Short Summary of ‘David Copperfield’
-Charles Dickens
“David Copperfield” is the story of a child carrying the same name and his journey from
childhood till he grows old. A sad childhood is portrayed in the story where the child loses his
father at a young age. As a result, his mother marries again and his step father gives the little child
a very hard time. His step father believes that being weak in studies, David needs full attention.
After being frustrated by his father, little David one day bites him. The result is that soon he lands
into a hostel where he also faces a hard time but makes two friends- James Steerforth and Tommy
Traddles. When he returns home during vacations, he comes to know that his mother has given
birth to a baby boy. Soon both his mother and the baby boy dies and David is left alone to face the
torture of his father. His father now sends David to a factory to work.
David runs away from London to Dover and now meets his relative, Aunt Betsey. As he grows up
many of his loved ones also leave him alone by kissing death including his Aunt Betsey. At a very
young age David faces the pain that people do not face in their lifetimes. This makes him a mature
and well to do individual. But life takes a much harder lesson after he gets married to Dora Spenlow
because she dies facing the pain of her miscarriage early in their marriage. Later David marries the
beautiful and sensible Agnes and lives a beautiful life with her and their three children. He also
names his daughter after his late aunt Betsey to show how much he loved her and how much he
still misses her.
Charles Dickens is regarded as one of the best authors of children’s stories and he has proven this
again with the simple yet mature story of “David Copperfield”. Each and every reader can
experience the pain that the character of little David faces when he is a child and also when he
attains adulthood. Dickens also gives a beautiful message through his essay; a person who never
gives up cannot fail. David faces a number of hardships in his life but still never gives up.
Similarly, an individual who does not give up under any circumstances is bound to succeed no
matter what. The kids reading such stories get an inspiration and also an understanding of the fact
that life can become beautiful if an individual decides not to surrender under any circumstances.
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