of his dinner, now the even worse young..."
With the waiter, Davy didn't even know he was being cheated, with this robbery he knows he has been robbed. Progress?
For Chapter XII, I'm just glad that Davy has taken matters into his own hands and escaped what felt almost like slavery or indentured servitude to his stepfather. I know he is being paid, but he is also given no choice--he is forced to work for him. Davy is still somewhat trusting, but he is also still a very young child with limited ability for long-range or bigger-picture thinking. Also, he has lived for most of his short life in pretty comfortable circumstances; had he been raised in the streets, he would likely have a more developed sense for predators. I'm just anxious to see him reach his destination and hope it proves to be a safe haven for him!
Let's hope so, Sara. He is older, even though still a child, and has encountered a wider variety of people.
Sara: I agree that Davy has made progress. In regard to the waiter, Davy “had no serious mistrust of him on the whole, even then”. Then being after the waiter’s joke about Davy bursting. Davy had a vague sense that there was something he didn’t quite like about the long-legged young man but the “bargain was made”. So, hopefully Davy will steer clear of trouble next time. Well, fingers crossed.
I've missed a couple of days of comments here, but am on track with my reading. The Micawbers I agree were a bit of a comic relief of sorts as others have said. They seem to represent a type of people that never quite learn their lesson. In some fashion, we all know people like this, I think! I know I do ;) The audio narration somehow made it even more humorous.David is becoming more resourceful, but not quite as worldly as he needs to be for a poor boy on his own. He's getting there rather quickly though. Keeping my fingers crossed that Aunt Betsey doesn't march him straight back where he came from.
I couldn’t stand stopping at the end of Chapter 12 late last night so I read the next couple of chapters. Oops. :) That’s quite the journey David has ahead of him: from London to Dover is about 75 miles by foot, and with only a few pennies to his name.
In chapter 12 I was struck by David's new confidence which even David calls "a desperate Idea" that becomes a "determined purpose." This comes from his memory of his mother's retelling of her encounter with Aunt Betsey. Aunt Betsey, "a dread and awful personage" had stormed in and out of the house upon learning that the boy, David, had arrived and not the expected girl. But David recalls his mother telling him that Aunt Betsy demonstrated a caring and gentle side by the stroking of her hair at that visit and conjures in his own mind that his aunt loved his mother as he did and this softened his impression of his aunt. This is what now encourages David to seek his aunt for help and he is more determined and purposeful than he had ever been previously. A small act of kindness, whether actual or perceived, can have profound effects.
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It is 10am on Saturday, and Davy is stranded in the Kent Road (East London) with nothing but the clothes he has on, and 3 half pence (or a penny ha'penny). He decides he has no choice but to walk all the way to the coast, to find his aunt and beg her to help him. (This is the country of Kent, showing the towns he will have to pass through. London is just off to the left, and Dover is on the coast, far right. It is about 76 miles):
So he sets off through the streets for Greenwich, South London, passing a great many shops on the way.
He sells his waistcoat in one shop, but the shopkeeper drives a hard bargain, and Davy only gets ninepence (9d) for it. He carries on to Blackheath, South East London, in search of Salem House, spends the night in a pile of hay, thinking of happier times at the school with his friends.
He spends all day trudging on, along the road for 23 miles, until he gets to Rochester, and then on to Chatham, eating the bread he bought the day before. Miserable and footsore, with only glares and threats from the people he sees, he knows he must now sell his jacket to buy more food:
The drunken madman - Felix O.C. Darley
This time the shopkeeper seem to be a drunk madman, who only grudgingly gives Davy money for his jacket in stages, always hoping he will take less. The local boys look on and jeer.
By sunset, Davy accepts enough to buy himself a little food, and limps along the road for 7 more miles, in the hop-picking county of Kent. Here he meets more vagrants and a tinker grabs him demanding money. When the tinker's wife tries to intervene, she receives a savage blow to the ground.
Davy carries on plodding, through the beautiful city of Canterbury, and eventually, six days after he had set off, he reaches Dover. However, none of the drivers or boatmen want to help him find his aunt, and just make jokes at his expense.
Then one driver, kinder than the rest, tells him of an old lady who sounds like she might be Miss Trotwood. What's more, he gives Davy a penny, in case his aunt does not welcome him.
Davy finds it is a long way to the houses the kind man pointed to, but when he arrives, he goes into a shop to ask about Miss Trotwood. A young woman who is a customer, says she works for Miss Trotwood, and that Davy may follow her home.
As Davy stands at the gate of the neat little cottage he becomes aware of how dirty and tatty he is; even his shoes are now just shreds:
I make myself known to my aunt - Phiz
But when his aunt comes out of the cottage, he gently tells her who he is, and can't help but tell his troubles in one long burst of tears. Aunt Betsey is so surprised that she inadvertently sits down on the gravel path.
Aunt Betsey takes him inside and gives him anything she can find in a bottle to restore him, calling for a strange man Davy had seen at the window to come and meet "David's child".
This is Mr. Dick, whom Davy decides must be mad, partly because he keeps laughing and partly because his aunt keeps urging him not to be a fool, as he can be very wise if he chooses. By dint of Mr Dick's advice, Davy is given a wash, and wrapped up in overlarge trousers of Mr Dick's, and some blankets. There are a lot of interruptions, as Aunt Betsey is passionately opposed to any donkeys coming on to the grass in front of her cottage. Since this happens every few minutes, there are many indignant calls of "Janet - donkeys!"
Davy tells his aunt about all the bad things that have happened to him, and she said none of this would have happened if he had been a girl. She calls his imagined sister "Betsey Trotwood", and also expresses her opinions about all the other people in Davy's life. When she criticises "that pagan" Peggotty, Davy is quick to defend her, as the only person who truly loves him; is faithful and devoted to him. This gives Aunt Betsey pause. Again with Mr Dick's advice, Davy has a meal and is put to bed in a lovely little room overlooking the sea, relieved and very grateful to be there.
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As often happens with Charles Dickens, Miss Betsey Trotwood is based on a real-life person: Miss Mary Pearson Strong, who used to reside at 12, High Street, Broadstairs, Kent. This is now the location of The Dickens House Museum.
When Charles Dickens went to stay in Broadstairs for the first time in 1837 he was twenty-five years old and already famous (as the author of The Pickwick Papers). Taking lodgings with Miss Pearson Strong, he carried on working on the book, and was to return to the town often. It was in Broadstairs where he found much of the inspiration for Aunt Betsey Trotwood.
Dickens's own son, Charles, wrote that Miss Strong was a kindly and charming old lady who used to feed him tea and cakes! It was Miss Pearson Strong who was:
"firmly convinced of her right to stop the passage of donkeys in the front of her cottage. Miss Strong would chase the seaside donkey-boys from the piece of garden in front of her cottage".
Although Charles Dickens was to faithfully recall the donkey incident in his character of Betsey Trotwood, Dickens moved the location to Dover. Charles Dickens's son surmised that this was done to avoid any embarrassment to Miss Strong.
Charles Dickens's description of Aunt Betsey's cottage is through the eyes of the young David Copperfield. There is a square gravelled garden full of flowers, and a parlour with old-fashioned furniture. The garden is still there, and still belongs to the house, although now it is across a busy road from "The Dickens House Museum" in Broadstairs.
It's somewhere I would very much like to visit some day!
What a terrible, long journey for a young child! David's time with the Micawbers taught him that he could trade his possessions for money so he could eat. David is not street smart yet, but he has such determination and resilience.It's good to see that Aunt Betsey has a soft side in the way she treats both David and Mr Dick. Mr Dick was humorous--he didn't have any longterm solutions to David's problems, but he always knew what he needed in the present time like a bath or a bed.
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Everyone in this chapter seems larger than life, and it culminates with one of the strangest partnerships in all his novels: Miss Betsey Trotwood, and Mr Dick.
Sorry to not respond to the most recent comments. Actually I did - and then lost it all Aaargh! The perils of computers :(
The gist of my comment was that we're all noticing Davy's progress, and yet he is still such a small child. I can't think of another bildungsroman where the protagonist has learned so much from experience, at such a young age.
Michaela - Yes, I too noticed that bit of irony! Perhaps Davy considered it was a "white lie", and told for the greater good. He knew that Peggotty would try to dissuade him, but he trusted his own judgement more.
Lori "Bang up to the elephant!" I love that expression. It sounds so quirky - I shall try to include it in my vernacular ;)
Cindy I like your appreciation of the way Davy thinks as a child (albeit one who has to develop coping mechanisms and survival skills quickly!)
What I'm find now is that the narrator makes the older David come though a little more obviously. At one point he paused, put his pen down and imagined himself back in the place young Davy was. We seem to have 4 voices altogether, although I've only spotted Charles Dickens once or twice, and it merges with the omniscient voice.
It really made me giggle (with delight!) that Debra and Tadiana couldn't resist reading on a bit, especially since you were both (as I remember) hesitant to start this book, for various reasons. Charles Dickens just gets you - or me anyway - like that, as he tells such a good story, doesn't he? But thank you for not commenting ahead, so we can anchor it a bit :)
I enjoyed the map partly because of its relation to the children's classic, Five Children and It - The Original Classic Edition. That book must take place in Kent, as they always talk of going to Maidstone, and also mention Rochester and Canterbury. This is where the BBC version brings together for the first time a young Daniel Radcliffe, who plays David, and Maggie Smith, who plays Aunt Betsey. A lot of Dickens characters are easy to read from their exterior, but Aunt Betsey is gruff on the outside and kind inside.
Robin, I'm so glad that you mentioned that Maggie Smith played Aunt Betsey in the BBC movie. I think she would be perfect for that role!
Yes, Maggie Smith would be ideal. She does gruff outside, mush inside very well. I was not disappointed by Aunt Betsey's reaction to Davy. She hardly knows what to do with him, but it is obvious what she will not do is toss him out! Mr. Dick was a terrific comic relief, like Mr. Obvious in those stupid commercials--the boy needs a bath, food and some sleep. Imagine what it felt like for Davy to be put into a bed!I also much appreciate the map, Jean. That is a hell of a journey for a 10 year old.
About Davy's deception of Peggotty, I think it was just omission and not a lie. He didn't tell her why he wanted the money, but he did tell her he would tell her later. Like asking for money and saying "trust me and don't ask". If she had said, "tell me why first", I don't believe he would have lied to her. He is so honest that he did not take the week's pay he desperately needed; he'd never tell a direct lie to anyone he loved and probably not even to a stranger.
I loved that he stuck up for Peggotty, but what I loved more was that Aunt Betsey saw that as a sign of character. I'm going to love her.
I can really understand the temptation to read ahead, I usually would! But on this occasion I'm sticking strictly to the one chapter a day and digesting it slowly, and it's a new and enjoyable Dickens experience, helped by all the great comments each day. Today I'm just smiling at Janet and the donkeys! Though it's a shame they interrupted just as Miss Betsey seemed about to melt.
Sara: Lol! I would just like to echo your comments since you’ve covered almost everything I was thinking of mentioning. In regard to Aunt Betsey’s preoccupation with the donkeys, I presume it stems in part from her objection to their leaving droppings behind.
This chapter was a relief to read. Finally, David gets a break. I hope he is able to further his education, at a good school. I cannot figure out Mr. Dick (what an awful name). Why does Aunt Betsey keep asking him, a man, what to do when she dislikes men? I am so happy to finally be reading Dickens.
I agree with everyone's comments so far, so I will just add a couple of details that caught my attention.I can just picture David wearing those layers of garments after his bath. He'd look like a Roly Poly Pudding.
As well, towards the end of the chapter, he said that he remembered what it was like to be houseless and had compassion for those others who were in the same condition.
Going back a bit, as he sleeps behind the school wall he mentions Steerforth and Traddles again. Does that mean he will meet them again some time?
Aunt Betsey is a bit like the fairy godmother. In Chapter 1, she seemed like the evil fairy but now we see her other side.
As far as Steerforth and Traddles, Dickens almost always has characters turn up again, so keep watching.
Rosemarie wrote: "Going back a bit, as he sleeps behind the school wall he mentions Steerforth and Traddles again. Does that mean he will meet them again some time?"So glad you mentioned this, because I found it so sad that he was huddled against that wall so that he could feel close to a moment in time when he was more protected and happier. I totally expect to see the both of them at a later date. Dickens seldom develops a character that broadly to just dump them and in Dickens world coincidence happens all the time.
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I have to confess that Aunt Betsey is one of my very favourite Dickens characters! She may not be as dramatic as some, but you'll be able to tell why, as we go through the novel - and perhaps you can see already :)
If Charles Dickens bases a character on a real person, you can bet your boots you'll see them again.
So how many characters in David Copperfield have been taken from real life so far, not counting the narrator? I'll say under here so you can have a think:
... (view spoiler) and there are more to come - including a wowser!
As you've all spotted, Mr Dick is "different" in his behaviour. He exhibits a kind of simple wisdom. Some critics view him as schizophrenic, and others as autistic. Aunt Betsey treats him as a sort of oracle - but she is also kind to him.
The original of Mr Dick might surprise you. I'll write a bit about him tomorrow, once Aunt Betsey tells us his name in David Copperfield.
What a long journey in so short a time.There's a sentence about the description of the shop where he sells his jacket that made me think how wondrous Charles Dickens writing can be ... and certain trays full of so many old dusty keys of so many sizes that they seemed various enough to open al the doors in the world. That made me stop of moment to imagine what it would mean (and now I realize that it could be really creepy too).
I think David has learned to be wary of people since he does start to hide when he is to encounter them after being robbed of his handkerchief.
I love Betsey Trotwood, she is one of my favorite characters. I realized through the reread I much I have forgotten of the details, but when we encounter a character I did love the first time around, the recognition of how much I loved them is there.
My favorite humorous moment in this chapter was when David was at the shop where all of the clothes were hanging from the ceiling in the half light and thought that it looked like the owner had hung all of his enemies, then sat back to enjoy himself.Aunt Betsey seems a little crazy, but I am glad that David has good food and a soft bed to sleep in.
The fact that sleeping next to his old school was comforting to David shows how much worse his life has become, considering that the school wasn't a very nice place for him when he was there.
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When Davy comes down to breakfast the next day, his aunt is deep in thought. Davy is nervous about his future, and when she tells him that she has written to Mr Murdstone he is even more apprehensive.
Betsey Trotwood, as played by Maggie Smith
Aunt Betsey starts to explain about Mr Dick.
His real name is "Richard Babley", a distant relative of hers, and he is writing a "Memorial" about the Lord Chancellor. He does not like to use his given name, because it reminds him of his past. Mr Dick's father had considered him to be a "natural" or "simple", and looked after him, as did Mr Dickens sister, until she married. However, the duty then fell to his brother, who sent him away to an asylum. Aunt Betsey stepped in and took charge of his care from then on. Ever since the time of Davy's birth, she had looked to Mr Dick for his common sense and amiability.
Mr Dick's past experience, she said, had left a legacy. Whenever he felt anxious, he would express this in an allegorical way: that Charles I was in his head. This did not mean that he was mad. Neither did the fact that he liked to fly a kite signify this. (Davy had already been out with Mr Dick to fly his kite, and although the older David on reflection wondered if Aunt Betsey was partly explaining this to herself, the young Davy accepted it.)
Davy was told that the Murdstones were to visit the next day. Sure enough, they arrived on donkeys, which immediately made Aunt Betsey cantankerous. However she sat Davy in a corner, "still bundled up" in his curious wrappings, "and fencing [him] in with a chair, as if it were a prison or a bar of justice", while they had their discussion. Mr Murdstone put his case as he saw fit, describing Davy as having a "sullen, rebellious spirit; a violent temper; and an untoward, intractable disposition", which he and his sister had attempted to improve.
After listening carefully to what he had said, Aunt Betsey largely ignored Miss Murdstone's constant interruptions, and questioned him carefully, as to whether he would have taken this approach if it were his own son. When Davy was asked, he burst into tears, and told the whole sorry story from his own point of view. Betsey Trotwood then gave her own little lecture, frankly saying what she thought about everything that had happened. When she asserted that the sight of Davy was "odious" now, because he had "tormented" Clara through him, Edward Murdstone became pale, and the two left, trying to cling on to their dignity. They relinquished the charge of him to her.
Davy was so relieved, that he hugged and kissed his aunt. She decided he would have a new name, for his new start in life, and henceforth would be called "Trotwood Copperfield". Mr Dick, who when being consulted on what to do with Davy, had given the invaluable advice, "Have him measured for a suit of clothes directly," was to have joint guardianship of him.
Edna May Oliver and Lennox Pawle as Aunt Betsey and Mr Dick, from the 1935 film
The older David recognises that this is the end of an era:
"a curtain had for ever fallen on my life at Murdstone and Grinby’s", and says it is one which he only ever remembers with reluctance.
Mod
So who is the real person, behind the character of Mr Dick? It's quite an amazing story, really.
Aunt Betsey Trotwood says:
"'I suppose ... you think Mr. Dick a short name, eh? ... You are not to suppose that he hasn't got a longer name, if he chose to use it ... Babley — Mr. Richard Babley — that's the gentleman's true name ... But don't you call him by it, whatever you do. He can't bear his name. That's a peculiarity of his. Though I don't know that it's much of a peculiarity, either; for he has been ill-used enough, by some that bear it, to have a mortal antipathy for it, Heaven knows.'"
'He has been CALLED mad ... I have a selfish pleasure in saying he has been called mad, or I should not have had the benefit of his society and advice for these last ten years and upwards'"
"Richard Babley" is based on the Victorian artist Richard Dadd, most famous for his incredibly detailed painting "The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke", which he painted in Bethlem Hospital (the original for the word "bedlam"). He had had what appears to be a psychotic illness, had murdered his father and was attempting to kill another man on a train, when he was apprehended and taken to the insane asylum.
The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke
It's in the Tate Gallery, in London. It is quite small, approx. 54 x 40cm, but incredibly precise and detailed. Surprisingly often, you find that reproductions of Richard Dadd's paintings are in fact details from this one.
I recently read an interesting bio of Richard Dadd: Richard Dadd: The Artist and the Asylum by Nicholas Tromans, and that's where I discovered he was the original for "Mr. Dick". He was a very fashionable artist during Charles Dickens's lifetime. Another interesting fact is that Richard Dadd was born in Chatham, Kent in 1817, the year before the Dickens family arrived there.
LINK HERE to read my full review of Richard Dadd's biography, if you like.
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Another fact to bear in mind, when thinking of Mr. Dick's obsession with the idea that the facts in Charles the First's head had somehow got into his own, is the timing of the original serialisation of David Copperfield. It had started in May 1849, and by the time of the 4th issue - exactly when we meet Mr. Dick - it was August 1849.
This was the Bicentenary of the execution of Charles I. No doubt most people reading the story would be aware of the importance to history of this beheaded monarch.
I thought Aunt Betsey was wonderful dealing with the Murdstones. The way she ignored Jane Murdstone put her in her place far better than engaging in argument with her. It was so funny that she decided to change David's name to Trotwood. It obviously means so much to her to have her name carry on in some form - if she can't have a niece Betsey, then this is the next best thing!
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So we now have another name for Davy. That makes 4 so far, including "Davy", when he was young, "David" by the Murdstones and Mr Quinion, and "Copperfield" by Mr Micawber.
I sometimes wonder why he is allowed to keep the surname "Copperfield" though, at "Salem House" and any time baggage or a cart was ordered. At first Mr Murdstone reprimanded Peggotty and insisted that she call call Clara "Mrs Murdstone", but he never seems to have the same attitude towards David.
Is Charles Dickens dodging the issue, or does it indicate Edward Murdstone never intended to bestow his name on David?
David is given multiple names in this book, starting with Davy, now Trotwood - as he comes in contact with different influences in his life.
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Some critics think this is one of the outward expressions of the different stages of his progress, in his journey through life. There always "extra value" with Dickens; as Pamela pointed out, calling him "Trotwood" makes his Aunt Betsey feel differently about him, as if he's a substitute for her fantasy of a niece.
I don’t know if I can do justice to this chapter but I’ll give it a shot. I am loving Dickens’ expertise in blending humor with drama and as soon as we are finished reading I want to watch Aunt Betsey in action on the screen. Maggie Smith is pitch perfect for the part, btw. As this story evolves, I am becoming more aware of just how painful Dickens’ memories must have been. It doesn’t matter that these things happened long ago because neglect, poverty and abuse remain the same and resonate no matter what year it is when you pick up this book.
On a side note, I think it’s ironic that Daniel Radcliffe played David Copperfield before he was cast as Harry Potter. It does lead to some comparison of the two, both being orphans and fending for themselves and left in the care of the worst sort imaginable.
Anyway, Davy was due for a “win” so hurrah
for Aunt Betsey Mr. Dick!
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Yes! And the fact that he used this book as a catharsis makes it even more surprising I think, that it is sooo good!
It hadn't occurred to me to compare the two roles Daniel Radcliffe played, but yes! They have major similarities - well spotted :) I had vaguely thought Maggie Smith played a similar guardianship/mentor role, to him in each and that was interesting. I seem to remember an interview in which Daniel Radcliffe said how grateful to the many talented actors in the dramatisation of the miniseries of David Copperfield, (including Maggie Smith) who were so generous with their time, and how this helped him a lot with his acting skills.
It was great that the Murdstones road up on donkeys. So they are immediately on the bad side of Aunt Betsey. This gave me hope and it just kept getting better.Aunt Betsy knows what happened. "....because you had not done wrong enough to her and hers, you must begin to train her, must you? begin to break her, like a poor caged bird, and wear her deluded life away, in teaching her to sing your notes?”
And, I whole heartily agree with this, "....you gave her the wounds she died of."
Mod
In my copy we're 300+ pages, which is plenty for a good read, and everything seems to have been resolved. We've been told that some things are behind him and will never come up again, the "goodies" have won, and the "baddies" have been given short shrift. There's been a good story arc already. The only thing stopping his novel ending right now is the big hints Charles Dickens has given us, regarding a few members of his "cast".
But since he's mentioned a curtain coming down, it seems a good idea to move on to a new thread with tomorrow's chapter (leaving this one open and current, of course). I hope this is OK with everyone.
I'm loving reading it with you all, and delighted with the broad take-up and insightful responses. I never expected that 14 chapters would garner 450+ posts! I now anticipate splitting the book into 4 threads. Charles Dickens did not split it into "books" although most of us reading on paper will have 2 volumes. We're now half way through the first one :) And I guarantee that the next quarter has some unforgettable new characters - and nail-biting "edge of the seat" action too!
This is such a wonderful chapter. David finally has a home again, with two very special people.And Mr. Dick is ever practical- David really needs new clothes.
Dickensians!
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From the start Wilkins Micawber seems an over-the-top comic creation, and his wife Emma ditto. The part where both are "acting up" and having hysterics, whether on or off stage, are just that - stagey! With all the posturing and dramatics, I can see that this would lend itself very well to being adapted for the stage and perhaps Dickens had an eye to this.
Charles Dickens's love of melodrama made Micawber's protestations that he would take a razor to himself seem hilariously funny, albeit black humour. Neither he nor his wife took this seriously I don't think. It was some sort of roleplay game habit for them - and for us.
I think this is all in keeping with Charles Dickens's wish to write memories of both his parents in fiction, as a sort of catharsis. If he had not felt able to publish his memoirs for fear of upsetting his mother (as we are given to understand) then this approach must have seemed an ideal answer. After all, we are told that his mother hardly believed anyone like Mrs Nickleby could possibly have ever existed, never mind not realising that the character of Mrs Nickleby was based on her! So Dickens must have felt pretty safe in thinking the Micawbers would remain unrecognised, as long as he made the pair extreme caricatures of reality.
In the event, as Robin I think said, both his parents died in 1851, the year after David Copperfield finished and was issued in book rather than serial form. But he wasn't to know that, so was perhaps erring on the side of caution.
Approaching a quarter of the way through, we can feel how much more light-hearted he is at root with this book, than with any other novels so far (excluding the early The Pickwick Papers). Despite all the sad, even tragic parts, there is an inner core of hope, and a very light touch.