Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield: New Critical Reconsiderations
- Ali Alhaj
Abstract
The current study aims at reconsidering critically Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield. Charles Dickens is perhaps the greatest—if not the most perfect—of Victorian story-teller whose works have become synonymous with Victorian England. Many of his novels came out in monthly installments and were awaited by his readers eagerly. His popularity lay in his ability to write gripping, sentimental stories filled with memorable characters. On a more serious level, his novels are a detailed account of both the good and bad sides of Victorian life. In the semi-autobiographical David Copperfield, the author paints a graphic picture of the living condition of the urban poor. He also denounces the exploitation of children by adults and the cruel competitive nature of Victorian society.
To conclude, characters such as Micawber (a portrait based on Dickens’s own father) has passed into folk lore and become household names, used by people who have never read a Dickens novel in their lives. Also, the writer uses too much black paint. However, he wanted to raise kindness and goodness in men’s hearts, and he used tears and laughter to reach his aims. He probably brought a little improvement in some condition, but very often, he failed to do so.
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- DOI:10.5539/ells.v5n4p31