The Langdales from Moss Eccles TarnDavid Copperfield
A novel by Charles Dickens - 1850.
A Review and Synopsis
The Langdales from Moss Eccles TarnA novel by Charles Dickens - 1850.
A Review and Synopsis
Theatre, music and storytelling remains as popular today as it was in the nineteenth century when this novel first saw the light of day. Probably first issued in serialised format, its modern day equivalent arguably a tv box set like Downton Abbey which we can enjoy at leisure and over and over again if it takes our fancy. This is a really enjoyable read, with interesting characters whose personalities jump out from the page and leave a lasting impression, heroes and villains, and stories related with skill and humour, giving an insight into the past with a positive message of optimism and hope despite many trials and vicissitudes encountered along the way.
It documents David Copperfield's life story from early childhood to his development into a successful writer and family man, relating his hopes and aspirations, the friends and enemies he makes along the way and his experiences, probably not too dissimilar to some of Charles Dickens' own story. The novel is set in the south of England and moves between Yarmouth, London, Canterbury and Dover, apart from a period of three years of introspection David spends in Switzerland, after the death of his wife Dora. This book is probably Dickens at his best, is full of surprises and contains some of his most memorable characters, please take up the challenge.
Mr Barkis - A shy and parsimonious carter who woos and marries Peggotty after David's mother's death.
Dr Edward Chillip - A kindly doctor who delivers David when his mother gives birth, and befriends David in adult life.
Clara Copperfield - David's mother, a pretty but vulnerable young widow.
David Copperfield - Clara's son whose life story into adulthood is the main storyline of the novel.
Mr Creakle - The unkind headmaster of David's boarding school (Salem House) and friend of his stepfather Mr Murdstone. He later becomes a magistrate responsible for the local prison.
Sophy Crewler - Tommy Traddles fiance, eldest of a large family of daughters responsible for running the household.
Rosa Dartle - Steerforth's spinster cousin and his mother's companion.
Mr Dick - A simple minded distant relative and companion of Betsy Trotwood, an eccentric but kind hearted man, and provider of wise counsel much valued by his benefactor.
Martha Endel - A one-time friend of Emily who falls from grace and moves to London, she considers suicide after becoming desperate.
Mrs Gummidge - The lamenting widow of Daniel Peggotty's old seafaring partner, who later shows courage and support when tragedy strikes.
Mrs Heap - Uriah's doting mother.
Uriah Heap - A creepy avaricious and controlling con man who defrauds his partner Mr Wickfield's clients and puts the blame on him.
Mr Jorkins - The partner of Mr Spenlow, who remains in the background mostly, both blame each other when making unpopular decisions.
Littimer - Steerforth's devious valet.
Jack Maldon - Annie Strong's cousin, who harbours hopes of winning her affection, seeking to separate the young woman from her husband.
Mrs Markleham - Annie Strong's mother.
Mr Mell - A poor teacher at Salem House who is kind to David.
Wilkins Micawber - A kind hearted gentleman with a theatrical turn of phrase, always hard up but cheerful and hopeful "something will turn up". He befriends David as a young boy and takes him in as a lodger.
Emma Micawber - Wilkins' long suffering wife from a well to do family.
Julia Mills - Shallow friend of Dora Spenlow.
Miss Mowcher - Steerforth's hairdresser, a dwarf with a sharp wit and a penchant for gossip.
Edward Murdstone - David's mother's cruel and controlling second husband.
Jane Murdstone - Edward's overbearing spinster sister who lives with her brother's family and controls the household.
Clara Peggotty - Clara Copperfield's devoted housekeeper, second mother to David and good friend to both.
Daniel Peggotty - Clara's bachelor brother who has taken in his orphaned niece and nephew and also the wife of his seafaring partner Mrs Gummidge.
Emily (Little Em'ly) Peggotty - Pretty niece of Daniel and childhood friend of David, who becomes the fiancee of Ham.
Ham Peggotty - Orphan nephew of Daniel who becomes a boatbuilder and the fiancee of Emily.
Mr Sharp - A teacher at Salem House.
Dora Spenlow - David Copperfield's first wife, the daughter of his employer Mr Spenlow.
Francis Spenlow - Lawyer and tutor employer of Copperfield during his training as a proctor.
James Steerforth - A pupil at Creakle's school who befriends and takes advantage of David.
Mrs Emma Steerforth - The wealthy widowed mother of James Steerforth.
Annie Strong - The younger wife of Dr Strong.
Dr Strong - An older gentleman, the head of David's school in Canterbury.
Tommy Traddles - David's lifelong friend from his Creakle's school days who trains as a lawyer.
Betsy Trotwood - David's fearsome and indomitable aunt who takes him under her wing when his mother dies and he leaves the Murdstones.
Agnes Wickfield - Mr Wickfield's clever and beautiful daughter, David's childhood friend and adviser during their early years growing up together.
Mr Wickfield - Lawyer to and friend of Betsy Trotwood with whom David lodges whilst at School (Dr Strong's) in Canterbury.
Betsy Trotwood, his pugnacious and formidable aunt is present at David's birth but goes off in disgust soon after, disappointed he is not a girl she can dote on. A most unusual reaction from this apparently eccentric and unpredictable woman, not a good start to a relationship, but a response which despite all appearances will later prove uncharacteristic when Betsy begins to show the caring side of her nature and comes to her nephew's aid in his hour of need.
Clara Copperfield is described as extremely pretty, friendly and kind but slightly immature and vulnerable, and as time goes on she falls under the influence of an apparently charming and attentive suitor Edward Murdstone. However things are now always as they seem, after the couple marry, it soon becomes obvious Murdstone is a controlling manipulator and moves his sister Jane into the family home, and together they make life pretty miserable for David, his mother and Peggotty, their faithful domestic help. Over a period of time Edward and Jane's strict controlling discipline, creates an atmosphere of fear and loathing within the household, but having little influence over the situation, the two hapless adults meekly comply with the new regime's demands. The unfortunate stepson and primary target however, is eventually driven to rebel in frustration and after biting the cruel stepfather David is sent away to boarding school leaving Clara and Peggotty alone with the two tyrants.
At boarding school David is given a very hard time by the headmaster, a friend of Mr Murdstone, and some of the staff but is befriended by fellow pupils James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles, friendships which will surely last a lifetime and are much valued by Copperfield. His new friends are very different characters in many ways, the former aloof, confident, but scheming and exploitative (which David is naively blind to), the latter honourable, worthy, loyal and invaluable, as will become apparent later in the story. Whilst at boarding school, David learns of his mother's death after childbirth and still quite young, he is set to work in a workshop, like the school also run by a friend of Edward Murdstone where he is again exploited and mistreated. Finally becoming desperate the young man, not yet in his teens runs away to Dover to find his Aunt Betsy, who of course he has as yet never met.
This move is a lifesaver for David, he finds his aunt who takes him in and offers him the care and security he so desperately needs and the opportunity to begin a new life, later seeing off the Murdstones when they arrive on the doorstep demanding Copperfield's return. It is here that David meets Mr Dick, a simple minded, eccentric, kindly and strangely intelligent gentleman for the first time, living with distant relative Betsy, he will become another valued friend added to those already made, which include Yarmouth residents, Daniel Peggotty, Ham and little Emily, Daniel's sister Clara and Mr Barkis who she will later marry, Mr and Mrs Micawber, with whom he has lodged with in London, Steerforth and Traddles. Apart from other people we have already, or have yet to mention, David has also made the acquaintance of Uriah Heap in London, a rather dubious character who will become his arch nemesis, reappearing later in the storyline to poison the relationship further and wreak havoc to the discomfort of many others in Copperfield's circle of friends.
Betsy Trotwood sets to work immediately and enrols David as a pupil at Dr Strong's school in Canterbury, finding him accommodation with her friend and lawyer, the widowed Mr Wickfield and his daughter Agnes, an arrangement which proves really rewarding and a friendly, trusting and confidential relationship develops over time between the two young people which the reader may later come to view as having the romantic undertones of love undeclared and unrequited. Now living in Canterbury the schoolboy meets Uriah Heap once again, surprisingly and co-incidentally working as apprentice to Mr Wickfield and seems to be keen to get to know David better, but has he also got a soft spot for Agnes? The signs are not good, however life seems to have turned a corner for David who is now able to put his previous cares behind him, and friendships flourish between the Wickfields, the Strongs and the Trotwoods under David's influence until the time comes for him to leave school and take up a career.
David Copperfield subsequently goes to London to begin training as a prospective proctor at Doctors Commons under the tutorship of Mr Spenlow a widower in partnership with Mr Jorkins. Whilst living here, David continues to meet his friends in Yarmouth, Canterbury and Dover from time to time and things begin to happen fast as he negotiates life's new challenges. The now eligible young man forms a relationship with Dora Spenlow his boss's attractive but impractical daughter, Tommy Traddles becomes engaged to Sophy, Betsy Trotwood begins to experience financial difficulties after some problem with her investments and demands from her ne'r-do-well ex-husband, Mr Wickfield seemingly becoming more and more dependent on Uriah Heap, and Emily being seduced and taken abroad by Steerforth with the help of Littimer. Things begin to look rather bleak!
David marries and sets up home with Dora after her father dies and with the help of faithful Peggoty overcomes his wife's lack of domestic skills. Daniel and Ham in Yarmouth are very upset and worried for the safety of little Emily after her flight abroad with Steerforth and Daniel sets off on lengthy travels to find her and bring her back. Mr Micawber relocates to Canterbury when "something turns up" and he is offered a job at the now Wickfield and Heap partnership. By this time David Copperfield is becoming well known as a writer of some repute and, no longer a proctor at Doctors Commons, is financially independent and gratefully supporting his devoted aunt Betsy during her reduced financial circumstances. However after a relatively short period of marriage, Dora's health begins to deteriorate and she eventually dies, leaving the, still young, man alone, grieving and confused. Supported and consoled by family and friends including Agnes his faithful, trusty childhood confidante, he begins to question his feelings and wonder about a future without Dora, with no sense of direction, doubting his judgement, and fearful for his ongoing prospects the young widower takes himself off to Switzerland to figure things out.
After three years soul-searching and writing, and you have to imagine missing the company of friends, David returns to England where he finds many things unchanged but others a little disturbing. On the positive side Tommy Traddles is now a qualified lawyer and married to his beloved Sophy, who also organises the smooth running of his office in Grey's Inn whilst still caring for a number of her many sisters still dependent on her. The couple are devoted to one another. Daniel has still not been able to find the whereabouts of Emily but has become aware that she has been deserted by the bounder Steerforth and is hopefully now back in England. Whilst out walking and searching in London one evening Daniel and David spot Martha, Emily's friend from Yarmouth during the good times, looking downcast and desperate on the river bank apparently contemplating death and about to throw herself into the murky waters of the Thames. Luckily they are able to save her and enlist her help, using her associates and knowledge of the seedier London underworld to find Emily.
Back in Yarmouth during a particularly ferocious storm, a ship carrying passengers on route to England is found to be close inshore and in danger of grounding, as crowds gather to help, Ham Peggotty rushes out into the sea to get a line aboard in a bid to save the lives of the terrified passengers and crew, one of which co-incidentally happens to be James Steerforth. Unfortunately all attempts at rescue fail and Ham is drowned in the fury of the storm as are Steerforth and many of the others on board as the ship eventually founders. The wider family and friends decide to withhold the news of Ham's death from Daniel, which on top of his misery over the loss of Emily might just devastate him completely.
Meanwhile over in Canterbury all is not well with Agnes and her father who is by now completely under the spell of his partner Heap, looking even more distracted and being driven to drink, feeling guilt and remorse for his clients financial losses, many of them his friends, for which his scoundrel persecutor has persuaded him he bears full responsibility. Not true of course as becomes apparent subsequently when David Copperfield is once more reunited with his friend Wilkins Micawber who has become aware of Uriah Heap's fraudulent activities involving embezzlement on a grand scale over an extended period of time, and has been slowly gathering evidence of the fraudulent transactions. Enlisting the help of mutual friend Tommy Traddles, the trio now embark on the task of preparing a case against Heap that will stand up in court and result in restoring as much of his ill gotten gains as possible to their rightful owners, which includes David's aunt Betsy. We later find Uriah Heap and Steerforth's former valet Littimer playing the part of model prisoners, hopefully serving long stretches in one of London's more secure establishments under the supervision of Mr Creakle, David's former headmaster, now a respected magistrate. Meanwhile a much relieved and grateful Mr Wickfield quickly regains his old confidence and vigour, his reputation and respect finally restored, not least to the joy and satisfaction of daughter Agnes.
In the aftermath of all the devastation and turmoil things are now beginning to look brighter, David's past dithering and constant questioning of his feelings for Agnes finally finds resolution when he plucks up the courage, and with an outpouring of pent up emotion, the happy pair declare their love for one another and marriage is in the air. Good news also on the missing persons front when Martha's efforts pay dividends and Emily is restored to her devoted and much relieved uncle Daniel. The only blot on the horizon is apparently the feelings of guilt and shame brought upon the family by Emily's seduction and in the light of the moral standards of the time, Daniel decides it best to emigrate to Australia, at which news both Martha and Mrs Gummidge invite themselves along too, begging Daniel not to leave them out. And, for some strange reason, not too clear Wilkins Micawber, the honourable hero of the hour and knight in shining armour, instrumental in bringing down the sword of Damocles on the evil Heap in the name of justice, also decides that his and his family's future also lies in the Antipodes. All's well that ends well, as both families finally set sail for a new life of opportunity, and from all reports all the emigres do in fact make a big impression on the other side of the world. Meanwhile David Copperfield is back in Canterbury with his new wife Agnes making a new life together, never very far from the Traddles and other friends.
This is a charming book, upbeat and full of hope, with a really entertaining storyline and some of the most interesting characters you could ever wish to meet. Mostly charitable, kind hearted and friendly, only three real villains, and one or two others simply indifferent, callous or embittered, perhaps arising from previous misfortunes, opportunities squandered, other disappointments or regret for what might have been. Neither are the more minor characters any less interesting or memorable, for example Mr Dick and Miss Mowcher, they all play an important role in the narrative and contribute massively, very often with much entertaining wit and quirky humour, to the reader's overall enjoyment. A highly recommended novel, really worth reading.
Palfreyman - May 2025
