This poor little series has been pushed aside in the past few weeks (and probably will continue to be neglected for some weeks more, since I have quite a few posts in the works), but here is part 3 of my series of posts on reading David Copperfield: Chapters 21-30. (If you missed my other installments, here are the posts on chapters 1-10, chapters 11-20, chapters 31-40, chapters 41-50, chapters 51-60, and chapters 61-64, respectively.) I can’t think of anything else particularly enlightening or amusing to say in way of introduction, so let’s dive right in, shall we?
(By-the-by, this post is rather spoilerific. You could probably read my thoughts on chaps. 24 and 26 without much being given away, but that’s it.)
Chapter 21
Ugh. Steerforth is going to steal Little Em’ly away from Ham while not actually caring about her at all. I can see it all now. (I still find Little Em’ly a little annoying, by-the-by. I think Ham could probably have done better. But that does not mean I want Steeforth – a hundred times worse than Little Em’ly could ever be – coming in and ruining everything.)
I have to say, though, Steerforth’s taking the trouble to be charming to the Peggottys doesn’t quite line up with how I pictured him. Obviously he doesn’t actually care anything about them, but I had sort of imagined he wouldn’t even pretend he did – wouldn’t think it worth his while. I have to re-arrange my mental picture of him a bit.
Chapter 22
Ah, I see…this is “Dickens, The 3D Villains Edition.” Now we see that Steerforth has some complexity too. (And Steerforth is quite right, by-the-by. He needed some taking in hand as a child, for sure.)
Miss Mowcher isn’t terribly classy, is she now? So is she going to be some sort of go-between for Steerforth once he’s not in the area, so he can continue going after Little Em’ly? (Speaking of whom, of course now that we see trouble looming ahead for her, Dickens starts making us feel sorry for her and liking her more. OF COURSE.)
Chapter 23
Well, well, we shall have to see how David likes his profession. I’m not sure if he will…I fear that it may bore him after awhile. The law doesn’t have a very good track record as an enjoyable or constructive profession in Dickens’ books.
Also, I am rather curious about this creepy fellow who is capable of exhorting money from Betsey Trotwood! (Apparently NOT Uriah Heep. A different creepy fellow.)
Chapter 24
Second-hand embarrassment made this chapter hard to read. David, David. We love you, but please. Just stop being an idiot.
Chapter 25
I do wish David would be more polite to Uriah Heep…he’s not the sort I think it would be wise to antagonize. Remember how he weaseled everything about your past life out of you years ago, David? Good grief, is David oblivious sometimes. I do wish that boy would watch his step at least a bit.
I probably should have seen it coming with Uriah’s plans regarding Agnes…
Chapter 26
“…I could…resign myself to coffee – which I seem, on looking back, to have taken by the gallon at about this period of my existence.”
How is David so relatable.
(But, BUT. When he keeps harping on how there’s nothing to do all evening and how dreary it is…DAVID. MY FRIEND. READ SOMETHING. Remember how you devoured all those books in your father’s library as a child? You’re a grown man now (theoretically, anyway; you don’t always act like it), and you can buy things! Buy yourself some books!!)
I do hope David realizes that Miss Murdstone gets by far the better end of their deal to keep quiet about their past connections. Of course she knows that she’ll look like a total freak if David tells people how she behaved towards him when he was a child.
Chapter 27
Aw, Traddles is even sweeter as an adult as he was as a boy. (He reminds me rather of Herbert Pocket, actually. Although Traddles is a good bit more naïve than Herbert ever was.)
By-the-by, here is as good a place as any to admit that I knew before I went into this the basic gist of how David’s romantic life turns out, so you won’t get to hear my speculations on that front…I have no speculating to do, since I have Knowledge. Sorry.
Chapter 28
DAvId!!! Do you in fact have no eyes at all?? Can you not see that Steerforth is in Yarmouth for no good reason? Does it not strike you as the slightest bit suspicious that he was so set on your postponing your journey there by a day?? Who exactly decided that you were fit to ever be out of sight of a competent adult?
Also. STEERFORTH. No one talks smack about Traddles in MY hearing. Got it?
Chapter 29
I must say that I’m becoming very interested in Miss Dartle’s backstory. (Also, it’s quite obvious that she’s got a few more brain cells up and running than David does, fond of him though I am.)
In any case, whatever David finds in Yarmouth, it Won’t Be Good.
Chapter 30
Um, yes, of course Em’ly seems unsettled. It’s because she’s gallivanting around with Steerforth when she’s supposed to be about to marry Ham. WHY CAN NO ONE SEE THE MOST OBVIOUS THINGS.
And aw, poor Barkis made me tear up. It does seem rather hard on poor Pegotty that after marrying so late in life, her husband should die so soon. (And I was glad that his last words pertained to Peggotty, and not his chest of money – or, should I say, his “old clothes.” Much more touching.)
~
Well, there is part 3 of reading David Copperfield: chapters 21-30! Do you find Little Em’ly slightly annoying? Do you find Uriah Heep more amusing or irritating? Does David drive you crazy sometimes with how oblivious he is?
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MR. PEGGOTTY. THE DEAR MAN. DOES HIS LOVE KNOW NO BOUNDS.
… I just finished chapter thirty-two, and good gracious, Dickens knows how to pull on the heartstrings. I dearly hope Mr. Peggotty’s devotion will be rewarded in some way, but I have a sinking feeling about this. And about Agnes. IF URIAH TOUCHES AGNES–
Hem. Well. Guess I had to vent a little. I’m enjoying reading your thoughts as I make my way through the book. 🙂
NO. NO IT DOES NOT.
I strongly sympathize with your venting. Mr. Peggotty just had to go through so much and it was so unfair. And Uriah is just a straight-up Creep. (I’m so glad you’re reading DC! How are you liking it?)
I’m enjoying it immensely! I find it fascinating how well the story fits the autobiographical-ish tone. The framing really enhances everything. And it’s so charming yet so doleful and just–how does it all work together??
And oh, goodness, the characters. I mean, what was I expecting–it’s Dickens we’re talking about. But. Peggotty and Mr. Peggotty and Ham. And AUNT BETSEY AND MR. DICK. And Agnes. And Traddles. They’re all so wonderful. ❤️
I must admit I’m not a fan of the Micawbers, though. Mr. Micawber’s way of talking is amusing, but their sheer incompetence and–I don’t know–nonchalance upsets me. I think it would be funny if they didn’t have children. But they do, and it’s like they don’t even care . . .
Isn’t it great, though? Dickens is simply fantabulous. <3 It's funny, although some of the happenings in Dickens books are a little more fanciful than day-to-day life, I personally find that Dickens books often feel more real than many other stories…he’s just so, so good at world-building.
YES. They’re all so great. Miss Betsey and Mr. Dick are especial favorites of mine…but then there’s also Agnes…and Traddles…and I do like David even though he’s a little lacking in the common sense department…and how can you pick favorites with Dickens??
I can see that…for me, it feels like their nonchalance comes from a sort of naivete, like they really don’t understand that their children need a more stable upbringing, so it doesn’t really bother me. (I mean, obviously I don’t think it’s good; it just doesn’t make me dislike them.) It feels like they’re more oblivious than straight-up selfish, if you see what I mean.
Augh, how did he do it? DC especially feels down-to-earth, to me. Yes, world building! So important, and sooo difficult 😛
I LOVE THEM ALL.
I totally get how you feel about the Micawbers. I realized that my reaction is pretty personal because of Real Experiences. (Not that I’ve ever been in a situation as dire and drawn-out as theirs, but close enough that the uncertainty strikes a chord with me, if that makes sense.) And it doesn’t help that they’ve been recruited by Heep now . . . I just want to shake some sense into them, heh.
I know, right? I’m never sure exactly how much description I need to properly set the world I’m in, and how much can be picked up through the plot and dialogue. Ah, the difficulties of writerly life 😛
I can understand that! I think we can all experience that…when we personally relate in some way to a situation that characters are in, it makes us have a real visceral reaction and can make us feel a lot more strongly about those characters, whether positively or negatively.