David Copperfield Day 1 Ch. 52-54

Ch. 52-54

David COpperfield

Benjamin King & Jordan Skibidi Ross

Start

7. Key Scenes

Today's Agenda

1. Summary

2. Activity

3. Chapter Discussion

4. Group Discussions

5. Culture Connections

6. Quotes

A quick recap of the events of these chapters!

Summary

- Uriah has moved away with his mother- Miss Betsey's husband has died.

Agnes comes to visit David and Dora. Dora becomes very ill, which eventually leads to her death. Also, the death of her dog, Jip.

- The Micawbers plan to move to Australia and work with Miss Betsey to get their financials in order. Raise enough money to move countries.- Traddles, Agnes, Betsey, and David discuss Micawber's, and their finances.

Traddles, Miss Betsey, David, Agnes, and Mr. Micawber confront Uriah about his schemes. Uriah becomes violent toward the group, especially DavidRelationships are reconciled, including that of the Micawbers.

Ch. 54 Part 2

Ch. 54 Part 1

Ch. 53

Ch. 52

• Mr. Micawber had no choice but to expose Uriah
• David's loyalty to his friends shapes his character the most in these chapters
• Agnes' loyalty to David shows she values friendship over social expectations
• Uriah’s resentment toward David is justified, given how he has been treated by others.

Agree or Disagree: Character Judgements

Group Debates!

Discussion Questions Chapter 52

• What motivates Mr. Micawber to expose Uriah Heep’s fraud, and how does this decision reflect his character growth?

• How does Mr. Micawber’s financial arrangement with Miss Betsey symbolize themes of social mobility and class?

• How does Uriah Heep’s exposure as a fraud reflect the novel’s theme of justice and Dickens’ social criticism?

Discussion QuestionsChapter 53

• What is the significance of Agnes’s presence during Dora’s illness?
• How does Dora's final illness and her conversations with David reveal growth in her character?
• What is the significance of Jip in this chapter and how does this relate to Dora's character?
• How does the scene with Dora’s request for Agnes to care for David after she is gone reflect her understanding of her own and Agnes’s roles in David’s life?

Discussion Questions Chapter 54

• How does Mr. Peggotty’s loyalty to Emily contrast with the social norms of the time?

• How does Mr. Micawber’s and Em'ly's s emigration highlight the limits and possibilities within Victorian society?

• What is the importance of Mr. Micawber arranging his finances with Miss Betsey before moving to Australia, and what does this suggest about his character development?

Group Discussion

1. Relate Uriah’s social class to his actions and attitude toward the other characters. Do you see him as a victim of his circumstances, or do his choices make him fully responsible for his actions?

2. Mr. Micawber chooses to expose Uriah’s fraud despite the risks to his own job. What does this say about Victorian values surrounding integrity and morality?

3. In what ways do Uriah and Mr. Micawber portray anxieties and hopes around social mobility? Do you think Charles Dickens is criticizing the class system, or does he seem to support certain restrictions on mobility?

Group Discussion

Compare the risk/reward of whistleblowing in the victorian era to the risk/reward of whistleblowing in today's society. In 2024, do you still think Mr. Micawber would have done it?

Quotes

What is the context?

Who said it?

"As I think I once told you before...is it you who have been, in your greed and cunning, against the world"

Thoughts?

Answers!

David Cooperfield

Refers to when David and the other characters confront Uriah.

What is the context?

Who said it?

"That it is, under existing circumstances, the land, the only land, for myself and for my family, and that is something of an extraordinary nature will turn up on that shore."

Thoughts?

Answers!

Mr. Micawber

In discussing moving to Australia, Mr. Micawber reveals his optimism for a new opportunity for himself and his family.

What is the context?

Who said it?

"I am afraid, dear, I was too young. I don't mean in years only, but in experience, and thoughts, and everything. I was such a silly little creature... I am afraid it would have been better if we loved each other as boy and girl, and forgotten it. I have begun to think I am not fit to be a wife."

Thoughts?

Answers!

Dora

While ill and dying, Dora has a significant character development and expresses her faults in the marriage.

What is the context?

Who said it?

"Often! I am not afraid, dear Trotwood, I am certain of success. So many people know me here, and think kindly of me, that I am certain. Don't mistrust me. Our wants are not many. If I rent the dear old house and keep a school, I should be useful and happy"

Thoughts?

Answers!

Agnes

Agne's plan when everyone to go their separate ways, and serves as a role model to David and insipries him.

Switch Seats!

Key Scenes

2:37:19

How does this confrontation impact Mr. Micawber’s relationship with his family and his sense of self-worth?

What motivates Mr. Micawber to confront Uriah, and how do these motivations reflect his character development thus far into the novel?

Mr. Micawber confronting uriah

1. What does Uriah's reaction to David reveal about his character and motivations?

2. What does the interaction between David and Uriah say about each of their true moral standings?

3. What does Mrs. Heep's reaction portray about her role in Uriah's perception of himself and his ambitions?

Mr. Micawber confronting uriah

How does this scene portray Dickens's critique of marrying based on premature infatuation?

What does Dora's admission of "too young to be a wife" reveal about her understanding of marriage?

Dora's DeathBed

comparing themes

Idealized Love vs Reality

Growth and Maturity

Regret and Realization

Final thoughts, predictions, anything we missed?

Ch. 55-64

David COpperfield

Benjamin King & Jordan Skibidi Ross

7. CONGRATS!

Today's Agenda

1. Summary

2. Chapter Discussion

3. Culture Connection

4. Key Scenes

5. Activity

6. Final Reflections

The last set of chapters summaries!

Summary

• All the men on board have been killed except one, who is hanging onto a mast in his red cap and waving at the shore.

• Ham appears and goes with a rope around his waist to try to save the last sailor.

• After a first failed attempt, Ham gets out, but a gigantic wave sweeps the ship under and kills him.

• The next morning, David finds Steerforth's body on the shore.

• David goes to Yarmouth to deliver a letter from Little Em’ly to Ham before Australia.
• As David travels, a storm blows into Yarmouth.
• A ship from Spain is wrecked off the coast, and David and others go to the beach to watch the event.
• The lifeboat has been sent and has failed, and there is no way to help.

Chapter 55 Summary

• David goes to Mrs. Steerforth and tells her that her son is dead. She just lies there and doesn't move.

• Miss Dartle lashes out at Mrs. Steerforth, challenging her right to mourn her son, who is responsible for how Steerforth is, when she, Miss Dartle, actually loved Steerforth.

• Mrs. Steerforth becomes rigid and does not recover from the shock of learning of the death of her son.

Chapter 56 Summary

• The travelers bound for Australia meet with those staying behind.

• They drink and discuss Mr. Micawber’s ideas for success in Australia.

• David does not tell Mr. Peggotty or Little Em’ly of the tragedy in Yarmouth but instead says that all is well.

• Mr. Peggotty shows David that Martha is sitting with him on the boat to go with them to Australia. New start due to association with Em'ly.

Chapter 57 Summary

• David travels abroad in Switzerland.

• He mourns the deaths of Dora, Steerforth, and Ham and begins to feel the true weight of his sorrows for the first time.

• David receives a letter from Agnes and reflects how much he loves her.

• He resolves not to make any decisions about love or marriage until a full year has passed since Dora’s death.

• He decides to try to make himself a better man during that time period.

Chapter 58 Summary

• David returns to London, where he visits Traddles, who has recently married.

• Traddles is still poor, but he and his wife are very happy.

• At the inn, David encounters Mr. Chillip, his old family physician.

• Mr. Chillip says he is now living next door to Mr. and Miss Murdstone, who have destroyed Mr. Murdstone’s second wife and are as cruel and nasty as ever.

Chapter 59 Summary

• Mr. Wickfield has completely recovered his old sense of calm, and the house is peaceful again.

• The school that Agnes runs is successful and positive vibes have returned to the house.

• Mr. Wickfield briefly recounts the story of his sickness, his obsession with Agnes’s mother after she died, and his obsession with Agnes later.

• Mr. Wickfield is grateful to Agnes for helping him to recover.

• David returns to Miss Betsey’s, where Mr. Dick and Peggotty now live.

• He inquires whether Agnes has any lovers. Miss Betsey tells him that Agnes has many admirers but only one love—but she does not reveal who it is.

• The next day, David goes to visit Agnes. He tells her how much he admires her.

• Agnes seems troubled by his declarations of affection.

Chapter 60 Summary

• Uriah tells David, Traddles, and the guards that he wishes everyone could go to jail to improve their lives.

• The second prisoner is Littimer, who attempted to rob someone but was apprehended by Miss Mowcher, who recognized him in the street and stopped his getaway.

• David receives a letter from Mr. Creakle, who has heard of David’s fame. Now a magistrate, Mr. Creakle asks David to come to his prison to witness his new reform for prisoners.

• At the prison, David and Traddles are told of two prisoners who prove just how well Mr. Creakle’s system works.

• The first of the prisoners is Uriah, who is serving a life term in prison for defrauding the Bank of England.

Chapter 61 Summary

• Agnes and David remain friends, sadly.

• One day, when he can bear it no longer, David demands to know whom she loves more than anyone else.

• She sobs, and David realizes he is her true love. They are engaged and married within two weeks.

Chapter 62 Summary

• One day, while David is at home with Agnes and their three children, Mr. Peggotty visits.

• He brings word that Mr. Micawber is now a magistrate and that Little Em’ly is doing well.

• Martha is married to a farmer, and Mrs. Gummidge is well.

• Mr. Peggotty stays for a month and then goes back to Australia. They never see him again.

Chapter 63 Summary

• Doctor Strong continues to work on his dictionary while he and Annie live in marital bliss.

• Traddles is a successful lawyer and happily married to Sophy, and Agnes is forever the light of David’s life.

• David muses on the state of affairs at the time of his writing. He sees Miss Betsey, old but still upright, accompanied by Peggotty, who is also old but still bright and happy.

• Mr. Dick is still working on his autobiography.

• Mrs. Steerforth and Miss Dartle argue as usual.

Chapter 64 Summary

Discussion Questions Chapter 55

• In what ways does Ham’s brave attempt to save Steerforth highlight his character’s resilience and moral strength?

• How does Steerforth’s tragic death impact David’s perspective on his life choices and friendships? What does Steerforth's death tell us about his character?

Discussion QuestionsChapter 56

• What does David’s reliance on Agnes suggest about his emotional growth?
• How does Dickens use David’s ‘new wound’(referring to the loss of Ham and Steerforth, and Em'ly) and the events of this chapter to deepen our understanding of loss and resilience?

Discussion Questions Chapter 57

• How does Mr. Micawber’s decision to emigrate reflect his unflagging optimism, and how might Dickens view emigration as a fresh start?
• How does this chapter address themes of forgiveness and redemption, maybe through Mr. Peggotty’s and the Micawbers’?

Discussion Questions Chapter 58

• Why does David feel the need to travel abroad to recover emotionally, and what might this suggest about his mental state?
• What does Dickens convey about the importance of self-reflection through David’s time away?

Discussion Questions Chapter 59

• What is the significance of David feeling Agnes’s influence at this point in the story?
• How does Traddles’s simple happiness with Sophy offer a contrasting perspective on contentment and marriage for David?

Discussion Questions Chapter 60

• Why is Miss Betsey’s reserved reaction to David’s confession of love for Agnes significant, and what does it imply about her role in David’s life?
• In what ways does Agnes symbolize the Victorian ideal of womanhood, and how does David’s newfound appreciation for her reflect his maturity?

Discussion Questions Chapter 61

• How does Uriah Heep’s so-called "change in heart" reflect on the theme of justice and accountability in the novel?
• Why is Mr. Micawber’s transformation and happiness in this chapter pivotal for his character arc?
• Any more thoughts on redemption and self-reflection from this chapter or up to this point?

Discussion Questions Chapter 62

• In what ways does Agnes embody the qualities David has been searching for, and how does this moment redefine his sense of purpose?

• Why is it important that David has experienced loss and self-reflection before realizing his love for her?

Discussion Questions Chapter 63

• How does Dickens use David’s life with Agnes to portray the Victorian ideal of a happy marriage?

• Considering David’s emotional journey, how does his contentment in marriage represent a form of closure for him? How does this relate to David's development of a character?

Discussion Questions Chapter 64

• What final messages does Dickens give through David’s retrospective view of his life in this chapter?

• As David looks back on his journey, he recalls those who have impacted him deeply; how do these characters shape David’s understanding of character, and in what ways does their influence remain with him?

1. What characters represent the attitude towards mental health in the Victorian Era? 2. How does David’s response to grief and hardship reflect his emotional resilience or vulnerability3. Compare the attitude towards mental health in the Victorian Era to the attitude today

Mental Health

Switch Seats

Key Scenes

2. How do the other characters react to Ham and Steerforth's deaths, and what does that show us about the impact of their actions?

1. What does each character's death symbolize about the consequences of their actions in the story?

1:09:25

Deaths of Ham and Steerforth

2. How do external factors contribute to David realizing his feelings for Agnes?

1. How might David's perception of love change from his relationship with Dora vs with Agnes?

1:29:56

Reunion of David and Agnes

• How the final events of the book highlight this character’s connection to one or more themes.

• Specific actions, quotes, or decisions by the character in these chapters that reinforce these themes.

• Earlier events or actions in the book that foreshadow or parallel the character’s end-of-book actions.

• Self-Discovery
• Class and Social Mobility
• Love and Loyalty
• Sacrifice and Redemption
• Growth through Hardship

Themes

• David
• Agnes
• Steerforth
• Ham
• Mr. Micawber
• Traddles
• Em'ly

Characters

Character & Theme Activity

By the end of David Copperfield, David has grown through his hardships, relationships, and choices to discover his true self and purpose. What do you think Dickens is ultimately saying about the journey of self-discovery and the role of life’s challenges in shaping who we are? How might this message apply to the way we think about personal growth today?

Final Reflection

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To highlight super-relevant data. 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sense of sight.

Did you know...

Do we retain 42% more information when the content moves? It is perhaps the most effective resource to capture the attention of your students.

Attention!

In Genially, we use AI (Awesome Interactivity) in all our designs, so you can level up with interactivity and turn your classes into something valuable and engaging.

Attention!

In Genially, we use AI (Awesome Interactivity) in all our designs, so you can level up with interactivity and turn your classes into something valuable and engaging.

You can use this function...

To highlight super-relevant data. 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sense of sight.

Do you have an idea?

With Genially templates you can include visual resources to leave your audience speechless. Also highlight a specific phrase or data that will be engraved in the memory of your audience and even embed surprising external content: videos, photos, audios... Whatever you want!Need more reasons to create dynamic content? Well: 90% of the information we assimilate comes through our sight and, furthermore, we retain 42% more information when thecontent moves.

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