Book review
David Copperfield
David Copperfield was born half orphaned - six months after his father's death. In the childhood David was surrounded by love and care of his mother and nurse Peggotty. But his mother married a second time. After the wedding his mother has changed: now she is afraid to caress him and always obeys her husband Mr. Murdstone. When they have settled the sister of Mr. Murdstone, the boy's life becomes completely unbearable. The boy is taught at home, under the angry look of his stepfather and his sister; he grows dull from fear and can not answer at the lessons. The only joy of his life is his father's books, which, fortunately, were in his room. One day he bit the hand of his stepfather and for this he was sent to school. Soon his mother died, and David did not return to school: Mr. Murdstone explained that education was worth the money, and it would not come in handy. He sends David to London to work in the trading house, a business of which Murdstone is a joint owner. So in ten years, David enters into an independent life i.e. he becomes a slave of the company. Together with the other boys, always hungry, he washes bottles whole days. David was very tied to the family of the owner of his apartment Mr. Micawber, but they had to leave him as they fell in debtors' prison, and after release went to seek their fortune in Plymouth. David decides to run away to his grandmother Trotwood, who after some time becomes a legal guardian of David. He finally returned to normal life. When he finished the school, David's grandmother offers him a trip to London to visit Peggotty and to choose a business that he likes. In London, he meets Steerforth with whom he has studied at Salem House and invites him to go to Yarmouth. Steerforth seduces Emily, and on the eve of the wedding, she runs away with him.
The grandmother offers David to pursue a career of a lawyer, and he agrees. In London, he meets again Tommy Traddles, his friend at Salem House, who is also working at a legal field. David falls in love with Dora, the daughter of Mr. Spenlow, owner of the company, where he trained. Soon grandmother of David becomes bankrupt; she arrives in London, surrendering her home in Dover to support herself. David starts to work as a secretary of Dr. Strong, who retired and settled in London, in addition, studying stenography. The grandmother runs the economy so that David seems that he becomes richer. Reaching adulthood, David marries. This marriage was short-lived: after two years Dora dies without having time to grow up. Mr. Peggotty finds Emily and now intends to emigrate to Australia, where no one will be interested in the past of Emily. Meanwhile, Mr. Micawber, unable to participate in fraud of Uriah Heep, with the help of Traddles exposes him. Grandmother and other customers were returned their wealth.
After the death of Dora, David, who became a famous writer, goes to the continent to work and to overcome his grief. When he returned three years later, he married Agnes, who, as it turned out, loved him all life. Peggotty is nursing David’s children; Traddles also married and is very happy. Uriah Heep is kept in prison, led by Mr. Creakle. Thus, the life is in its place.
Works Cited
Charles Dickens. David Copperfield: the personal history and experience of David Copperfield the younger. 1850
