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David Copperfield
Charles Dickens
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
The hero of my own life
What does David mean when he wonders whether he will be the hero of his own life?
Keep the conversation going
- Is he the hero, by the end?
- How does an older man telling his childhood change the story?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What does David mean when he wonders whether he will be the hero of his own life?
Keep the conversation going
- Is he the hero, by the end?
- How does an older man telling his childhood change the story?
How do the Murdstones change David's childhood?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of his mother's choice to marry Mr Murdstone?
- What does Peggotty's love mean to him?
Why is Mr Micawber so lovable, despite his failures?
Keep the conversation going
- What does 'something will turn up' say about his way of life?
- How does Micawber finally prove his worth?
How does Aunt Betsey change David's life, and how does he change hers?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of Mr Dick?
- Why does she give up her fortune without complaint?
Why does David admire Steerforth so much, even after he betrays everyone?
Keep the conversation going
- What did Steerforth's seduction of Emily do to the Peggotty family?
- How did you feel at the scene of the storm at Yarmouth?
What makes Uriah Heep so unsettling?
Keep the conversation going
- How does his 'umbleness' work as a weapon?
- What does his unmasking say about class and resentment?
Was David's marriage to Dora a mistake?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you feel about Dora, the child-wife?
- What does David learn from that marriage?
Why does it take David so long to see Agnes's love, and his own?
Keep the conversation going
- Is Agnes a real person or an ideal?
- What does his eventual happiness say about the 'undisciplined heart'?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.