An analysis on

the poor in
David
Cooperfield
Doan Thi Hau 20183073
Pham Hoai Nam 20183130
Nguyen Thu Trang 20183172
Quach Thi Quynh Trang 20183234
 Table of Contents

Social background and Analysis on characters

01. work summary 03. of the poor
Presenter: Hau Presenter: Trang

Analysis on details of
02. the poor 04. Real values
Presenter: Nam Presenter: Quynh Trang
01
Social background and
work summary

Presenter: Hau
 Charles Dickens
Social situation

Charles Dickens created some of the

world's best-known fictional characters
and is regarded by many as the greatest
novelist of the Victorian era. And in this
era, Poverty is very evident in the Working
class. The Working class did not have
access to clean water and food, education
for their children, or proper clothing

Summary (1812 –1870)

02
Analysis on
reading details of
the poor
Presenter: Pham Hoai Nam
  But at this point Peggotty — I mean my own peculiar Peggotty — made such
impressive motions to me not to ask any more questions, that I could only sit and look
at all the silent company until it was time to go to bed.Mrs. Gummidge was the widow
of his partner in a boat, who had died very poor. He was but a poor man himself, said
Peggotty, but as good as gold and as true as steel—those were her similes. The only
subject, she informed me, on which he ever showed a violent temper or swore an oath,
was this generosity of his; and if it were ever referred to, by any one of them, he struck
the table a heavy blow with his right hand (had split it on one such occasion), and
swore a dreadful oath that he would be 'Gormed' if he didn't cut and run for good, if it
was ever mentioned again. It appeared, in answer to my inquiries, that nobody had the
least idea of the etymology of this terrible verb passive to be gormed; but that they all
regarded it as constituting a most solemn imprecation.

Chapter 3,46
Analysis on the reading details
of the poor
Chapter 3, 46

Mrs. Gummidge’s partner is too poor, or

even we can state that he died of poverty
but he is really well-behaved and
obedient, loyal, trustworthy

Mr Peggotty is a poor man. However,

another aspect of Mr Peggotty that he is
kind and warm hearted
 As they looked at [Mrs. Mell], I looked at her also. Although it was a warm day, she
seemed to think of nothing but the fire. I fancied she was jealous even of the saucepan
on it; [...] The sun streamed in at the little window, but she sat with her own back and
the back of the large chair towards it, screening the fire as if she were sedulously
keeping it warm, instead of it keeping her warm, and watching it in a most distrustful
manner. (5.119)
Analysis on the reading details
of the poor
Chapter 5, 119

This is a very, very brief look at the life of

Mrs. Mell, Mr. Mell's mother, who lives in
the nineteenth century equivalent of a
homeless shelter. Her extreme poverty
seems to make her mistrust the most
ordinary things in life, such as having a
fire and being able to cook on it.
 Steerforth evaded the question for a little while; looking in scorn and anger on his
opponent, and remaining silent. I could not help thinking even in that interval, I
remember, what a noble fellow he was in appearance, and how homely and plain Mr.
Mell looked opposed to him. (7.53)
Analysis on the reading details
of the poor
Chapter 7, 53

 It is he reality of the social structure

Steerforth occupies means that Mr. Mell
will always be Steerforth's social inferior,
even if Steerforth is a pupil in Mr. Mell's
classroom.
 "It don't matter," said Traddles. "I began, by means of his assistance, to copy law
writings. That didn't answer very well; and then I began to state cases for them, and
make abstracts, and that sort of work. For I am a plodding kind of fellow, Copperfield,
and had learnt the way of doing such things pithily. Well! That put it in my head to
enter myself as a law student; and that ran away with all that was left of the fifty
pounds." (27.46)
Analysis on the reading details
of the poor
Chapter 27, 46

This is a part of a much longer account

by Traddles of how he has been working
his butt off to try and improve his life by
making his way as a lawyer.
 It appears to me, that what Mr. Micawber has to do, in justice to himself, in justice to
his family, and I will even go so far as to say in justice to society, by which he has been
hitherto overlooked, is to advertise in all the papers; to describe himself plainly as so-
and-so, with such and such qualifications and to put it thus: "Now employ me, on
remunerative terms, and address, post-paid, to W. M., Post Office, Camden Town."
(28.79)
Analysis on the reading details
of the poor
Chapter 28, 79

Mr. Micawber spends nearly all of the

novel unemployed and looking for a job.

Mrs. Micawber gets sick of Mr.

Micawber's constant poverty
 Father and me was both brought up at a foundation school for boys; and mother, she
was likewise brought up at a public, sort of charitable, establishment. They taught us
all a deal of umbleness—not much else that I know of, from morning to night. We was
to be umble to this person, and umble to that; and to pull off our caps here, and to
make bows there; and always to know our place, and abase ourselves before our
betters. And we had such a lot of betters! (39.125)
Analysis on the reading details
of the poor
Chapter 39, 125

Uriah Heep grows up poor, from a poor

family. He, his father, and his mother
have all gone to schools run by charities.
3. Urban poor Character
analysis
Presented by Nguyen Thu Trang
 3. Urban poor - Analysis

David Copperfield Martha Endell Mr. Micawber

3. Urban poor - D. Copperfiled

• At the young age, David experiences the poverty.

• It is after David’s mother died.

“I suppose you know, David, that I am not rich. At

any rate, you know it now. You have received some
considerable education already. Education is
costly....it would not be at all advantageous to you
be kept at a school.” - Mr. Murdstone

 David’s step father doesn’t have enough money

to pay the education.
3. Urban poor - D. Copperfiled

"Those terms are, that you will earn enough for

yourself to provide for your eating and drinking
and pocket-money. ….So you are now going to
London, David, with Mr. Quinion, to begin the
world on your own account."
(David Copperfield Chapter 10, page 135)

 Left with no choice, David must work at

Murdstone and Grinby house for living.
 3. Urban poor - D. Copperfiled
“Murdstone and Grinby's trade was among a good many kinds of
people.....I know that a great many empty bottles were one of the
consequences of this traffic, and that certain men and boys were
employed to examine them against the light, and reject those that
were flawed, and to rinse and wash them.” (David Copperfield,
Chapter 11, page 136)

 He works in miserably unpleasant situation that is not decent for

everyone.

“I could not resist the stale pastry put out for sale at half-price .....
Then, I went without my dinner, or bought a roll or a slice of
pudding.” (David Copperfield, page 140)

 Even having saved, David still doesn't have enough money to eat.
 3. Urban poor - Martha Endell

• Martha Endell is a poor

woman.

• She has a miserable life.

• She must work as

prostitute for living.

• She lives among the

rubbish on the riverside.

The reunion in London

 3. Urban poor - Martha Endell

“The neighborhood was a dreary one at that time: as

oppressive, sad, and solitary by night as any about London.
There were neither wharves nor houses on the melancholy
waste of road near the great blank Prison. A sluggish ditch
deposited its mud at the prison wall. Coarse grass and rank
weeds straggled over all the marshy land in the vicinity…”
(David Copperfield, Chapter 47, page 555-556)

 Martha has no choice but to live in the area with bad

sanitation, dirty river, pollution and rubbish in everywhere.
 3. Urban poor - Martha Endell

“She had been ill, probably for a long time. I observed,

upon that closer opportunity of observation, that she was
worn and haggard, and that her sunken eyes expressed
privation and endurance.” (David Copperfield, chapter 47,
page 561)

 The poverty seriously affects to Martha's physical and

psychological health.
○ Physical effect : sickness, abrasion, emaciation
○ Psychological effect : depressions from prostitution
 3. Urban poor - Mr. Micawber

• Mr. Micawber is poor, but he is very improvident

"The only visitors I ever saw or heard of were creditors. They used
to come at all hours, and some of them were quite ferocious. One
dirty-faced man.…..call up the stairs to Mr. Micawber :
Come! You ain't out yet, you know. Pay us, will you? Don't hide, you
know; that's mean. I wouldn't be mean if I was you. Pay us, will
you? You just pay us, d'ye hear? Come!"
(David Copperfield, chapter 10, page 139-140)

 Poverty makes him always loan money, but he never can pay
his debt.
3. Urban poor - Mr. Micawber

“At last Mr. Micawber's difficulties came to a

crisis, and he was arrested early one
morning, and carried over to the King's Bench
Prison in the Borough.”
(David Copperfield, chapter 10, page 144)

 Because of the default, he ends up in the

King's Bench Prison in the Borough.
4. Real values in the work
"David Copperfield"
 1. Humanity
 The author focuses on the impoverished workers always
tolerate oppressive exploitative by the upper class.

Dickens sketch his life soon coming under the boy David
( father died, stepfather were estranged and cruel way to screen
him out of the house, childhood must always witness and the liars,
lying, torture ... caused by those around)

 The typical characters: Uriah Heep, Creakle, Murdstone ... has

been talking up the panorama of social injustice
 The permeability of authentic humanity soaked was
expressed through images and relationships of the
characters: Her Betsey, Agnes, Dr. Strong,...

 The poor don't let money influence their personality and

honest nature.
+ Uriah Heep uses large sums of money to force Micawber
to keep his fraud a secret;
+ Steerforth gives Peggotty the money as compensation for
the damage he has inflicted on Emily
--> the protagonists still refuses and exposes that crime.

 Importance of benevolence and good intentions that do

not require reciprocation.
 2. Humor
 The fact that Dickens compared animals with humans showed
the inhumanity in society at that time, considering the poor and
weak as animals.

Ex: David’s gruff and cruel father-Murdstone turned him from

loved to outcast and denied David basic human rights.

 David used animals to assign characters such as:

Dr. Strong(a blind old horse), Dora(a mouse), his brother(a poor
lamb)
 Betsey's ondemning yet humorous lines in response to
Murdstone crush an oppressive force like Murdstone
-> Help to brighten the story line, like David's life later.

 Micawber failed to find a rich life but never giving up with

pessimistic thoughts also contributes to this character's
hilarious personality.

-> Dickens always finds a new look and gently satirizes in

every situations, this makes his work most profoundly honest.
 David Copperfield, being a product of the author’s mature period
has fully reflected his point of view toward differences. It thoroughly
expressed the author’s moral sense through those typical caricatures,
shows us a most vivid picture of the everyday life in 19th England.
 Thanks
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