The one bright spot in his life is the Micawbers: an impoverished but good-natured family David lodges with. David is miserable and longs to continue with his education. Murdstone puts David to work in a London counting-house that he owns. David's schooling ends abruptly, however, when he hears that both his mother and her new baby have died.Īfter Clara's funeral, Mr.

David's time at the school is not entirely unhappy, as he befriends Tommy Traddles, a kindhearted boy, and James Steerforth, an older, wealthy, and charismatic student who takes David under his wing. The Murdstones spitefully send David away to a boarding school run by an abusive headmaster named Mr. and Miss Murdstone are bullies determined to have their way, and they use David as a pawn in their efforts to train Clara to behave 'firmly.' Murdstone's sister, Miss Murdstone, has come to live with them. When he and Peggotty return home, however, David learns that his mother and Mr. Peggotty's niece, little Em'ly, whom David becomes infatuated with. Peggotty, who is a fisherman in Yarmouth. Eventually, Peggotty takes David on a trip to see her brother, Mr. Murdstone, whom David instinctively dislikes and fears. When David is seven or eight years old, however, Clara begins to spend a great deal of time with a man named Mr. David's earliest memories are of a happy, makeshift family consisting of himself, his mother Clara, and the motherly housekeeper, Peggotty. This takes place six months after the death of his father (also named David Copperfield).

David Copperfield states his intention to tell the story of his life, beginning from the very moment of his birth.

David copperfield dickens