Charles Dickens

David Copperfield, one of Dickens’s most popular novels, is the story of a boy from his birth to maturity.
 The narrator is David himself who, in a vivid, imaginative style full of humour and irony, tells about the many adventures and misadventures of his life, managing to amuse and move the reader in turn. David’s world is peopled by a myriad of characters, some of whom are funny caricatures, while others have a tragic dignity; some are good, and others are real villains. Many of them also become the protagonists of several subplots which help to create an ironic but very realistic portrait of the Victorian Age and enable Dickens to criticise its many evils.
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Audioscripts - Key to Summing-up Activities.
 
 David Copperfield, uno dei romanzi più conosciuti e amati di Dickens, è la storia di un ragazzo, dalla nascita fino alla maturità.
 Il narratore è lo stesso David, il quale, in uno stile vivido e ricco di humour, racconta le molte avventure e disavventure della sua vita riuscendo a coinvolgere il lettore, a divertirlo o commuoverlo a seconda delle situazioni.
 Il mondo di David è popolato da una miriade di personaggi, alcuni dei quali sono delle vere e proprie caricature, mentre altri hanno una dignità tragica; alcuni sono buoni e altri sono dei malvagi furfanti. Molti di loro sono anche protagonisti di diverse trame secondarie che contribuiscono a creare un ritratto ironico, ma realistico, dell’età vittoriana, i cui molti problemi furono sempre oggetto di critica da parte di Dickens.

Chapter 1 – My first years

Chapter 2 – I grow up

Extension: The Victorian Age (1837–1901)

Chapter 3 – I fall in love

Chapter 4 – Sorrows and joys

Extension: The Victorian compromise

Chapter 5 – Death, despair, putting things right and a happy ending

Summing-up activities

Glossary

Sorrows and joys 4 BEFORE READING Chapter 1 The story so far. Who said this? a.  I m going to be Mr Wickfield s partner.  ............................... b.  I know that you don t like me, but in this house we must be polite to each other.  ............................... c.  Our motto is  Wait and hope!   ............................... d.  You re so good, David. I wish I were as good as you!  ............................... e.  I won t come back unless he makes me a lady.  ............................... f.  I m going to look for her all over the world and bring her back.  ............................... g.  Marriage is impossible! But maybe I can give you money   ............................... h.  I have been stupid, and I have lost all my money in wrong investments.  ............................... 2 Making predictions. Choose one of the options. a. After his aunt has lost her money, what will David do? 1. He will stop his studies and look for a job. 2. He will look for a job but will continue his studies as well. 3. He will go back to Canterbury and study with Mr Wickfield. b. How will Dora react to the fact that David is now poor? 1. She will leave him. 2. She will say that she does not care about him being poor. 3. She will not fully understand the situation, but she will go on loving him. c. Mr Peggotty  1. will find Emily. 2. will not find Emily. 3. will stop looking for Emily. 72 

r David Copper Sorrows and joyst ield 1 2 8 Chapter 4 It was a great shock. I was terribly sorry for her, and, I must admit, also for myself. I was a poor man, now! How could I hope to marry Dora? But we had to find an immediate solution to my aunt s problem: we decided that she would come and live with me, so that she could rent her house in Dover and get some money from it. Mr Dick, instead, would sleep in Mr Peggotty s room, which was empty since he had gone away to look for his niece. After dinner, Peggotty took Mr Dick to his new room, and my aunt and I talked before going to bed.  Peggotty has told me that you are in love. Is it true?   Aunt, I love Dora madly and she loves me!  I answered and told her how lovely my Dora was.  Oh, Trot, you are just children, both of you, but let s hope this love can have a happy ending. Don t be in a hurry, you have a lot of time in front of you!  When I went to bed, I couldn t sleep and was really miserable. I would have to tell Dora that now I was poor, and what would she say? But my first duty was to find a way to help my aunt: I decided to ask Mr Spenlow to give her back the money that she had paid for my education. I was willing to stop my studies and look for some work to do in order to support her and myself. The next morning, I was the first to arrive at the office; I waited for Mr Spenlow, and, when he came, I asked him if I could talk to him.  Certainly, Copperfield, come into my room.  I followed him and said,  Sir, I am very sorry to tell you that my aunt has lost all her money. We are poor now and I can no longer study here. Do you think you could give back part of the thousand pounds my aunt paid to you?  1. sorrow: great sadness, especially for the loss of someone loved. 2. joy: great happiness. 73 

David Copperfield, capolavoro di Dickens, narra la vita del protagonista tra avventure, personaggi vividi e critica all'età vittoriana.

David Copperfield

Level B1+ • Pre-Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

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