(Samenvatting van het schoolboek David Copperfield van Charles Dickens)

David Copperfield tells us the story of his lifetime. He starts telling that he was born and when he reached the age of six; his mother met a new friend. Mr Murdstone, a terrible man, becomes later his mothers’ new husband. David went together with Pegotty, the servant, to her family in Yarmouth. There lived four people in the house: Ham was Mr Pegotty’s nephew, little Emily and Mrs Gummidge were the other two people.
Mr Murdstone is unkind to David, Mrs Murdstone, his sister, is unkind as well. Because Mr Murdstone teached David, he didn’t learn anything. David was sent to school in London.

David was picked up from the coach by Mr Mell, a teacher at his new school, they went to his mother, Mrs Mell, to eat something. When David saw a board in school which said: ‘Stay away, he bites.’ David thought there’s a dog at school, bur Mr Mell told him that the board was for him, because he has bitten Mr Murdstone. David saw some names on a door in school, two names interest him; Traddles and Steerforth. When the owner of the school, Mr Creakle, came back to school, David asked if he can put the board off. Mr Creakle became angry when he asked that, he had to wear the board al day. When the other boys returned to school they laughed about the board, and maked stupid jokes. Traddles turned the board into a joke, David liked him. When Steerforth came, David let him manage his money. Steerforth and Mr Mell got a fight in the lesson and Mr Mell got fired. One day, Mr Pegotty and Ham came to see him, he asked al lot of questions about Emily and Mrs Gummidge.
When David came home at holidays his mother was singing while she holds a new baby. Always when David was together with someone in one room, Mrs Murdstone was with them.
When holidays past David went back to school. After two months, Mrs Creakle told him that his mother died, his little brother was very, very ill. David may go home next day. When David came home his brother also died.
Pegotty and David went to Yarmouth to Mr Piggott’s house.
David has to work in London, he has to buy his own food, and Mr Murdstone would pay a room for him. He had to clean empty bottles of wine, and fill them with wine again. Mr Quinion, his boss, introduced him to Mr Micawber, where he would live. Mr Micawber is very bad with money, so he owes a lot of people some money. David had to sell stuff from the Micawbers so they could eat. After a few days a policeman came and took them to prison. When they got out of prison the Micawbers went to Plymouth and left David behind. David stopped working and went to Dover, to his aunt, he had to walk because a young man stole his box with clothes and his money. When he wanted to eat he sold some clothes.
David went to his new school in Canterbury; he would stay at Mr Wickfields house.
One day David went to Uriah Heep, the clerk of Mr Wickfield. When he left he saw Mr Micawber again, they told each other what they have done after London. The next day, David got a letter from Mr Micawber, he told him they would leave the next day. After a few years David finished school and went to Yarmouth. In a hotel he saw Steerforth again. When he arrived in Yarmouth he went to Pegotty, she didn’t recognize him at the first time. Mr Pegotty told him that Ham and Emily would marry.
When David visits Traddles he find out Mr Micawber is Traddles neighbour. Mr Micawber gave David a letter again, it said that he would leave again, because he owes people a lot of money. David also got a letter from Pegotty, her husband Barkis was dying.
When David came to Yarmouth, Barkis was dead. David went to Mr Pegotty, Ham told him that Emily went away, she went away with Steerforth. When David came back home he asked Dora, the daughter of Mr Spenlow, his teacher of law, to marry him.
Mr Micawber has got work from Uriah Heep. When David comes home his aunt tells him that she lost all her money. When Mr Spenlows horse run away, his carriage turned over and killed him. Dora got all his money, but there is not much left, because Mr Spenlow owes a lot of people almost all the money.

David is in Canterbury with Mr Wickfield, Agnes, Mr and Mrs Heep. Uriah Heep wanted to marry Agnes, but Agnes and her father won’t like that. When David met Mr Pegotty at the church he tells David that there isn’t any news of Emily, she only sent him a letter that she was sorry.
When David finally bought a house, Dora and David married. Dora gave money to things without thinking. Most of the time they hadn’t got enough money. One day Rosa Dartle told David that Emily has left Steerforth.
Because Dora isn’t a good wife, David wants to teach her. Dora isn’t very good and she just learn a little, so David want to have a baby where Dora can look after. They got a baby, but he died soon. Mr Micawber wrote to David that he had a secret that he couldn’t tell his wife. When Traddles and David met him, Micawber became angry about Uriah Heep, so he told them to come to Canterbury next week. Mr Pegotty finally found Emily, he told David that they would leave to Australia. After a few days David met Traddles, they went to Canterbury to see Mr Micawber, his aunt went with them. Mr Micawber took them to Uriah Heep, Mr Micawber tells them that Uriah has stolen from everybody.
Dora is very ill, Jip helps her thinking of better times. Dora wanted Agnes to come. Agnes and Dora talked to each other for a few days, after David spoke to her, he went downstairs. When David went downstairs, Jip followed him. Jip wasn’t moving anymore, he was dead. At the same moment Dora died. David went to Mr Micawber and Traddles, they both helped Mr Wickfield. Mr Micawber still owes money to Uriah Heep, if he doesn’t pay the money back, he will go to prison.
A man came to Mr Micawber and told him that he will go to prison. David’s aunt paid for Mr Micawber, so he didn’t has to go to prison.
David went to Yarmouth to see Ham. Mr Pegotty gave David a letter from Emily for Ham. David found Ham by the sea, a ship was sinking. Ham tied a rope around his body, so he could swim to the ship and save the man. When they pulled the rope back, to bring Ham back to the beach, Ham was dead. A body lay on the beach, it was Steerforth, he was the man on the ship. A few days later Mr Pegotty left to Australia, he asked David if Ham got the letter, David lied and said: ‘Yes’.
While David was travelling, he got a letter from Agnes and began to love her. When he came back in England, Agnes told him she loves a man. She can’t marry him, because he doesn’t love her, it was David. David told her he loved her too. They got married and had children. David’s aunt was very happy, because one of them was a girl, Dora.
One day Mr Pegotty came back and told about Australia.