Reflect upon the story so far. Analyze what theme(s) you think Dickens may be illustrating. Explain your reasoning. Give a quotation from the novel that supports your opinion.
Interpret how the actions and interactions of the characters thus far in the novel demonstrate the theme(s).
For Monday, November 22 read one more chapter and maintain the book log and character list.
I believe that one very important theme in this story is that life runs its own course, normally whether you want it to or not. I say this because, in the beginning of David's life, he wouldn't give up his life or his family for the world. Then Mr. and Ms. Murdstone came into his life. David was thrown into a state of life that was different from anything else he was used to. Jane Murdstone said right out that she didn't like boys, and as soon a David gives a bad example of his school work, Mr. Murdstone beats him. As David says in chapter four," I shall never forget the waking next morning; the being cheerful and fresh for the first moment, and then the being weighed down by the stale and dismal oppression of remembrance."
ReplyDeleteI think that one important theme of the story is life isn't perfect. In fact, for David, life is now awful. At the beginning, life is beautiful and it seems that things are as close to perfect as they can get, but when Mr. Murdstone is thrown into his life, then things start to get worse. It's as if when life seems to be absolutely perfect then something comes along and tears it apart. As David says "I could not look at [my mother], I could not look at [Mr. Murdstone], I knew quite well that he was looking at us both; and I turned to the window and looked out their at some shrubs that were drooping their heads in the cold." David feels that something awful has happened, and something awful has, and it has turned out to ruin his wonderful life with his mother and Peggotty.
ReplyDeleteThe theme that seemed to appear in the first couple of chapters was the innocence David showed as he seemed helpless towards most situations he was faced with. David was truly naive towards the cruelties pending on the outside world.
ReplyDeleteReflecting back on what has happened so far in David Copperfield, I feel the agony the David feels as he faces the cruel, sinister beatings of the world around him. As Mr.Murdstone and Miss Murdstone enter David's life he begins to notice that outside the perfect world he had lived in before, a problem struck world lay in front of him. He realizes that at any given moment one thing can change life for better or for worse, and all he can do is try to be prepared for what ever life decides to throw at him.
"But if he had asked the question twenty times, each time with twenty blows, I believe my baby heart would have burst out of my chest"
The quotations you have chosen are each a wonderful representation of something great in this book. Darion's shows the poignance and sadness, of David's situation, Bryn's choice of a visual description shows the author's brilliant connection of character through the natural world, and Cameron's example shows how DIckens captures the human experience of the poor, beleaguered boy.
ReplyDeleteOne important theme in the story is helplessness. I think this because David was born without his father. His mother was very young and unexperienced, and that when Mr. Murdstone, and Miss Murdstone came into the picture his life was rough. With David being at a young age he couldnt make his own decisions. He was very helpless when Mr. Murdstone beat him. David said "He beat me then, as if he would have beaten me to death."
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