1.2.2.4 Charles Dickens: Child Psychologist and Sociologist 4

1.2.3 Research Problem 4

1.3 Contents and Significance 5

2. Moral Ideals in Two Persepectives 6

2.1 Moral Ideals Embodied in Protagonists: to be grateful, virtuous and rational 6

2.1.1 Gratefulness and Virtuousness – Moral Ideals Learnt from Children 6

2.1.1.1 To Be Grateful: Maintain the Love for the World 7

2.1.1.2 To be Virtuous: Maintain Positive Even in Adversity 7

2.1.2 Rational Love – Moral Ideals Learnt in Love And Marriage 7

2.1.2.1 Dora: being blinded by love will result in unstable marriage 8

2.1.2.2 Agnes Wickfield: rational love is the necessary basis for a stable marriage 8

2.2 Moral Ideals Embodied in Supporting Roles: to be lenient, compassionate, sincere and self-controlled 9

2.2.1 Positive Characters: Virtuousness, Compassion and Benevolence 9

2.2.1.1 Peggotty: being virtuous, hardworking and caring 9

2.2.1.2 Aunt Betsey: being generous and compassionate 9

2.2.2 Negative Characters: Irresponsibility, Hypocrite and Dissipater 10

2.2.2.1 The Murdstones: shedding lights on being responsible, lenient and compassionate 10

2.2.2.2 Uriah Heep: contrasts with being sincere and benevolent 10

2.2.2.3 Steerforth: foils being virtuous and self-controlled 10

3. Conclusion 12

References 14

1. Introduction

The first time I came to know Charles Dickens was in the reading class when I was a freshman. After reading through an episode from his autobiographical novel which unveiled the entangled thoughts of a little boy, I couldn’t help knowing more about his life experience. Due to the inaccessibility, I couldn’t borrow one from our school library. Fortunately, weeks later, the teacher who taught us Reading Comprehension gave gifts to some of the students in our class for our good performance, and what she gave to me is the book I had yearned for – David Copperfield, which makes it more precious and meaningful to me. The life experiences of the characters in the book greatly attract me and arouses for deeper medication, especially the moral ideals Charles Dickens wants to express in it. 

1.1 Background Information

In the preface of David Copperfield, Charles Dickens wrote the following lines: “it will be easily believed that I am a fond parent to every child of my fancy, and that no one can ever love that family as dearly as I love them. But, like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child. And his name is DAVID COPPERFILED.”

Being the fond parent Charles Dickens’ favorite child, David Copperfield deserves patient exploration and research. The distressing experience in childhood has always been a nightmare for Charles Dickens, which pushes him to focus on the perspective of children who lead a bleak and impecunious life. With great sympathy and compassion, Charles Dickens is rapt in depicting those miserable immature lives; and ultimately, he succeeds in finishing this heart-shaking story: David Copperfield.