Contents introduction main part

David Copperfield's love story with Dora.

David remembers those school days as quite happy. He liked the lessons, he had a couple of girlfriends, and he became the best boy in the class when he graduated from school at 17. After graduation, David decides to go to Yarmouth to stay and spend time thinking about what he wants to do by profession. Along the way, David tries to seem like an adult, but he is treated leniently until he returns to his room after the theater and finds James Steerforth waiting for him. James is studying at Oxford, and he is bored. He heads home to see his mother and persuades David to join him. There David meets Jame's mother and a distant relative, Miss Dartle. Both young men are fascinated by Miss Dartle, even by her sarcasm.
David asks Steerforth to go with him to Yarmouth. David thinks Mr. Peggotty and Ham would like to see him again. On the way, they stop by to visit the former Miss Peggotty and her husband, who is ill, but wants her to cook a wonderful dish for David and James. David finds out that Emly works in a store where she is a good worker, but arrogant and wants to be a lady. At Mr. Peggotty's house they are greeted by a party. Little Emly agreed to marry Ham. Everyone is delighted with this news, except Steerforth. He becomes sullen. James is moping because he doesn't have a father who could give him guidance. Before the boys leave, James buys a boat, asking Mr. Peggotty to take care of it in his absence. Steerforth calls the boat "Little Emly."
During a trip to London, David tells James about a letter he received from his aunt Betsy with an offer to become a proctor (lawyer). They both agree that this is a good choice for David. Upon arrival in London, he meets his aunt Betsy. She is very worried that Mr. Dick will not remove the donkeys from her yard in her absence. Despite the fact that becoming a proctor is very expensive, Miss Betsy is determined that this is a job for David, and she will pay for it. On the way to where he will work, a man who looks like a beggar approaches them. Miss Betsy gets into the carriage with him, then returns some time later with a lighter purse. David is very concerned, but Miss Betsy tells him to drop the subject and never mention it again.
David is hired as a clerk at the law firm of Spenlow and Jorkins. After that, the two of them find a place for David in the house of an elderly lady, Mrs. Krapp. She vows to take good care of David.⁷
London has its ups and downs. David is often lonely. He visits the Steerforth house, but James is away in Oxford. Whenever James returns home, he and David celebrate too much, and David, intoxicated, runs into Agnes at the theater. She takes him home and says Steerforth is a bad influence on him. She then informs him that Uriah Heep is now collaborating with her father. Neither of them is thrilled with this turn of events. One night he bumps into Yuri and Tommy Traddles, his friends from Salem House. Uriah informs David that he plans to marry Agnes.
Mr. Spenlow, David's boss, invites him to his house for the weekend. There David meets Spenlow's daughter, Dora. He falls in love with her, and then discovers that the companion her father hired for her is none other than the disgusting Miss Murdstone. David agrees with Miss Murdstone and leaves their shared past behind. Life in London continues as before. David invites the Micawbers and his friend Trattle to have dinner in his room. They are having fun until Steerforth's servant arrives. James Steerforth has disappeared, and he hopes David may know where he is. After everyone leaves, James appears. He tells David that he sailed in Yarmouth, and he has a note for him from Peggotty. Her husband is very ill. David decides to go to her immediately, but first James persuades him to come to his house. During the visit, David learns that Jame's family thought he was with David the whole time.
David arrives in Yarmouth just in time to help Peggotty get over her husband's death. They discover that her husband left her a large inheritance and also left money to her brother. When David arrives at Mr. Peggotty's house, he discovers that Emly has left with Steerforth. She hopes he will marry her and has no plans to return until he does. Mr. Peggotty decides to find her and asks David to help him. They start with London. Their first stop is Steerforth's house, where they are scolded by Mrs. Steerforth, who swears that her son will never marry Emly, and Miss Dartle blame David for everything that happened because he introduced the two lovers.
Since David took Peggotty with him to London to settle her affairs, she is in his office in the House of Commons when Mr. Murdstone arrives for another marriage license. A heated argument ensues, during which Peggotty accuses Mr. Murdstone of involvement in the death of David's mother.
Dora is having a birthday party, and Mr. Spenlow invites David. When David witnesses another man courting her, he becomes jealous. Later, he and Dora reconciled. Each of them confesses his love and gets engaged. Although their engagement is kept secret, David is happier than ever until his Aunt Betsy arrives with the devastating news. Because of a bad business decision, she lost all her money.
Now David is poor. He tries to give up his apprenticeship, but Mr. Spenlow does not return the money to them. When David meets Agnes, she offers him a job as a secretary to Dr. Strong. Her father, Mr. Wickfield, became close to the disgusting Uriah. She would like David to help her separate them. David gets a job working on the dictionary with Dr. Strong, and also provides Mr. Dick with a job rewriting manuscripts.
Whenever Dora finds out from David that he is now poor, she gets excited. She can't imagine being poor. The next day, her father, Mr. Spenlow, accosts David. He threatens to disinherit her and send her away if they continue dating. But before he can carry out these threats, Mr. Spenlow is killed in a car accident. Dora is devastated and refuses to see David. When he finally manages to see Dora, David sees that she has changed. She became even more infantile, refusing to learn how to run a household. He understands that everyone, including himself, treats her like a child. When he brings Agnes to visit her, Dora asks why he is not with Agnes instead.
Meanwhile, Uriah is still pursuing Agnes, who is slowly consolidating his power. He blackmails her father and turns the cheerful Mr. Micawber, who came to work for him, into a greedy, sullen man. Yuri tries to control Dr. Strong, hinting at the infidelity of his young wife Annie. Yuri replaced Mr. Murdstone as the villain.
Finally David and Dora got married. Although marriages do not bring satisfaction, they manage to get along. She wants to be treated like a child, and in fact is not an assistant for him. Despite the fact that he has a permanent job as an author in a newspaper and several magazines, he also has to do household chores. But she seems devoted to him and seems happy, which makes him happy. Meanwhile, Mr. Dick decided to step in to repair the damage done to Dr. Strong and Annie's marriage. In the end, she convinces the doctor of her love, and they reconcile.
As for little Em'ly, her father, Mr. Peggotty, is still looking for her. David learns that Steerforth took her to Naples, where he lost interest in her and abandoned her. She was depressed and left for unknown lands. David finds Mr. Peggotty to report the latest developments. On the way home, David stops by his aunt's to check in. He sees her again with a mysterious stranger. Finally, she tells David that this man is her husband, whom she thought was dead. He was extorting money from her.
David's marriage is becoming increasingly strained. Dora's childlike innocence begins to dry up. He hopes that pregnancy will help her grow up, but she is losing the baby. Subsequently, complications lead to the fact that she loses the ability to move her legs, and he has to carry her in his arms. Mr. Micawber informs David that Uriah cheated him out of his money, and asks David to help him get revenge. Finally, Little Emly is found. She was ill and doesn't think her family will forgive her. When Mr. Peggotty comes to her, he decides to take her to Australia, where she can start all over again. Mrs. Gummidge agrees to go with them.
Finally, there comes a big confrontation with Uriah. Mr. and Mrs. Micawber, David, Traddles, Agnes, and Miss Betsy are all looking at him together. Uriah becomes enraged when Mr. Micawber presents evidence of Uriah's misdeeds. Miss Betsy claims that he is the source of her losses, and wants her property back. Traddles later returns the money to the Wickfields and Miss Betsy, but Yuri and his mother disappear. Dora becomes very ill. Agnes comes to David's aid and is there when Dora dies. Saddened, David begins to make plans for a trip abroad. Meanwhile, the Micawbers are planning to move to Australia, and Miss Betsy's ex-husband is dying.⁸
David gives Ham a letter from Emly. She would like to see him before leaving for Australia. While a severe storm is raging in Yarmouth. A ship from Spain is wrecked on the shore. Viewers see one of the survivors waving a red riding hood. Ham tries to save a man and dies, then the man also dies. Later, when the man's body washes ashore, David sees that it is James Steerforth. When David tells Mrs. Steerforth about her son's death, she falls into a stupor. Miss Dartle is furious and blames her mother and David for James' death.
After a farewell party for the group headed to Australia, David sets off on his journey. David stays in Switzerland for a while and receives a letter from Agnes. He comes to the conclusion that He Loves Agnes, but wants to wait a year after her death before Dora visits him. During this time, David decides to improve himself.
David returns to London, where the author begins to complete different storylines. David confesses his love to Agnes to find out that he loves her too and they are getting married. Dr. Chillip, who has given birth to David, lives with Mr. Murdstone and Miss Murdstone. They were cruel to their second wife, she died. Miss Betsy lives with Mr. Dick and they are satisfied.