David Copperfield -Activities

7/28/2019 David Copperfield -Activities

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P e n g u i n R e a d e r s F a c t s h e e t s l e v e l

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INTERMEDIATE

Dav id Copper f ie l d

S U M M A R Y

avid Copperfield, published in 1849-50, when

Dickens was at the height of his fame, contains

many a utobiographical elements.David e njoys a happy childhood with his m other and her

faithful servant, Peggotty, until his mother marries again

and proves powerless to protect him from the cruelty of

his s tepfather, Mr Murdstone. He is sent a wa y to schoo l,

where he meets an o lder rich b oy, Steerforth, and makes

friends w ith a b oy of his own a ge , Tradd les . He also

enjoys ho lida ys b y the se a with Peg gottys family, who a re

fishermen. However, after his mothers death, he is put to

work in a factory. He runs away to find his great-aunt,

Be tsey Trotwoo d. S he pa ys for his studies w hile he lives

with her lawyer, Mr Wickfield, and makes friends with

Wickfields daughter, Agnes. On leaving school, he is

articled to a lawyer called Mr Spenlow and falls in lovewith Spenlows daughter, Dora. In the meantime he has

been the link between the two worlds of his childhood,

taking Steerforth to Yarmouth, where his friend is

attracted to Emily, Peggottys beautiful niece. In both

these situations he has yet to learn that in this society

wealth determines the nature of all relationships.

Charles Dickens, the best-known English novelist, was

born in 1812, the son of a Royal Navy clerk, and grew up

in ports Portsmouth and Chatham before the family

moved to London when he was 10. Incidents from his

childhood and youth feature in David Copp erfield, where

the hero, like Dickens, earns his living as a shorthand

writer before achieving fame with his novels. Dickens was

the first writer to reach a mas s a udience in B ritain and the

United States, publishing his novels in weekly episodes,

and subsequently editing magazines in which his work

and that of other well-known writers first appeared.

His earliest work is notable for his comic inventiveness

(Pickwick Papers)and powerful depiction of social evils,

and relies heavily on melodrama and sentiment (Oliver

Twist). David Cop perfield, written at the midpoint of his

career, retains many of these features but also points

forward to the great novels of his maturity, which analyse

the nature of Victorian society. Dickens married Kate

Hoga rth in 1836 and they ha d te n children, but in 1858 he

separated from her, beginning a secret relationship with a

young ac tress, Ellen Ternan, w hich las ted until his d ea th in1870.

David Copperfield, probably because it is partly

autobiographica l, wa s Dickens ow n favourite a mong his

novels. Whereas he usually concentrates on a specific

soc ial problem, which bec omes his ma in theme, here the

theme is personal. In David Copp erfieldhe attempted to

come to terms with the trials and humiliations of his

childhood and youth, writing a s a man w ho had o vercome

his humble beginnings and become the most successful

novelist of his time. Davids life does not directly reflect

Dickens life, but important incidents tha t had left a las ting

impression on him are reproduced with little alteration.

Dickens w as taken from sc hool at the ag e of 12 when his

father was committed to the debtors prison, and put to

work in a relatives factory, like David (p.20). Shortly

afterwards, w hen his father received a lega cy tha t set him

free, this also allowed the boy to resume his education.

Dickens pictures his father in David Copp erfieldas the

eterna lly o ptimistic, improvide nt Mr Mica wb er, b ut he told

his biographer, Forster, that he had never forgotten the

humiliation of working in the factory, or forgiven his

mother, who thought he should go on working. In the

novel, the angelic mother of Davids early childhood is

replaced by the harsh, cold Miss Murdsto ne.

The sec ond ma in theme of the novel is tha t goo dness

has nothing to do w ith soc ial position, a nd s ocial position

is too often equated with wealth. Here again, Dickens

personal experience was relevant. As a poor young

sho rthand w riter, he ha d fa llen in love w ith the da ughter of

a b anker, whos e father sent her abroad to keep her out of

Dickens wa y, as Mr Spenlow p lans to d o w ith Dora (p.59).

Spenlows attitude towards David changes when Davids

aunt loses her money. When he s ays I thought you w ere

a g entleman he implies tha t being a g entleman is a matter

of money, not of being a gentle man, as David is.

This tend ency to eq uate mo ney and soc ial position w ith

virtue corrupts c hara cte rs judg ement a nd be haviour. The

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A B O U T C H A R L E S D I C K E N S

DAVIDCOPP

ERFIELD

D

T e a c h e r s n o t e s

B A C K G R O U N D A N D T H E M E S

by Charles Dickens

Pearson Education 2000


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proud rich boy, Steerforth, could have been a good man

but ha s been spoilt by an indulgent mo ther. Co nseq uently,

he looks down on poor fishermen, ignoring their humanqualities, and takes advantage of Emily (ruins her in the

language of the time) but will not marry her. In contrast,

Ham, the humble fisherman who loved Emily, dies trying

to sa ve him. At the other end o f the soc ial sc ale, envy of

others social position leads Uriah Heep, who always

empha sizes that he is humb le, to chea t Mr Wickfield and

dream of marrying Agnes.

David himself is not corrupted. From the beginning, he

judges everyone on their merits, refusing to accept that

people are inferior because they are poor.

The following teacher-led activities cover the samesections of text as the exercises at the back o f the reader,

and supp lement those exercises. Supplementary exercises

covering shorter sections of the book can be found on the

photo cop iable Students Activities pages of this Factsheet.These are primarily for use with c lass readers but, w ith the

exception of discussion and pair/group work questions,

can also be used b y students working alone in a self-access centre.

ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK

Tea ch s tudents the words stepfathera nd stepmother. Putthem into sma ll groups a nd a sk them:

Why do you think that in stories stepfathers and

stepmothers a re nearly a lwa ys unkind?

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTION

Chapters 1-3

Put students into small groups to discuss these questions.Ask them to look up relationship(the way in which peoplerelate to e a ch o ther) in their dictiona ry.

Davids mother does nt help him ag ainst Mr Murdstone,and nobody helps the teacher, Mr Mell. What does this tellus about the relationships between (a) husbands andwives, (b) employers and employees when Dickens lived?

Chapters 4-6

Divide the students into groups o f three. One studentplays the part of Bets ey Trotwood a nd the others a re Mr

Murds tone a nd Miss Murds tone. B etsey Trotwoo d a sksthe others what they have done to David and why theyhave a cted ba dly towards him. They must tell the truth butca n sa y why they think they were right.

Chapters 7-9

P ut students into small groups to d iscus s this ques tion.Ask them to look up character(what a person is like) intheir dictionary.

Compa re the cha racters of Uriah Heep and Mr Mica wb er.Dickens s eems to have the sa me opinion of them asDavid has. What is this opinion? What does it tell us aboutDickens thoughts a bout money and s uccess?

Chapters 10-12

P ut students into small groups to d iscus s this ques tion.

When Mr Spenlow hea rs that Da vid is poo r, he s ays , Youare not a g entleman. What d oes the word gentlemanmean? How does Spenlow understand the w ord? Whatdoes this tell us about life in Dickens day?

Chapters 13-16

Students work in small groups. In Dickens early novelscha racters a re usua lly very good , very bad or very funny.In his later novels, they are more believable. In DavidCopperfieldsome are like those in the early novels, a fewlike the ones in the later novels. Ask students to put thecha racters in the co lumn where they think they be long.(As a guide you ca n sug ges t that they w ill proba bly putthree c harac ters in ea ch c olumn, though there is room fordisag reement.) Then have a class discuss ion.

Very good Very bad Funny Natura l

P eg go tty, Be tse y Trotwoo d, Mr Murds tone, Mr Crea kle,Tradd les, S teerforth, Emily, Mrs G ummidge, Mr Mica wb er,Uriah Heep, Agnes , Rosa Dartle.

ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK

P ut students into sma ll groups. Us ing the c ompleted tab leof cha racters of Mr Murdstone and Mr Crea kle, they ta lkabout David and Dora, above, but instead they decide if(a) they a gree with the wa y Dickens end ed the b ook foreach of them; (b) they think that that the ending for eachof them is believable.

It will be useful for your students to know the following new words.They are practised in the Before You Read sections of exercises atthe back of the book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman

Active Study Dictionary.)Chapters 1-3

cart (n) a vehicle with wheels pulled by a horse, carrying things(modern: lorry)

coach (n) a closed vehicle with wheels pulled by a horse, carrying anumber of people (modern: bus)

complain (v) to say you are not happy about something

cruel (adj) making other people suffer, giving them pain

gentleman (n) a man who is polite and thinks of others (but in thenovel, usually a man belonging to the middle or upper class)

manage (v) to know how to look after a house or a business

servant (n) a person who works in someones house, cleaning,cooking, etc.

shilling (n) money (= twelve pennies) (20 shillings = one pound)

Chapters 4-6

carriage (n) a vehicle with wheels pulled by a horse, carrying people(modern: car)

clerk (n) someone who works in an office, looking after papersdonkey (n) an animal like a small horse with big ears (see p.27)

humble (adj) believing you are not as important as other people (alsoused in the novel to mean belonging to a lower class)

lawyer (n) someone who can practise the law as a profession

owe (v) to have to pay someone because you have borrowed moneyfrom them

rub (v) to move something against another thing (here, used ofhands)

Chapters 7-9

scar (n) this is left by a cut on your skin

Chapters 10-12

deceive (v) to make someone believe something that is not true

shorthand (n) a fast way of writing down what people say, usingsigns

Chapters 13-16

rope (n) this is long, strong and thick and is used to tie things

DAVID

C

OPPERFIELD

C o m m u n i c a t i v e a c t i v i t i e s

G l o s s a r y

T e a c h e r s n o t e s

P u b l i s h e d a n d d i s t r i b u t e d b y P e a r s o n E d u c a t i o nF a c t s h e e t w r i t t e n b y W S F o w l e r

F a c t s h e e t s e r i e s d e v e l o p e d b y L o u i s e J a m e s Pearson Education 2000


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Read the names of the first three cha pters and look at

the pictures on pa ge 9 and p ag e 13. Why do you think

David has a new father? What happens to him becauseof this?

CHAPTERS 1-3

Chapters 1 & 2

Answ er these ques tions.

(a) Why doe snt Miss Trotwoo d help Davids mother to

look afte r him?

(b) Why is Mr Murdstone ang ry when he me ets Da vid forthe first time?

(c) Why does nt he wa nt his friend to s ay Mrs

Copperfield is pretty?

(d) Why is Da vids mother not at home when he comes

back from Yarmouth?

(e) Why cant David learn his lessons when Mr

Murds tone teac hes him?

Chapter 3

1 Put the people wi th the descript ions.

(a ) Mr Mell (i) c ruel a nd unpopula r a nd

a ba d teacher.

(b ) Mr C rea kle (ii) a kind b oy w ho doesnt

laugh at David.

(c ) Tra dd les (iii) a rich boy w ho likes

Davids stories.

(d ) S tee rforth (iv) a poor te a cher w ho lives

with his mo ther.

2 Answer these quest ions .

(a) Who makes David w ear the board in the picture

on pa ge 13. Why?

(b) Who says: A gentleman cant be rude to a poor

man. Why?(c) Why does Mr Mell lose his job a s a teacher at the

school?

(d) What do the three boys - David, S teerforth and

Tradd les think ab out this?

CHAPTERS 4-6

Chapters 4 & 5

1 Put these sentences in order.

(a) Mr Murdsto ne finds Da vid a job in a factory.

(b) David a rrives at his a unts house.

(c) Da vids mother an d brother die.

(d) Dav id dec ides to go to see his a unt .

(e) Da vid meets Mr Mica wb er.(f) A young man steals Davids money on the way to

Dover.

(g) Mr Murdstone takes David a wa y from school .

(h) Mr Micaw ber teaches Da vid a lesson about

money.

2 Work with another student. David has a rrived at his

aunts house. You a re David a nd Da vids a unt. Act theconversa tion betw een them ab out Mr Murdstone and

Da vids wo rk in Mr Quinions fac tory.

Chapter 6

Complete these sentences.

(a) Davids a unt is a ngry with Miss Murdstone bec ause..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) She ta kes David to Ca nterbury to see..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) She wa nts him to find .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d) While he is in Ca nterb ury, Da vid lives..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) Mr Wickfields c lerk, Uriah Hee p, is.... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . a nd wea rs .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

(f) David does not like him bec aus e his hand is like

..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(g) Heep is studying to b e .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(h) He always s ays tha t he and his family are..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

CHAPTERS 7-9

Chapter 7

1 Who is spea king, and w ho or what are they talking

about?

(a) Hes a c lever man. I need so meone like him to

manag e my money.

(b) I threw some thing a t her. It hit her on the mouth.

(c) I know that she is younger than I am. But she

has agreed to ma rry me.

(d) She should be a g entlemans wife .

(e) Ive done something terrible. The people in

Yarmouth hate me.

2 Work with another student. You are David and Emily.

Act the conversation between them. Emily isnt sure

of her feelings . She has sa id tha t she w ill marry Hambut she likes Steerforth. David tells her what to do if

she wants to be good .

Chapters 8 & 9

1 Look up chancein your dictiona ry. In Dickens s tories ,things often happe n by c hance . In this s tory, David

often meets people again by chance. Who is the

person he meets in these sentences?(a) She is si tt ing next to him at the theatre .

(b) He see s an old friend at the dinner at the

Waterbrooks house.

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Davi d Copp erf ield

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DAVIDCOPP

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Photocopiable

Students can do these exercises alone or with one or mo re

other students. Pair/group- only activities are marked.

Ac t i v i t i e s b e f o r e r e a d i n g t h e b o o k

Ac t i v i t i e s w h i l e r e a d in g t h e b o o k

S t u d e n t s a c t i v i t i e s



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(c) She is a t Mr Spenlows house, looking a fter Dora

Spenlow.

(d) He is living in the sa me house a s Da vids friend.


(a) What does Agnes think of Steerforth, and why

does she tell David s he is so rry?

(b) How did Uriah Heep become the owner of half of

Mr Wickfields business?

(c) What is the cha nge that Mrs C rupp notices in

David? Why has he changed?

(d) Why does Mr Mica wb er write to David? What

has he done?

(e) Why is David going to Yarmouth? Why does he

go to Highg ate first?

CHAPTERS 10-12

Chapter 10

1 Complete these sentences.

(a) When Emily s ays she will only return if Steerforth

makes me a lady, she means if he

..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(b) Mrs S teerforth thinks Mr Pe gg otty will feel better

if she .... . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

(c) Rosa Dart le hates Emily because

..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d) David is very happy because Dora a grees

..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e) But she sa ys they wont te ll her father yet

bec ause .... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .

2 Talk with another student. You are David and

S teerforth. They mee t. David tells S teerforth wha t he

thinks of him. He w an ts him to m arry Emily. Ste erforth

tells Da vid w hy he does nt want to.

Chapters 11 & 12

1 Match the people to the feelings or act ions.

(a ) Mr Mic a w be r (i) is ple a se d D avid is in lo ve

with Dora, not Agnes .

(b ) B e t sey Tro tw o o d (ii) d o e sn t w a n t to hea r

about money or cooking.

(c ) Mr Wic kfie ld (iii) h elp s D a vid to le a rn

shorthand.(d ) Mr S penlow (iv) d oes not w ant He ep to

marry his daughter.

(e ) Dora (v) te lls Da vid she w ill a lw a ys

be his friend.

(f) Tra ddles (vi) is ha ppy tha t Uria h Heep

can give him work.

(g ) Ag nes (vii) is ang ry w ith herse lf for

losing her money.

(h ) U ria h He ep (viii) c ha ng e s his min d a b out

David when he hea rs he is

poor.

2 Work with another student . You are David a nd

Tradd les. You bo th wa nt to get ma rried. Is S ophy the

bes t wife for Traddles? Is Do ra the b est w ife for

David?

Ask and answer the question: Do you think I should

marry her soon?

CHAPTERS 13-16

Chapters 13 & 14

1 Which sentences about David and Doras marriage

are true, which are false? C orrect those that are not

true.

(a) Dora doesn t know how to manage the house .

(b) She doesn t love David .

(c) David doesnt love her.

(d) She is like Davids mother.


(a) Why is Mr Micaw ber angry and s ad w hen he

comes to se e David?

(b) Who helps David to find Emily?(c) Who do they see o n the stairs outside Emilys

room?

(d) How is Mr Micaw ber able to show that Heep has

stolen money?

(e) Why didnt Mr Wickfield understa nd w hat w as

happening?

(f) Why doesnt Heep have to go to prison?

Chapters 15 & 16

Put the two halves of these s entences together

(a ) J ip the d og d ies (i) tha t s he ma d e her son

selfish.

(b ) B ets ey Trotw oo d (ii) is ta lking ab out him.

pays Uriah Heep(c ) Ha m trie s to s ave (iii) b ec aus e he is very

S teerforth sa d .

(d ) Ros a Da rtle te lls (iv) b ec aus e s he thinks he

Mrs S teerforth d oes not love her.

(e) Da vid lea ves (v) to s a ve Mr Mica w ber

Eng la nd from prison.

(f) Ag ne s c a nno t m a rry (vi) b ut d ie s s w im ming

the ma n she loves to the ship.

(g ) D a vid re a liz e s tha t she (v ii) a nd b e c om e s ric h a nd

successful.

(h ) Mr Mic a w b er g o es t o (viii) a t th e sa m e mo me nt

Aus tra lia a s Dora .

Talk to one o r more other stud ents .

(a) Why is David hap pier in his se cond marriag e tha n his

first?

(b) Are Davids opinions o f people cha nged by the

amo unt of money the people have? Find examples in

the book.

(c) So me peo ple in the book think that rich peo ple a re

be tter peop le. Who thinks this?

Are the rich people in David Copp erfieldbetter people

than the poo r people?

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F a c t s h e e t s e r i e s d e v e l o p e d b y L o u i s e J a m e s

DAVID

C

OPPERFIELD

Ac t i v i t i e s a f t e r r e a d i n g t h e b o o k

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David Copperfield -Activities