The story traces the life of David Copperfield from childhood to maturity.
David Copperfield looks back on the first twenty-five years of his life. He is only eight years old when his mother, a young pretty widow, remarries. Unfortunately Mr Murdstone is not a good husband or father. David is sent away to school and only returns home when tragedy strikes. Unloved and unwanted, he is sent to work in a factory. But David is a resourceful boy and determines to find a better life for himself.