Study Questions & Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. How does the
idea of constancy of emotion and love figure into the novel and
illuminate David’s character?
2. How does
the fact that the novel was published serially affect its structure?
What devices does Dickens use to make the novel coherent for readers
who received the text piecemeal?
3. How does
Dickens use contrasting pairs of characters to illustrate good and
evil in the novel?
Suggested Essay Topics
1. How does
foreshadowing contribute to the overall narrative flow of david
copperfield?
2. How does
David’s perspective as an adult narrator shape our understanding
of the different characters in the novel?
3. The idea
of redemption plays an important role in the latter part of the
novel. What are the key elements of redemption for Dickens? What
makes Little Em’ly redeemable while Littimer is not?
4. What role
do minor characters such as Miss Dartle, Mr. Omer, and Mr. Spenlow
play in the novel?
5. What is the
importance of motherhood in the novel? How does motherhood figure
into Dickens’s exploration of the strong’s domination over the weak?
