V. Final Evaluation – Is “David Copperfield” an Example for the socio-critical
Novel of the 19th century?
The novel “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickens shows the reader a variety of
different socio-critical elements: the consequences, which many people,
especially in lower social classes, had to deal with, in the wake of
industrialization, the monetary problems, criminality, abuse of children, lost
dreams and desperate attempts to break the boundaries of a cold and unforgiving
society. Furthermore various types of women are shown and what strategies they
use to cope with their situation and social standing. Surely many more aspects
could be found, if the novel underwent a further, perhaps even more intense
examination.
But already with the aspects outlined on the pages above, one can surely see
that “David Copperfield” contains many socio-critical topics and therefore,
without any doubt, can be seen as a representative example for the
socio-critical novel of the 19th century.
