Dickens, Charles - David Copperfield

David Copperfield - The first at school

This text is taken from “David Copperfield” written by Charles Dicken. This book is though as an autobiography where we can find a detailed description of his childhood, his loves and his pains. This extract deals with david’s first days at school at Salem House, the school where he has been sent by his stepfather, Mr Murdstone. David was sent there as a punishment for had bitten his stepfather’s hand and this episode happens during holidays. He was also olding a sign with “pay attention, he can bite” to ridicule him. This text speaks about david’s cruel teacher, Mr Creacle who find pleasant hiting his students, in particular those who are chubby such us David leaving on them big scars. All the children are all fascinated by his eye but when the teacher look theme they start to tremble and the all drop over their books. A very important thing that we can notice from this text is that there is not solidarity between children: in fact when the teacher hit one of his student the other children don’t try to defend him but they all laugh. This text is also characterised by the frequent use of some devices like repetition (tooth , tooth, did it bite, did it bite) and also some metaphores (our heart sinking into our boots). This text probably wants to exalt the cruelty of the teacher: in fact david calls him incapable, brute and miserable little propitiators of a remorles idol.