In his classic novel David Copperfield, Charles Dickens illustrates the life of the protagonist, David Copperfield, from his miserable childhood to maturity, experiencing various challenges that shape his growth and character development. In his journey to maturity, David Copperfield encountered various women who had been of great significance in his life, and by perceiving differing marriages in life, he learned important lessons about love, the complexities of relationships, and responsibilities. The portrayal of marriage in David Copperfield reflects Dickens's exploration of societal norms, gender roles, and the impact of personal choices on individuals' lives. Throughout his journey, the author explores the dynamics of relations and distinct marriages between characters. Through examining the marriages of Clara Copperfield, Dora Spenlow, Annie Strong, and Aunt Betsy Trotwood, Charles Dickens delves into the marriages in the Victorian era and how they shaped the character’s identities and fate. By contrasting the miserable marriage of David Copperfield’s mother, Clara Copperfield, the impractical marriage of Dora, the ideal relationship between the Strong, and the delusional marriage of Aunt Betsy, Charles Dickens highlights the complexities of relationships, demonstrating the varying degrees of fulfillment and success in marriage.
Clara Copperfield, the mother of David Copperfield, had experienced a miserable and controlled marriage that led to her eventual death, reflecting the impact of an oppressive relationship and the importance of independence and equality in a marriage. Clara Copperfield is first introduced as a good-natured woman who is never mature, always acting childish, and is described by Aunt Betsy as “a very Baby.” Before her marriage to Mr. Mudstone, she was a pretty young woman known for her carefree and naive character, yet, after encountering Mr. Murdstone, her personality and her emotions were suppressed. By using Clara’s innocence, Mr. Murdstone controls and manipulates her to become submissive, such as using the motto “firmness” to justify his cruel behavior towards her, eventually causing her to lose independence and agency. For instance, in Aunt Betsy’s scathing critique of Mr. Murdstone and Miss Murdstone, she reveals Clara’s increasing obedience and reliance on Mr. Murdstone due to their constant monitoring of Clara’s thoughts and decisions, revealed in the conversation with Miss Murdstone, with Aunt Betsy saying “you must begin to train her, must you? begin to break her, like a poor caged bird, and wear her deluded life away, in teaching her to sing YOUR notes?” Aunt Betsy’s words highlight the domineering nature of the Murdstones that leads Clara to become a more obedient and controlled individual, and Aunt Betsy’s passionate outburst emphasizes the damaging effects of control in a marriage, exemplified in her accusation of Mr. Murdstone:
“Mr. Murdstone,’ she said, shaking her finger at him, ‘you were a tyrant to the simple baby, and you broke her heart. She was a loving baby—I know that; I knew it, years before you ever saw her—and through the best part of her weakness you gave her the wounds she died of. There is the truth for your comfort, however, you like it. And you and your instruments may make the most of it.”
Clara’s miserable marriage to Mr. Murdstone and her tragic death signifies the destructive impact of emotional abuse, highlighting the potential harms and consequences of a toxic relationship. Dickens emphasizes the importance of recognizing emotional abuse and picking up artists who manipulate and harm others for their personal gains as serious effects can happen, leading to devastating results such as the death of Clara Copperfield.
Marrying each other due to youthful infatuation, David Copperfield and Dora Spenlow’s marriage is impractical and full of fantasies, ultimately leading to a tragic ending when Dora falls ill and dies, highlighting the consequences of marriage based on superficial qualities rather than emotional support and mutual understanding. Throughout the novel, Dora Spenlow is the first wife of the protagonist, David Copperfield, portrayed as a “thing of light and airiness, and joy,” meaning that Dora is childish and immature, lacking the ability to take care of herself and support David. Grown up from an extremely easy and luxurious life as the only child of Mr. Spenlow, Dora eventually becomes spoiled and frivolous. Her inability to handle responsibilities and face challenges resulted in her constant need for David, leading to an unsustainable marriage. The marriage between Dora and David is not only a husband and wife relationship, but David sometimes also acts like an adult who must take care of Dora as a child, calling Dora a “child-wife”. Aunt Betsy’s talk with David after their fight about housekeeping further reveals Dora’s lack of maturity to handle house chores, keep accounts, or budget money, calling Dora “a very tender little blossom, and the wind must be gentle with her.” David constantly tries to “form his little wife’s mind,” viewing Dora as a child in need of guidance rather than an equal partner in marriage. Due to their impractical marriage, David Copperfield stops expecting Dora to be a counselor with more character and purpose, supporting him when facing difficulties. Dora Spenlow herself, feeling insecure and overwhelmed to meet David’s expectations, tries hard to assist him despite her limitations. However, as Dickens illustrates, despite their efforts to maintain an ideal marriage, Dora and David’s marriage suffers due to their unrealistic expectations and unsuitable minds and purpose.
Annie Strong, a young wife of Dr. Strong, contrasts with Dora Spenlow and Clara Copperfield’s marriage, as her relationship with her husband is built on mutual respect and loyalty. With Annie portrayed as an independent and supportive woman, her marriage with Dr. Strong exemplifies an ideal picture of a successful marriage. Despite rumors and gossip spread by Uriah Heep, who tried to manipulate Dr. Strong with the "affaire" between her and Jack Maldon, Dr. Strong can trust his wife and believe Annie’s love for him. As depicted in the novel, Annie is a determined and admirable character who knows who she wants to marry and stands firm in her commitment to her husband. When expressing her feelings towards Dr. Strong, she clearly conveys her love and affection, claiming that “there can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose,” showing her deep understanding of the importance of common standards, trust, and respect in a good marriage. As Annie explains to Dr. Strong, “There is nothing that we[Annie and Jack] have in common. I[Annie] have long found that there is nothing.” Annie’s character demonstrates a strong self-awareness in her beliefs, and her clear communication with Dr. Strong highlights how honesty and trust lead to a successful marriage. Throughout the novel, the author showcases the significance of shared values and mutual support in a healthy relationship, and by contrasting the ideal marriage of Annie and Dr. Strong with other characters, Dickens emphasizes the necessity for emotional connection and understanding in fostering a happy marriage.
Being one of the most independent and eccentric women in the novel, Aunt Betsey Trotwood is portrayed as a resilient woman who challenges the societal expectations of the Victorian era, and her marriage to Mr. Trotwood depicts a complex portrait of self-delusion and resilience. Initially viewed as a grudge woman who intimidates her family, Aunt Betsey is a generous and compassionate woman who values her loved ones deeply. However, David Copperfield’s self-reliant and independent great-aunt had experienced an unfortunate marriage with Mr. Trotwood, as she tells David in a conversation:
“Trotwood don’t look a likely subject for the tender passion,’ said my aunt, composedly, ‘but the time was, Trot, when she believed in that man most entirely. When she loved him, Trot, right well. When there was no proof of attachment and affection that she would not have given him. He repaid her by breaking her fortune, and nearly breaking her heart. So she put all that sort of sentiment, once and for ever, in a grave, and filled it up, and flattened it down.”
As explained by Aunt Betsey, she used to be a woman devoted to her husband, yet his betrayal caused her to bury her emotions deep within herself, hiding her feelings under a hard shell, becoming emotionally guarded and self-supporting to avoid any hurt. Her unrestrained love and loyalty to her husband cause her to refuse to acknowledge the flaws within him, as she explains to David with “an echo of her old pride and admiration in her tone”, Mr. Trotwood “was a fine-looking man when I[Aunt Betsey] married him." Despite the wrongdoings he once did to her, she still holds onto the memories of the man she once loved. Conflictingly, Aunt Betsey acknowledges that she is “an incurable fool” and Mr. Trotwood eventually spends the money she gave him and becomes an adventurer, a gambler, and a cheat. She understands that Mr. Trotwood is nothing to her right now, yet she gives him more money than she can afford every time he comes to let him go away. She exclaims that she can’t even have the shadow of her “idle fancy hardly dealt with.” Betsey’s internal conflicts towards Mr. Trotwood reflect the enduring struggle for love and rational awareness of Trotwood’s deceitful actions, revealing the difficulties of breaking from toxic relationships and the complexity of relationships.
In Charles Dickens’s novel “David Copperfield,” his exploration of various women’s marriages offers a profound understanding of the complexities of relationships and the impacts of personalities and decisions within relationships. Through contrasting characters, such as Clara Copperfield, Dora Spenlow, Annie Strong, and Aunt Betsey Trotwood, Dickens showcases struggles and internal conflicts in marriages, emphasizing the relevance of mutual respect and the importance of self-awareness in a marriage. Clara Copperfield’s oppressive marriage to Mr. Murdstone reveals the destructive effects of emotional abuse, and Dora Spenlow and David’s impractical marriage demonstrates the consequences of idealizing a marriage and finding a partner with no values. In contrast, Annie Strong’s marriage with Dr. Strong exemplifies an ideal marriage in which loyalty and respect lead to a harmonious relationship. Aunt Betsey Trotwood’s marriage with Mr. Trotwood, a deceitful man, showcases the struggle between emotions and reasoning. By highlighting the impacts of multiple marriages in the novel, Dickens accentuates the notability of respect, understanding, and shared values for a fulfilling marriage. Through the lens of David Copperfield, the author offers an intimate examination of marriage, indicating the significance of self-recognition and emotional connection when navigating relationships.
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