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David Copperfield book club questions

by Charles Dickens · a kit for three meetings · 15 questions · printable

Fifteen discussion questions for David Copperfield, grouped by three stretches of the book of about the same length, with a reading plan, themes to talk about and a sheet you can print. Two good openers: how should we judge David Copperfield's decision to help the Micawbers while struggling to feed himself? And does Miss Trotwood's wish to protect a girl make her disappointment at a boy's birth more understandable or more troubling?

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The reading plan

Meeting 1

Chapters 1 to 19

About 7 h 43 min to read

Meeting 2

Chapters 20 to 39

About 7 h 45 min to read

Meeting 3

Chapters 40 to 64

About 7 h 54 min to read

Meeting 1: Chapters 1 to 19

  1. Does Miss Trotwood's wish to protect a girl make her disappointment at a boy's birth more understandable or more troubling?
  2. What does Peggotty's comfort offer David Copperfield when the Murdstones control his home, and what can comfort alone not change?
  3. How might a warning placard shape David Copperfield's expectations of school before he meets the returning boys?
  4. How should we judge David Copperfield's decision to help the Micawbers while struggling to feed himself?
  5. Does David Copperfield's escape from warehouse life seem more like a free choice or a choice forced by hardship?

Meeting 2: Chapters 20 to 39

  1. What kind of freedom do work and rooms of one's own promise David Copperfield, and what might they fail to provide?
  2. How does cheerful hospitality affect your judgment of a gathering shadowed by unpaid debts?
  3. What does Mr. Peggotty's decision to search suggest about the responsibilities of love after someone leaves home?
  4. What makes Agnes's practical help valuable when David Copperfield faces poverty, and where might such help reach its limits?
  5. When Dora fears household accounts and hard work, should David Copperfield change his plans, his expectations, or how he explains them?

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Meeting 3: Chapters 40 to 64

  1. Can affection take the place of practical partnership in David Copperfield and Dora's marriage, or does it leave too much unresolved?
  2. What does Martha's response to trust suggest about the difference between helping someone and judging them?
  3. Does learning to accept Dora seem like growth, surrender, or some mixture of both?
  4. How much should Micawber's exposure of Uriah Heep change your judgment of his earlier financial troubles?
  5. Is David Copperfield right to hide painful news while his friends prepare to leave, or does protection require honesty?

Themes to talk about

Authority and crueltyLove and partnershipTrust and protection

Tips for the host

  1. Open each meeting with one question everyone can answer, then go deeper.
  2. Anyone who fell behind can catch up with the 15-minute summary.
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