David Copperfield

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. David’s initially happy childhood is disrupted by his mother’s marriage to Mr. Murdstone. Why do you think that blended families can be challenging? What factors make them more or less likely to succeed?

2. David has a largely unhappy experience at school (Charles Dickens often portrays schools as places marked by cruelty). What memories do you have of your early school days? Do you consider your education to have been formative of your character or worldview?

3. David loses his mother at a young age, but he benefits from a number of caring parental surrogates, including Peggoty, Aunt Betsey, and the Micawber family. Do you, or does someone you know, have experience with someone who is not a biological parent becoming a parental figure? What positive impacts can these relationships can have?

4. David first marries a woman, Dora, who is not a good match. After Dora’s death, he has a much happier marriage with Agnes. Do you think that people tend to be wiser about their partners and relationships as they grow older? Have you seen second marriages be happier than first marriages?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. David is not born wealthy and must navigate finding a career that will allow him to earn a living. Other characters, such as Mr. Micawber, also struggle with finances. How does Dickens’s portrayal of a world shaped by careers and income mark the transition to modern capitalism? Is it liberating or oppressive that David has the opportunity to shape his social and financial future through his choice of career?

2. How does the novel illustrate the gender norms that governed Victorian society? How much agency do the female characters have in the novel?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the impact of first-person narration within the novel? How does it help readers to feel closer to David? Does this style of narration create any limitations or biases?

2. The novel famously begins with David suspending judgment on “whether [he] shall turn out to be the hero of [his] own life” (17). In what ways is David a traditional hero? In what ways is he not? How does the novel define heroism and what it means to lead a good life?

3. Why do David and Steerforth have such a close bond? To what extent is Steerforth a foil for David? Is David too forgiving of Steerforth, even though Steerforth is so callous in his conduct toward Little Em’ly?

4. Compare and contrast David with Pip, the protagonist of Great Expectations. How do the two characters develop and grow in different ways? Why does David end up with a mostly happy life, while Pip perpetually struggles to find contentment? 

5. Is it surprising that David becomes a writer? What are the signs of his creativity that emerge through his character development?

6. Discuss the representation of marriages in the novel, including David’s own marriage to Dora. What factors determine if a couple is portrayed as happy, or not?