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

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Page 23

It is a very common phenomenon that in social novels the characters can be categorized by their way of speaking, which is no longer called dialect then, but sociolect. And it is evident that Dickens employs this device here to make clear which class he wants his protagonists to belong to. Steerforth describes the Peggotties as people who do not have many feelings and who are rather insensitive towards shock or pain. He is of the opinion that they do not have proper manners and that nothing can harm them easily.[28] And  here the second point of criticism becomes evident: Dickens wants to draw attention to the fact that the working-class was regarded by the aristocrats almost as animals, who have neither feelings, nor emotions nor any kind of education, whatsoever. And furthermore the criticism is even extended to a further degree, when the higer-classes are indirectly described as cold, ignorant to the poor people’s problems and so wrapped up in their financial wealth that they think, money can compensate for everything. And this class conflict who is set up by the contrast between James Steeforth and the Peggotties, finally culminates in the relationship between Em’ly, the adopted daughter of Mr Peggotty, and Steerforth himself. When Em’ly is still a little child she always dreams of being a lady, so when David asks her “You would like to be a lady?”, she instantly replies “yes”[29]. But then time passes by and Em’ly grows up, the wish to be a lady, however, continues to be on her mind, and so when she shall be married to Ham, another adopted child of Mr Peggotty, she finally realizes that he cannot fulfill her wish. Though he loves her and cares for her, he is himself just a simple worker and fisherman, who cannot give more public prestige to her.

[28] cf. Priestley, J.B., Readings On Charles Dickens, p.115    [29] Dickens, Charles, David Copperfield, p.42

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