David Copperfield Lecture: The Hero of My Own Life (Vol. I, Ch. I-XIX) (Patreon)

'Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.'

Today we're discussing the enthralling beginning of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. We're talking about the writer's life, inspiration, what makes a Dickensian character, social commentary, the rise of the bildungsroman, growing up, the therapeutic power of literature, and much more.

We will conduct a deep analysis of one of the most iconic beginnings in all of literature, appreciate some heartbreakingly poetic passages, and meet some unforgettable characters in the first volume of this incredible novel.

Timestamps:

0:00 why readers love David Copperfield

2:00 appreciating the beginning of the story

3:00 Dickens & the rise of the bildungsroman

4:00 influence of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

6:00 first person viewpoint & orphan narratives

8:00 influence of Henry Fielding’s Tom Jones

9:00 exploring the tradition of the picaresque

11:00 influence of Cervantes’ Don Quixote

13:00 how Dickens transformed the tradition

15:00 how should a writer begin a story?

17:00 J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye

18:00 influence of Sterne’s Tristram Shandy

20:00 do the conditions of birth set our destiny?

21:00 the two selves of David Copperfield

22:00 Charles Dickens’ early vs late novels

24:00 David Copperfield vs Great Expectations

25:00 influence of Shakespeare’s Hamlet

26:00 the characters at Blunderstone Rookery

29:00 on the birth of David Copperfield

30:00 the Romantic strain in Charles Dickens

31:00 travelling through memory & life

33:00 methodology for autobiography

35:00 living in great books & memories

37:00 how Dickens creates distinct characters

39:00 meeting the character of Mr Murdstone

40:00 enchanting appreciation of the sea

42:00 Em’ly, Ham & the Peggoty ark

44:00 leveraging Hamlet’s graveyard scene

46:00 diving the future whilst in the past

48:00 passing time from young perspective

50:00 the marriage of Clara & Murdstone

53:00 corporal punishment in England

55:00 punishment vs positive reinforcement

57:00 needing kind words of encouragement

59:00 seeing the formation of a storyteller

1:00:00 the value of escaping into great stories

1:01:00 the book collection of David’s father

1:04:00 personality type of Charles Dickens

1:06:00 when Mr Murdstone flogs David

1:08:00 characters defined by statements

1:10:00 learning that Barkis is willing

1:11:00 Salem House & Mr Creakle

1:13:00 the character of James Steerforth

1:14:00 Dickens-audience relationship

1:15:00 storytelling as community bonding

1:18:00 the phenomenon of silent reading

1:19:00 slow-reading & rereading aloud

1:20:00 when David gets a new brother

1:23:00 the tragic death of David’s mother

1:25:00 David thinks of Little Em’ly

1:27:00 working at Murdstone & Grinby

1:28:00 Charles Dickens’ real life inspiration

1:30:00 meeting the character of Mr Micawber

1:32:00 David heads towards his aunt’s house

1:34:00 Betsey Trotwood vs Mr Murdstone

1:36:00 the therapeutic power of writing

1:37:00 David makes a new beginning

1:40:00 meeting Mr Wickfield & Agnes

1:44:00 how many motives do you have?

1:45:00 meeting the character of Uriah Heep

1:46:00 ‘I am far too ‘umble, Master Copperfield’

1:47:00 reading like the first readers of Dickens

1:48:00 next instalment & suggested adaptation

1:49:00 what your making of David Copperfield?

Resources:

• Documentary: Gyles Brandreth has a superb documentary about the life of Charles Dickens here in which he travels to the locations most important to the storyteller. If you enjoy this documentary, the series also has wonderful episodes for Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and the Brontë sisters

• Biography: My personal favourite biography of Charles Dickens is this one. The biographer is Hesketh Pearson, who has also written compellingly about William Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde. I am also a huge fan of Claire Tomalin's biographies of great writers and you can read her biography for Dickens here.

• Television: If you love to run film and television adaptations of the great books alongside your reading, you may wish to check out the 1999 television adaptation for David Copperfield. This is my personal favourite adaptation of the story. If you check it out, I'd love to know what you make of it.

• First Edition: You can check out what the original serialised publications looked like for David Copperfield here, here, and also here. You can also check out my personal collection, including rare and first editions, here.

• Edition: I'm personally working from the Penguin paperback edition of this great novel. But there are so many fantastic editions available, and I encourage readers to pick their volumes with a view towards building their own personal Dickens library.

• Audiobooks: The wonderful Richard Armitage has a dramatised reading here. I recommend pairing your reading of your physical copy with a simultaneous listen to the narration or alternating. Dickens is one of those writers who is meant to be read aloud. Aim to replace some of your television watching this week with a reading of Dickens instead. Indeed, if you've been beset by storms like we have in the UK, you might find yourself thrown back in time and reading a book to be your only option of entertainment.

• Exercise: If you have read some of the other novels of Charles Dickens, how does David Copperfield compare with them? If you have read Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, how does this novel compare with that one?

• Reading Assignment: Our next discussion will cover volume two of this novel, which runs up to and including chapter 37. We are keeping a weekly pace for our festive read, but, as always, please do go at the pace that best suits you and enjoy our discussions regardless of where you are in the story. If you would like to return to our previous discussion, it is available here.

Questions for You:

1) What did you make of the beginning of David Copperfield?

2) What does it mean to be the hero of our own lives?

3) What are the greatest rewards of reading coming-of-age stories?

Happy reading, folks!