David Copperfield
Miriam Pinto L贸pez BT1 IES Cristo del Rosario, Zafra ( Badajoz ) 22/02/2013
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Índex: Cover………………….……………………..…………………… 1
Title………………………………………..………………………. 3
Author……………..………………………………………………. 3
Publishing house………………………………………………. 3
Summary…………………………………………………..…… 3-6
Main characters…………………………………………..… 6-9
Personal opinion……………………………………….………. 9
Vocabulary………………………………………………..…. 10-14
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Title:
David Copperfield
Author: Charles Dickens Publishing house: Burlington Books
Summary: CHAPTER 1: Early childhood.- In this chapter, we known when David was born and some of his live and his mother´s live. Moreover, David tells when he went to Peggotty´s house, where spent two weeks, and when he knew Peggotty´s family : Dan Peggotty (Peggotty´s brother), Ham ( Peggotty´s nephew) and Emily (Tom´s daughter, Dan Peggotty´s brother-in-law, who is dead).David also tells that he and Emily was good friends.
CHAPTER 2: The Murdstones.-David arrived home, where Peggotty said him that he had a new father, Mr.Murdstone. But the following day arrived the Mr.Murdstone´s sister to help David´s mum. They were bad people and David wasn´t happy with them. David was mistreated by his stepfather who, with his sister, had the control of their house and their lives. At the end of this chapter, David tells that will go to a school near to London.
CHAPTER 3: Schooldays.- In this chapter, David tells how he arrived to school, and what happened there, where he made a new friend, Steerforh (who was the David´s hero in the school). David also tells the first time he come to his house from school, where he knew his new brother. When David arrived home, the Murdstones wasn´t there and he was happy; but when they come, David was always afraid. At the end of this chapter, David returned to school.
CHAPTER 4: Dreadful news.-At the beginning of this chapter (when was the David´s birthday) , Mrs Creakle (Mr Creakle´s wife) told David that his mother was dead, and he was very sad.Then, when he arrived home, Peggotty said him that his baby brother was also dead. David felt very sadness. The next days, David spent in Peggotty´s house, where saw Emily again. One day, Mr Barkis (the coachman, who was in love with Peggoty) arrived there and went out with Peggotty, Emily and David. They went to a small church and Mr Barkis and Peggotty got married. When David came home, Mr Murdstone said David that he must work in his wine business.
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CHAPTER 5: Running away.-David was ten years old, and he started his job in London, where he was very sad. There David was introduced to his landlord, Mr Micawber (who had problems with debts and had been put into a debtors´ prison). One day, David left Mr Micawber´s family and ran away from London, looking for his Aunt Betsey. After some misfortunes, he arrived to Aunt Betsey´s house and he told her his story. Finally, David stayed there, where knew Mr Dick(Aunt Betsey´s lodger). The Murdstones went one day there and they wanted to take him, but Aunt Betsey said that David stayed with her. In fact, she changed his name: Trotwood Copperfield.
CHAPTER 6: In Canterbury.-In this chapter David tells how he moved to Canterbury, where he know Mr Wickfield ( Aunt Betsey´s lawyer), his daughter Agnes and Uriah Heep, who worked with Mr Wickfield. David stayed to live in Mr Wickfield´s house. David also tells that one day, Uriah Heep invited him to have tea with his mother( David said that there was something about him that he didn´t like). While David was having tea with Uriah Heep and his mother, he saw Mr Micawber and they were talking about them; but the following days, David saw him very friendly with Uriah Heep.
CHAPTER 7: A holiday in Yarmouth.-A few years later, David had to chose a career, and he decided to go to Yarmouth where he could make a decision about his career. Davis said goodbye to Dr Strong and the Wickfields, who were very sad. But in the way for Yarmouth, David and his schoolfriend, Steerforth were in the same hotel; so David went to Steerforth´s house and, then they went to Yarmouth together. There, Emily said that she was going to get married with Ham. One day, were Peggotty and Emily in the house talking with Martha, who had problems.After, Emily said that she wanted to be a better person and David didn´t know what she meant.
CHAPTER 8: Uriah Heep´s plans.-David received a letter from his Aunt Betsey where she suggested him that he become a proctor. David knew nothing about that job, so he consulted to Steerforth and finally David agreed to take that job. When David arrived to London, Agnes told him that Uriah Heep was her father´s partner, because he had taken advantage of Mr Wickfield´s weakness for alcohol and he was afraid of Uriah Heep. Moreover, Uriah Heep said Davis that he wanted to married with Agnes one day.
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CHAPTER 9: Happiness and sorrow.-I this chapter David knew Dora, Mr Spenlow´s daughter (his employer) and that Miss Murdtone was her companion! A few days later he went to visit Traddles, who said him that he was going to be married. After, he said that had lent money to Mr Micawber too. One evening, David received a letter from Peggotty, where she said that Mr Barkis was very ill, dying. So, Davis went to Peggotty´s house but, unfortunately he died. After his funeral, when David went to Peggotty´s house to said goodbay, he saw Ham crying because Emily ran away! He had a letter from Emily, where she told that she was in love with someone and wanted to married with him. Ham told that the name of the man was Steerfoth. Peggotty went to look for her but didn´t found her. So, she went with David and Ham to London to looking for Emily and Steerfoth.
CHAPTER 10: Miss Murdstone´s revenge.-In this chapter, David told to Dora how much he loved her, and finally they became engaged. But soon David was going to received bad news. His Aunt Betsey was ruined, and she and Mr Dick stayed with him in his lodging. David had to looking for another job. Fortunately, although David hadn´t money, Dora until wanted to marry him. One day, Miss Murdstone told Mr Spenlow that David had sent letters to Dora, and Mr Spenlow banned him to see Dora again! David was very upset. When he went to work one day, a Mr Spenlow´s clerk said David that Mr Spenlow was died, and David immediately thought about his poor Dora.
CHAPTER 11: union and reunions.-David went to visit Agnes and told what happened him. After, he had dinner at the Wickfield´s house, where Uriah Heep filled Mr Wickfield´s wine glass whenever it was empty; moreover, Uriah Heep said that he want to marry with Agnes and Mr Wickfield was furious. One day David saw Martha and Mr Peggotty, who told him about Ham and Emily.In this chapter david finally married with Dora, who had lived with her aunts. David was very happy but for Dora, looked after the house wasn´t easy. Dora and David lived in a small house in London and Aunt Betsey and Mr Dick had to move again. A few months later, Dora was expecting a baby, but he lost the baby, and Dora became very ill. One day, when David was walking past the Steerfots´ house and a maid recognized him. She had news about Emily and told him all about that.
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CHAPTER 12: Confronting Uriah Heep.-David received a letter from Mr Micawber, where told him that Uriah Heep was a thieh and a criminal. A few days before David had met with Mr Micawber, Martha went to his house and took him to her house, where was Emily! Mr Peggotty went there and said David that they were going to go to Australia and he wished the best luck for them. When David went to meeting with Mr Micawber, Aunt Betsey, Mr Dick and Traddles (who was a lawyer) went with him. There, Mr Micawber said that Uriah Heep had forge documents, had misled Mr Wickfield, had forged his signature… and Aunt Betsey said that she has lost all her money because him! Finally Uriah Heep gave all the documents . After that, Aunt Betsey proposed Mr Micawber to go to Australia, and she was going to pay the tickets to go.
CHAPTER 13: Starting again.-Unfortunately, Dora died. After that, David was really sad, but one day he received good news: Traddles had studied Uriah Heep´s documents and had managed to save Mr Wiclfield´s business and to recover Aunt Betsey´s money. David went to Yarmouth to give Ham a letter from Mr Peggotty. But there the weather became really bad and the sea was very dangerous. Han ran into the sea and tried to rescue the people, but sadly, he died. They also found Steerfoth´s body lying on the sand. David didn´t want to told about that to Mr Peggotty and Emily, because if they knew, they hadn´t travelled to Australia. David was in love with Agnes, and she felt the same about him, so they got married, and had three children. Ten years later, Dan Peggotty returned to London and said David that had seen some old newspapers from England and there was an article from the storm, so that was how they heard about Ham and and his death. Mr Peggotty aldo told David about Martha, Emily, Mr Micawber. One day, Mr Peggotty went to visit Ham´s grave in Yarmouth and picked up some grave to take it for Emily, for remind them of Ham and of England.
Main Characters : David Copperfield: he is the narrator of the book, and he is also the principal character in the story. In fact, the book is called David Copperfield and it´s about David Copperfield´s life. David´s life was very hard and sad, his childhood was bad and during his life David had lost people because they died. Fortunately, in the end David could start a new life with Agnes and their three children ( before, David was married with Dora, but she died).
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Clara copperfield: she was David´s mother, who was a widow when he was born (her husband had died six months before earlier). She was young, pretty and slim.Clara remarried with Mr Murdstone and had another son. Unfortunately, she and her baby son died and they were buried in the same grave.
Miss Betsey Trotwood: she was David´s father´s aunt and she wanted that Clara had a girl. David went to her house when he was lonely and she helped him and change his name.
Clara Peggotty: she was Copperfields´ maid. She was quite fat and had dark eyes and bright red cheeks. Clara was part of Copperfields´ family and David didn´t treat her like a servant. She got married Mr Barkis, who unfortunately died. At the end, she went with Aunt Betsey and was her maid.
Dan Peggotty: he was Clara Peggotty´s brother and was a very big, happy man. At the end he picked up some earth from Ham´s grave.
Emily: she was Tom´s daughter (Dan Peggotty´s brother-in-law) and ahe was a beautiful little girl and had blue eyes, she was very pretty and she was the first love of David. They became very good friends.
Ham : he was Joe´s son, so he was Clara and Dan Peggotty´s nephew. He was a strong young man.In the end, he died trying to save people in the sea.
Joe Peggotty: he was Dan Peggotty´s brother and Ham´s father. He died drowned.
Tom: he was Emily´s father and Dan Peggotty´s brother-in-law. He also died drowned.
Mr Murdstone: he was David´s stepfather and he had beautiful black hair and whiskers.He was a very bad person, who mistreated David and sent him to a school, away from his mother, his baby son and Peggottys.
Miss Murdstone: she was Mr Murdstone´s sister. She was a dark, serious woman with a big nose. She also was very strict and suspicious person. She and her brother wanted to control Copperfields´ lifes. Moreover, she was Dora´s companion and told Dora´s father that David loved his daughter.
Mr Barkis: he was the coachman, who liked to Peggotty. They finally got married, but unfortunately he died.
Mr Mell: he was one of the teachers at the school, Salem House.
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Mr Creakle: he was the headmaster of Salem House, the first school of David. He was a fat man with a bald head , small eyes , a small nose and a large chin.
Mr Sharp: he was the senior teacher of Salem House. Tommy Traddles: he was a student of Salem House, and one of David´s friends. Over the years, the became a lawyer and helped David about Uriah Heep´s offenses.
J.Steerfoth: he was a student of Salem House and a David´s good friend ( he was his hero in the school). He went with David to Yarmouth ( Peggotty´s house) where fell in love with Emily. Steerfoth was abour six years older than David, very goodlooking and very good student. At the end, he died and David saw his body lying on the sand.
Mr Micawber:he was the David´s landlord, when David went to work for Murdstone and Grinby. He was a very unusual gentleman and he was married Mrs Micawber and had a young boy , aged four, a young girl of three and twin babies. Mr Micawber had been in a debtors´s prison and became Uriah Heep´s friend, but in the end he discovered Uriah Heep´s offenses and went to Australia.
Mrs Micawber: she was Mr Micawber´s wife and had four childrens (as I have written before). She and her husband weren´t young and they weren´t rich either. She moved also into the prison to save money, and she always talked very well about her husband.
Mr Dick: he was Aunt Betsey´s lodger and he an elderly gentleman with a round face. He looked a little strange for David, but Mr dick always had a smile on his face. Most people believed that he was mad, but Aunt Betsey always asked him for advice when she had to make an important decision. He went to live to David´s house with Aunt Betsey when she ruined, but they had to move again when David got married Dora.
Mr Wickfield:he was Aunt Betsey´s lawyer and Agnes´s father. He was a greyhaired gentleman with black eyebrows but he wasn´t particulary old.
Uriah Heep: he was Mr Wickfield´s assistant and he was a young boy and had bright red hair. He became Mr Wickfield´s partner but, at the end, was discovered that he was a thief and a criminal who had done bad things and had caused much suffering to innocent people.
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Agnes: she was Mr Wickfield´s daughter. She played the piano. Agnes was a very good David´s friend, and finally she married him and got three children. Before, she looked after her father since her mother´s death a few years before.
Dr Strong: he was the owner of the school where David went in Canterbury and was David´s former headmaster. He was a very gentle and intellingent man (David liked him immediately).
Mr Spenlow: he was David´s employer and Dora´s father. He had much money and he didn´t want that David and his daughter got married. Ufortunately, one day he fell from his carriage on his way home and died.
Dora: she was Mr Spenlow´s daughter and married David. She was a very innocent and kind person and was beautiful and sweet girl. Dora was expecting a baby, but she lost and became very ill.Finally she died.
Miss Mills: she was new Dora´s companion and she encouraged the friendship between Dora and David. David sent letters to Mr Mills secretly for Dora.
Miss Lavinia Spenlow and Miss Clarissa Spenlow: they was Dora´s aunts and they agreed in her marriage with David.
Martha: she was a young girl that been in Peggotty´s house looking for help. She had been abandoned by a man after he had made her pregnant. Emily gave her some money. In the end, she went to Australia with Mr Peggotty and Emily. There, she married a young man who worked in a farm, and had a farm of their own.
Personal Opinion: At first, I didn´t like the book, because I don´t like biographies, but at the end I like more this book. I also like that David , although spent him bad things in his life, he always have a good mood and go right. I prefer reading other types of books, but I think that if I read this book in Spanish, I would like more.
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Vocabulary: Word
Meaning
Sentence
Widow
Vuida
Pedro´s grandfather was a widow, because her husband died in a traffic accident.
Godmother
Madrina
My godmother is my aunt María, and she lives in Barcelona now
Cheeks
Mejillas
There was very hot in the classroom, and we were with red cheeks in our faces.
Guilty
Confuso
I felt guilty when I saw my friend with my cousin. I thought that they had never talked before.
Bachelor
Soltero
Luis still is a bachelor, but the next month he is going to get married.
Obstinate
Terco
I don´t like obstinate people at all! I prefer polite, nice, friendly people.
Whisper
Susurrar
He didn´t like to stay in my house more time and whispered me that we left from there.
Suspicious
Desconfiado/a
My uncle is a bit suspicious. When I tell him something, he isn´t sure that it is true or not.
Cane
Vara
The farmer was hitting the animals with a cane when they arrived the farm.
Pale
Pálido/a
He was very pale, so we took him to the hospital
Carved
Tallado
In our classroom there are many students´ names carved in the tables.
Pain
Dolor
I fell down in the road. After that, I felt a terrible pain in my legs and my arms
Shellfish
Marisco
I don´t like shellfist at all! Y prefer eating meat
Delighted
Encantado/a
She was very delighted to see him again. The hadn´t see for five years.
Bald
Calva
I think that this man is very old, because has grey hair and a bald head.
Buried
Enterrado/a
He said that when he dies, he want to be buried next to his wife.
Pretend
Fingir
My friend pretended to be well, but y knew that she wasn´t enough well, or she was sad.
Wine
Vino
My grandfather took a lot of wine to our party.
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Word
Meaning
Sentence
Kindly
Amablemente
When we arrived to her house, she received us kindly and I felt very well there.
Devoted
Fiel
Marta really loves her boyfriend because she always good things about him, she says that he is a very devoted person.
Trunk
Baúl
When I was a child, I had a trunk full of toys but now I haven´t it.
Labels
Etiquetas
This shop is very cheap. In the labels are 70% discount!
Released
Liberado
He went to prison for theft. After ten years, he was released and never stole again.
Mad
Loco
After a few years, my friend became a bit mad, but I think that a bit of madness is good for people.
Mean
Avaro
All people know that mean isn´t good, and we have to be generous people in our lifes.
Firm
Empresa
In the future, he´d like to have a firm and work with his family and friends
Look after
Cuidar
I like when my aunt asks me to look for my cousins because I really like children.
Relieved
Aliviado/a
She felt relieved when the doctor said her that her baby son wasn´t ill.
Knowledge
Conocimientos
In the school all children improve their knowledge and learn a lot about different things.
Temble
Temblar
They were in the swimming pool and when they went out the pool, started to temble because was a bit windy.
Enstead
En lugar de …
Today I don´t like to study biology, so instead to study I´m going to go out and I´ll study tomorrow.
Niece
Sobrina
He´s very happy because he is going to have his first niece soon. Now he has three nephews.
Suitable
Adecuado/a
We were looking for houses in my town and we think that this is the most suitable house for you.
Career
Carrera
I would like to study a medicine career, or something about genetic and laboratories.
Procurador
A proctor is an old-fashioned job and consists in take care of wills and marriages, like a chuch lawyer.
Proctor
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Word
Meaning
Sentence
Lodging
Alojamiento
I will need a lodging if I like to go to another city to study or live there.
Dusty
Polvorienta
This room need that someone cleans it. It´s too dirty!
Guests
Invitados
My mother want to prepare a birthday party and she need to make a guests list.
Nod
Asentir
My teacher asked me that I had had my homeworks and I nodded.
Tiny
Diminuto/a
What did you write here? I can´t read well, you have a tiny handwriting.
Engaged
Prometido/a
My aunt is engaged and she say me that she want yo marry this year.
Dying
Moribundo
He was dying when I went to see him , but fortunately now he is alive
Borrow
Pedir prestado
My friend hadn´t enough money to go to the cinema, so she borrow me .
Unless
A menos que…
You´ll not pass this year unless you study more and have all your homeworks.
Bless
Bendición
He said: ``God bless for all people´´ when he left.
Rent
Alquilar
Refuse
Rechazar
She isn´t a friendly person at all. She always refuse all you ask her.
Bundle
Manojo
My mother gave me a bundle ok keys and I didn´t know what was the keys that I required.
Ribbon
Cinta
My baby cousin was very beautiful yesterday. She was wearing a pink ribbon in her head.
Clerk
Oficinista
I couldn´t to be a clerk in the future, because I don´t like to be all day in a chair.
Proud
Orgulloso/a
All of us want that our family will be very proud of us, so we have to do good thing and acts.
Kindness
Bondad
It would be really good that in the world all people had kindness.
Weak
Débil
She is very weak because she has just been born.
Shopkeepers
Comerciantes
Shopkeepers learn a lot of foreign languages when they travel around the world.
My cousin want to come to Zafra and she is going to rent a house here.
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Word
Meaning
Sentence
Cheat
Estafador
The president of that country is a cheat. Now the country is ruined for his fault.
Forge
Falsificar
The student forged his mother´s sing because he din´t pass and exam and didn´t want to his mother knew it.
Recognise
Reconocer
Although we hadn´t seen before for a long time, she recognised me when saw me.
Faint
Desmayarse
All got scared when saw her fainted in the room. Fortunately she was good.
Greet
Saludar
One day, I was walking in the street and greeted me a person who I didn´t know.
Pick up
Recoger
There was a open window and the wind all the papers fell down, so I had to picked up from the floor.
Sick
Enfermo
My brother is a bit sick, so he is not to going out today.
By chance
Por casualidad
The question was correct by chance, because in the exam I didn´t know it.
Blanket
Manta
When I have cold, I take a blanket and I´m better.
Deliver
Entregar
He delivered me a letter from my best friend when I was on holidays, and I felt very happy.
Matter
Asunto
I always ask my mother in my important matters because she can help me.
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