David Copperfield is a masterpiece of Dickens, the 19th century British master of critical realism, and also a heartwarming masterpiece about growth.
1. The beginning of the nightmare, Demostone
When I picked up this book, I once wept silently for Dickens’ tragic experience of little Copperfield.
When David was born, his father died, and his mother remarried. Because of his weakness and lack of brains, he was finally tortured to death by the dictatorship of Demostone. Since then, David has lost the protection of his mother’s gentle caress, and the tyranny of his stepfather Demostone has become the beginning of David’s nightmare.
At home, he was beaten, cursed, banned and ruled. Later, he was sent to a dilapidated and inhumane school and received two years of intimidated education. After his mother died, he was forced to leave school. At the age of 10, he entered Demostone as a coolie. Because of his firm belief, he fled the company with no future and decided to go to his only family member, aunt and grandmother.
He began to live as a beggar in the night. On the way, after robbery, he became penniless, so he sold his vest and coat, and begged for ugly and cunning old clothes merchants in exchange for a small savings to support him through the long road. He slept in the haystack and the fort; Be intimidated by tramps to give money; He was laughed at and scolded by the children on the roadside… He was hungry, thirsty, tired, nervous, hungry and cold.
The image of Demostone in Dickens’ works is so hateful that he gnaws his teeth. He destroys the heart and body of young Copperfield with firm and vicious eyes, language and attitude, making him trembling all day and in the shadow of loneliness and helplessness. Spending the golden years with such villains should be happy is how painful it is.
2. Life’s ferry man, Bessie
If Demostone is a nightmare, Aunt Bessie is bright. When David stood in front of her with amazing perseverance, disheveled face, ragged clothes, and beggar-like image, she ignored the past, put aside the prejudice against David’s mother and father, and became David’s guardian.
In education, she let David enter the best school and hoped that he would become a knowledgeable, educated, kind, reasonable and happy person. Facts have proved that when Bessie told David about his bankruptcy, David really took responsibility and became a tough, independent and self-denial person.
She doesn’t interfere too much in her career. When David was unable to determine the direction of employment, she suggested that he take a short trip. She asked David to carefully observe the people and things around him and write three letters a week to report his journey and feelings. Finally, David and Bessie reached an agreement and decided to go to the doctor’s college to present the lawsuit. Later, Bessie went bankrupt. After the accident, he had to quit his stable and noble job and work part-time as a clerk at Dr. Strong’s house. Later, he learned shorthand by himself, harvested some property and supported his family. Finally, he began to write, write books and become a famous writer.
Bessie fully respected David’s choice in marriage. When David fell in love with the wayward, pampered, silly, but lovely and beautiful Dora, Bessie only said “blind, blind, blind”. However, after marriage, David became tired of the doll’s wife, who had no sense of housekeeping and was only interested in playing and enjoying, and the messy life. He tried to change her and adjust her, but ultimately failed. So he confided to Bessie and asked his aunt to discipline Dora. But Bessie said, “Rome was not built in a day, nor in a year. You have chosen a very lovely and enthusiastic person. Your responsibility is to evaluate her according to the quality she has, just as you did when you chose her. You should cultivate her to have the quality she may not have. You should make yourself accustomed to the situation that she does not have that quality, and you should deal with it according to your own ability.”
Aunt Bessie is my favorite character. Her wisdom and love made David Copperfield. Her only motivation in this life is to let David live happily. In David’s growth, she gave adults the guidance they should have, but she was not overbearing and arbitrary. She fully respected David’s right to self-growth, and gave encouragement, comfort and guidance when necessary. It was precisely because Bessie was so enlightened, David also respected her, respected her, and trusted her. I think this should be a successful education case.
3. Love of life, Ennis
If Dola, the doll’s wife, was reflected by David on the ignorance of adulthood and lack of self-cultivation, she was an impulsive choice. So, Anis is David’s most mature, firm and ideal choice. It’s just a little late.
After Dora died of illness, David left England with pain. For three years, he drifted abroad and reviewed his life. He kept thinking about three words Mrs. Strong had said: in marriage, there is no difference more than difference in thought and belief; The first wrong impulse of the lack of self-cultivation; My love is built on a rock.
He believes that love for Dora is the first wrong impulse in his heart when he lacks cultivation. At that time, they were young and ignorant. They only talked about love and did not eat fireworks. After marriage, both parties lacked the knowledge and experience of managing domestic affairs, and led to a mess of life. Finally, Dora died of depression.
Ennis is his childhood playmate, a loyal and trusted friend, and a mentor to guide him upward. She is his auspicious angel. His life has been influenced and improved by Ennis. From childhood to adulthood, his respect for Ennis made him always put Ennis at the highest point of his life and inviolable. The emotion between them is so pure and beautiful.
After accident changes and reflection, he no longer does things according to his feelings, but becomes a mature man with responsibility, cultivation and achievements. Now when he began to look back on the years he had gone through with Ennis, he found that the wonderful and restless emotion in his heart was brewing. He could not venture to express the more sincere love than brother and sister. When he returned to England, with a contradictory mood, he carefully expressed his feelings to Ennis, and finally his two sincere hearts beat together.
At that time, when I saw this paragraph, I would cry. I was particularly moved and happy for them. In the long river of time, they walked through each other’s lives together, knew each other and helped each other, trusted and respected each other, grew up together, shared common thoughts and beliefs, and finally, after the tempering of time, they turned into sincere feelings. They are the ideal type of each other. Fortunately, they didn’t miss each other. This is the indestructible love based on rock.
4. Life’s protection, Peggotti
If you ask, what belief supported David out of his nightmare? Perhaps it is the happy picture of David and his mother, Peggotty, snuggling together and laughing happily when they were young, or perhaps it is the vision of a happy life rooted in their minds.
Peggotty has played an important role in this beautiful vision. As a servant, her status is insignificant. However, the care she can exert herself to give little Copperfield a weak strength. Although the strength is small, it is the support for Copperfield to live.
In David’s tragic childhood, she accompanied him silently, giving him the joy of life and happy laughter. In David’s lack of care and protection, she did everything she could to save money and help David, so that he would not go to exile. After David got married and became famous, she did her duty, followed and took care of him, and helped take care of his children. In those miserable years when David was wandering and full of suffering, she radiated the timely and necessary maternal light, silently guarded and gave him hope for life.
Reading comprehension:
Through David Copperfield’s life, I gained the wisdom of Grandma Bessie’s education; Harvested Peggotti’s loyalty and simple love; Gained the love view that Ennis and David pursue the same ideas and beliefs
Of course, this book also describes many characters who have gone through David’s life, such as the Micawber family who always believed that they could achieve a great cause, although they were forced to go to prison several times by debt; Having a warm heart, taking in a pair of orphans, and cherishing the old Mr. Peggotti who is like life; The Tradels, who will lead a life of ordinary hardship and happiness like heaven
Although these little people are ordinary, they bring hope, warmth and inspiration to David’s life. At the same time, it also gives readers a perfect interpretation of life.
Please love life anyway!
