David Copperfield Model answers

Chapter 3 (David the orphan)

Summary
 A message came for David to go and see Mr. Creakle . Mrs. Creakle was
waiting for him and told him that his mother was dead .
 When he came back home, the Murdstones were still unfriendly to him.
 Peggotty took him to his mother's and brother's dead bodies but he couldn't
look at his mother's face .
 Peggotty told David how his mother died.
 After the funeral, the Murdstones asked Peggotty to leave the house.
 Peggotty suggested taking David with her to Yarmouth for a holiday.
 Surprisingly the Murdstones agreed to let David go.
 In Yarmouth, Emily looked different. She refused to play with David. He was
disappointed.
 David told Mr. Peggotty and the family the stories of his school days and his
friends.
 Emily admired Steerforth before she even saw him.
 Peggotty and Barkis decided to get married soon.
 The Murdstones got rid of David by sending him to work in a warehouse in
London.
 In London, David stayed in a room in Mr. Micawber house.
 The Micawbers were obviously very poor, but tried hard not to let this show.
 Mr. Micawber owed people a lot of money, but his creditors became tired of
waiting for their money, and went to the police, who arrested him for debt.
 Mr. Micawber was taken to the King’s Prison.
 David visited him in prison regularly.
 Soon it was decided that Mr. Micawber would be set free.
 Mrs. Micawber's family thought that she and her husband should move to the
country, to Devon, where Mr. Micawber would carry on his business interests
there.
 David decided to go to his aunt, Miss Trotwood, in Dover, to ask her for help.

Questions with model answers

1. What happened on the day of David's birthday?
He received a message to go to Mr. Creakle's room.
There he found Mrs. Creakle who told him that his mother was dead.
She packed his case herself and sent him home in a coach for the funeral.

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2. How was the weather on David's birthday?

It was a cold, icy weather.
The boys had to blow on their fingers and rub their hands to keep warm.

3. What did David think of the message at first?

He thought that Peggotty must have sent him a birthday present.
He hurried gladly along to Mr. Creakle's room.

4. "Your mother is dead." Comment.

These words were said by Mrs. Creakle to David in Mr. Creakle's room.
Mrs. Creakle told him that his mother was dead.
She packed his case herself and sent him home in a coach for the funeral.

5. How was David affected by knowing that his mother was dead?
There was a mist in front of his eyes.
Tears ran down his face.
He sobbed loudly.
He felt he was an orphan, quite alone in the world.

6. Why did Mrs. Creakle pack David's case?

Because he would never return to Salem House.

7. How did Peggotty receive David after his mother's death?

She met him at the door and they cried miserably in each other's arms.

8. How did the Murdstones meet David after his mother's death?
Mr. Murdstone was sad but didn't speak to David.
Miss Murdstone still showed her firmness of character.
She checked that David brought all his clothes back from school.

9. How did David describe the house after his mother's death?
There was a deadly stillness in the house.

10.How did David's mother die?

She was ill for a long time.
She got worse after the baby was born.
She was sometimes unhappy and forgetful.
The Murdstones often spoke crossly to her and made her sad, but she still
loved them.
Peggotty always sat beside her while she went to sleep. It made her feel better.
On the last night, she asked Peggotty for some water, then gave her a patient
smile! and died like an innocent child going to sleep.
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11.What happened on the last night of Mrs. Copperfield's life?

She asked me for some water, and then gave her a patient smile.
She looked so beautiful and she put her head on Peggotty's arm.
She died like an innocent child going to sleep.

12.How did the Murdstones treat David's mother before she died?
They often spoke crossly to her.
This made her sad.

13."The sun was beginning to rise, and she put her head on my arm, on her
stupid cross old Peggotty’s arm, and died like an innocent child going to
sleep! " Comment.
These words were said by Peggotty to David Copperfield.
She was telling him what had happened to his mother before she died.

14.What happened after David Copperfield's mother's funeral?

The Murdstones didn't even notice that David was in the house.
They told Peggotty to leave the house.
Peggotty suggested taking David with her to Yarmouth for a holiday.

15.Where did Peggotty decide to go then?

She decided to go to her brother's house in Yarmouth.

16.How did Peggotty and David go to Yarmouth?

In Mr. Barkis's cart.

17.How did Peggotty feel when she left the house?

She was a little sad.
She cried a little.

18.How did little Emily look different?

She was taller and prettier.
She didn't want to play with David or spend time with him.
David was disappointed at this.

19.How happy and pleased was Barkis during the journey to Yarmouth?
He repeated his conversation with Peggotty and David many times.

20.What did David tell the Peggotty family during his stay with them?
He told them the stories of his school life at Salem House.
He told them about the other boys especially, Steerforth.
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21.To what extent did David admire Steerforth?

He couldn't stop telling the Peggotty family about him.

22.How was Emily affected by David's talk about Steerforth?

She was listening eagerly.
Her eyes were shining.
There was a smile on her lips.
She wanted to see Steerforth.

23.What did Peggotty and Barkis decide to do?

They decided to get married.

24."Barkis is a good man and I'm sure I'll be happy with him." Comment.
Peggotty said these words to David when she decided to marry Barkis.
She promised David to love him as she used to do.
She invited him to visit her in Barkis's house and allocated a room for him.

25.What did Peggotty invite David to do?

To visit her in her new home.

26.What was Barkis's house like?

It was a nice little house.
Peggotty would keep a little bedroom for David there.

27.Why was David glad for Peggotty?

Because she had her own house with a husband who cared for her.
How did the Murdstones get rid of David?
They considered school too expensive and decided to send him to work.
They sent him to London to work in a warehouse.
What kind of work did David do in the warehouse?
He washed bottles, then filled them with wine and packed them in cases.

28.How much was David paid in the warehouse?

Six shillings a week.

29.David was different from the other boys at work. Explain.

He was the only boy who had been to school.
All the workers of the warehouse were coarse, rough people.
They were used to working in dirty conditions for long hours.

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30.How did David feel towards his new job?

He felt horror when he realized what his life was going to be like from then on.
He was deeply ashamed at having such a job.
He was also afraid that he would forget everything he had learnt from his
mother and his teachers.
He felt he would never find friends like Traddles or Steerforth.
He felt he would never be able to get a better position in life.
It was an extremely unhappy time for him.

31.Who was Mr. Quinion?

He was the manager of the warehouse where David worked in London.

32.Who was Mr. Micawber?

He was an important looking rather fat, middle-aged man.
His head was as bald as an egg.
He offered David a spare room in his rented house.

33.How did the Micawbers live?

They were very poor but they tried hard not to let this show.
Their house had dirty rooms with little furniture.

34.What was Mrs. Micawber like?

She was a thin tired-looking woman.

35.Who were the members of the Micawber family?

Mr. Micawber, his wife, four children and an orphan servant girl.

36.What did Mr. Murdstone ask Mr. Quinion to do?

To find David somewhere to stay in London.

37."But as Mr. Micawber is for the moment in difficulties, I must of course

accept the situation." Comment.
These words were said by Mrs. Micawber to David Copperfield in her house.
She admitted that she and her husband were passing very difficult financial
conditions.
Before she married Mr. Micawber, she didn't think she would be poor like that.
Mr. Micawber owed people a lot of money.
She also said that no one could get money out of her husband just as no one
could get blood out of stone.

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38.How poor were the Micawbers?

(38)What was the result of Mr. Micawber's earning little money?
They were very poor.
Mr. Micawber owed people a lot of money.
His creditors would have to wait as it was hard to get money out of him at that time.
He earned little money which couldn't keep his creditors happy or pay for his
family needs .
His creditors were usually at the door demanding payment.
The meals were rather irregular in Mr. Micawber's house.

39.Mr. and Mrs. Micawber's moods varied according to the situation. Explain.
One moment Mr. Micawber looked extremely miserable and depressed.
The next moment, he was brushing his shoes and singing a song before going out.
Mrs. Micawber’s character was similar to her husband’s.
Sometimes she lay on the floor, with her hair undone, looking wild and
desperate, but an hour later she was cheerfully eating a good supper.

40.How did David feel towards the Micawbers?

He became fond of them.
He thought they were kind people.

41.How did David buy his food at the Micawbers' house? Why?
He bought his own food out of his own wages.
He lived mostly on bread and cheese.
Because he knew that the Micawbers hardly had enough for themselves.

42.David was sensible/ thoughtful. Explain.

He bought his own food because the Micawbers were poor.

43.David was generous./ David had a sense of generosity. Illustrate.

As the Micawbers were short of money, he offered to lend them money once
or twice.

44.What did David offer the Micawbers?

He offered to lend them a few shillings, which they refused to accept.

45.What made the police take Mr. Micawber to the King's Prison?
Mr. Micawber’s creditors became tired of waiting for their money.
They went to the police, who arrested him for debt.
He was taken to the King’s Prison.

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46.What did David do when Mr. Micawber was taken to prison?

Mr. Micawber asked David to visit him there and he did regularly.

47.How was Mr. Micawber when David visited him in prison?

He seemed quite brokenhearted. He cried a little.

48."Remember, if a man earns twenty pounds a year, and spends nineteen

pounds and twenty pounds and one shilling, the result is-misery!"
Comment.
This piece of advice was given to David by Mr. Micawber when David visited
him in prison.
Mr. Micawber hoped that his mistake would be a warning to young people like
David.
He advised David to spend less than he earned.

49.The evening, David spent with Mr. Micawber in prison, was pleasant. Illustrate.
Mr. Micawber drank the beer and became cheerful.
They spent the evening telling stories and jokes.

50.How long did Mr. Micawber stay in prison?

He stayed there for several weeks.

51.How was Mr. Micawber set free?

His creditors had unwillingly accepted the fact that he couldn't pay his debts
back.

52.How did Mrs. Micawber and David celebrate the news of the police
setting her husband free?
They shared their supper and a glass of wine together.

53.What was Mrs. Micawber's plan when her husband got out of prison?
Her family thought that they should move to Devon where Mr. Micawber would
carry on his business interests there.

54.What was Mrs. Micawber's opinion of her husband?

She thought he was a clever man.
They hadn't found anything right for him yet.

55.What should Mr. Micawber be ready for?

He should be ready in Devon in case something turned up.

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56."I must! I will! He is my life! My love! My husband! The father of my

children!
I will never desert Mr. Micawber! You can't ask me to desert him!" Comment.
These words were said by Mrs. Micawber to David while they were having
supper.
She was a devoted wife who stood beside her husband in hardships.
Her varied mood made her think that David was asking her to desert her
husband so
David was uncomfortable.

57.What made David feel uncomfortable while talking with Mrs. Micawber at
supper?
Because he didn't ask Mrs. Micawber to desert her husband, yet she thought
he wanted so.
However, David was used to the change of the mood of the Micawbers.

58.What was David's decision when the Micawbers decided to leave

London?
He decided to go to his aunt, Miss Trotwood.
He would ask her to help him.
He would use the ten shillings which Peggotty sent him to spend in need.

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