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SEBASTIAN LEHNER
David Copperfield as an example of the Victorian socio-critical novel

I. Life And Work of Charles Dickens – An Overview

II. The Victorian Social Novel – Origin, Stages and Criticism 

III. The socio-critical Elements in “David Copperfield” – An Analysis 

1. Family Conflicts – The Copperfields and the Murdstones 
2. Orphanage and the Problem of Single Parents 
3.  Salem House – A Criticism of the Educational System 
4. Child Labour – How Industrialism Affects the Children 
5. The Flight from Reality – The Example of Mr Micawber 
6. Class Conflicts – Steerforth and Em’ly 
7. “Oddities” – People outside Society 
8. Crime – An Attempt to Break the Rules of the System 
9. Australia – A Substitute for the Lost American Dream 
10. Summary 

IV. The Women of David Copperfield – Dora, Agnes and Betsey Trotwood 

1. The Dora-Agnes-Nexus – Two Contrasting Women 
2. Betsey Trotwood – The Example of an Early Emancipated Woman 

V. Final Evaluation        VI. Dickens on TV – Modern Conversions of Dickens’ Works 

     Bibliography 

Sebastian Lehner is a member of the Copperfield Forum.

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