Discuss david copperfield as an autobiography kal novel
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It is proverbially said--"It's in vain... to recall the past, unless it works some influence upon the present." In his biography of Dickens, Edgar Johnson notes that "Few novelists have ever captured more poignantly the feeling of childhood, the brightness and magic and terror of the world as seen through the eyes of a child and colored by his dawning emotions."Norrie Epstein, in The Friendly Dickens, notes that by writing about his parents and reliving his childhood, Dickens triumphed over his past and would never again need to make a neglected child the central focus of a novel. David Copperfield's life was a veiled image of the author's life, though the novel still maintains the potent themes that made Dickens legendary.
Dickens portrayed his parents and his attitude towards them in many of the characters in David Copperfield. Dickens' parents were high-spirited, airy people who were not, in Dickens' eyes, good parents. In David Copperfield, Dickens' mother, Elizabeth Dickens, was portrayed as the lovely widow, Clara Copperfield. Clara was the naive and girlish mother of David. Behind David's back, she married Edward Murdstone, a cruel, heartless man. Thus, Clara Copperfield became a "...most unhappy, most unfortunate baby." David felt betrayed by his mother, just as Dickens felt betrayed by his own mother. After Dickens' father was arrested because of his debts, his mother sent Charles to work at the terrible Warren's Blacking Factory, a shoe-making factory. This experience scarred and alienated Dickens for life and was a theme in many of his books. Dickens never forgave his mother for sending him away and displayed his disaffection in Clara Copperfield's death.
Dora Spenlow, David's first wife, was also another image of Elizabeth Dickens, Charles' mother. Like Mrs. Copperfield, Dora had a blithe personality and was beautiful, angelic but naive. She enchanted David and he instantaneously loved her. "I was a captive and a slave. I loved Dora Spenlow to distraction! She was more than human to me. She was a Fairy, a Sylph...I was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant." David becomes obsessed upon knowing her and was even jealous when he saw her speaking to an elderly gentleman. When they got married, however, Dora was always preoccupied with her dog, Jip, she would cry like a child until David could comfort her. When she died, David realized how childish she was. Both his mother and his wife's death left David with memories of their fatal innocence.
Although David's father died before the novel began, this did not mean Dickens' forget about his own father. John Dickens' personality was echoed in many of the characters in David Copperfield, all showing Dickens' various feelings towards his father. Mr. Edward Murdstone was the first incarnation of John to be met in the novel. Murdstone was considered one of the important 'villains' of the novel because of his cruel and vindictive manner towards the other characters. He, along with his equally wicked sister Jane, first enchanted and then ruined Mrs. Copperfield. She died while young David was at Salem House, the ghastly school to which Murdstone had sent him. As David's aunt Miss Betsy says, "...[Clara] was a loving baby...and through the best part of her weakness, you [Mr. Murdstone] gave her the wounds she died of." Miss Betsy had politely implied that Mr. Murdstone, along with his sister, broke David's mother's spirit and thereby killed her.
Interestingly, Mr. Murdstone could be broken down to Mr. 'murder' 'stone.' Both words capture his character perfectly. While John Dickens was never so harsh or callous, Murdstone represents Charles' hate for his father's failure and his financial incompetence. "Chief among [David's companions was] the startling figure... of [Mr.] Macawber..." Mr. Wilkins Macawber was the second character that was portrayed, though far less evilly, as Dickens' father. Mr. Macawber was a friend of David's who had a delightful personality and a devoted wife. Macawber, like John, was imprisoned in the Marshalsea jail, due to debt issues. Macawber, which sounds like 'macabre,' may have been the well intentioned but negligent side Dickens saw in his father.
Dickens portrayed his parents and his attitude towards them in many of the characters in David Copperfield. Dickens' parents were high-spirited, airy people who were not, in Dickens' eyes, good parents. In David Copperfield, Dickens' mother, Elizabeth Dickens, was portrayed as the lovely widow, Clara Copperfield. Clara was the naive and girlish mother of David. Behind David's back, she married Edward Murdstone, a cruel, heartless man. Thus, Clara Copperfield became a "...most unhappy, most unfortunate baby." David felt betrayed by his mother, just as Dickens felt betrayed by his own mother. After Dickens' father was arrested because of his debts, his mother sent Charles to work at the terrible Warren's Blacking Factory, a shoe-making factory. This experience scarred and alienated Dickens for life and was a theme in many of his books. Dickens never forgave his mother for sending him away and displayed his disaffection in Clara Copperfield's death.
Dora Spenlow, David's first wife, was also another image of Elizabeth Dickens, Charles' mother. Like Mrs. Copperfield, Dora had a blithe personality and was beautiful, angelic but naive. She enchanted David and he instantaneously loved her. "I was a captive and a slave. I loved Dora Spenlow to distraction! She was more than human to me. She was a Fairy, a Sylph...I was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant." David becomes obsessed upon knowing her and was even jealous when he saw her speaking to an elderly gentleman. When they got married, however, Dora was always preoccupied with her dog, Jip, she would cry like a child until David could comfort her. When she died, David realized how childish she was. Both his mother and his wife's death left David with memories of their fatal innocence.
Although David's father died before the novel began, this did not mean Dickens' forget about his own father. John Dickens' personality was echoed in many of the characters in David Copperfield, all showing Dickens' various feelings towards his father. Mr. Edward Murdstone was the first incarnation of John to be met in the novel. Murdstone was considered one of the important 'villains' of the novel because of his cruel and vindictive manner towards the other characters. He, along with his equally wicked sister Jane, first enchanted and then ruined Mrs. Copperfield. She died while young David was at Salem House, the ghastly school to which Murdstone had sent him. As David's aunt Miss Betsy says, "...[Clara] was a loving baby...and through the best part of her weakness, you [Mr. Murdstone] gave her the wounds she died of." Miss Betsy had politely implied that Mr. Murdstone, along with his sister, broke David's mother's spirit and thereby killed her.
Interestingly, Mr. Murdstone could be broken down to Mr. 'murder' 'stone.' Both words capture his character perfectly. While John Dickens was never so harsh or callous, Murdstone represents Charles' hate for his father's failure and his financial incompetence. "Chief among [David's companions was] the startling figure... of [Mr.] Macawber..." Mr. Wilkins Macawber was the second character that was portrayed, though far less evilly, as Dickens' father. Mr. Macawber was a friend of David's who had a delightful personality and a devoted wife. Macawber, like John, was imprisoned in the Marshalsea jail, due to debt issues. Macawber, which sounds like 'macabre,' may have been the well intentioned but negligent side Dickens saw in his father.
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