How are the young David and Cassie presented as victims in the novels, 'David Copperfield' and 'Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry'?

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English Coursework- How are the young David and Cassie presented as victims in the novels, ‘David Copperfield’ and ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’?

My coursework is about the novels ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry’ and ‘David Copperfield’. Both novels concentrate on the main character and the treatment they receive. ‘David Copperfield’ was written in 1850 and ‘Roll of Thunder…’ was written in 1977. The narrator in ‘David Copperfield’ is remembering his past life and experiences. As he becomes older in the book his life changes. In this piece of coursework I will write about the similarities and differences of David Copperfield and Cassie Logan as victims. I will write about each characters home life, school experiences, their treatment from others and how they each respond to the treatment.

David is born into a loving family. However, as he gets older, he is victimized by Mr. Murdstone. When David is first born his young mother Clara and kind nurse Peggotty make his home life seem quite idyllic. David is treated well by Clara and Peggotty and is sheltered from the outside world. However, Clara soon meets Mr. Murdstone, who she falls in love with.  David is not pleased for this man to enter into his life. ‘I didn’t like him or his deep voice…’ (27) This indicates that David is skeptical about Mr. Murdstone and perhaps that he is worried for himself and his mother when this man is present. When Clara and Mr. Murdstone are married, David is treated poorly by Mr. Murdstone and is beaten badly. ‘ He beat me then, as if he would have beaten me to death.’ (58) This describes that the pain David felt was like being beaten to death. Here we sympathize with David and feel that his treatment is both cruel and unfair. However, in mid-Victorian times this kind of treatment was more acceptable.

Cassie’s home life is quite different, but her family as a whole are victimized for being African American . She is raised into a loving family that treats her well and cares for her a great deal. Cassie is taught to be strong and to make a stand for what she believes in. Her family is like a team in the way that they come together when times are bad and they all care for one another. Cassie’s family are victims of racism. Mama tells Cassie that, “Everybody on this earth is something and nobody…is better than anybody else.”  (97) This shows that Mrs. Logan believes that racism is wrong and she tries to teach her children that although the colour of their skin should not affect how they are treated, they live in a time of inequality and injustice.

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At school David is a victim of bullying. When David is sent to school for biting Mr. Murdstone, he is made to a wear a plaque with the words “Take care of him. He bites.” (74) We can see that David feels scared and ashamed of wearing the placard and he begins to think that he does actually bite. This experience makes David feel condemned and vulnerable and it greatly lowers his self-esteem, ‘ What I suffered from that placard nobody can imagine.’ (75) This indicates that David’s time at school is not pleasant and he suffers mentally from ...

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