Back at school

Two months after returning to school, David is happily awaiting a hamper from home, for his birthday, when he is called into Mr. Creakles' space, told not to hurry. Mrs. Creakles tells him his mother has died. When he takes leave for the funeral, he does not know he will never return. More to follow. (I just wanted to start these three, at least, get something down, to be added to later.)

He is gently brought home. Dropped at a funeral home to have his mourning clothes made. He hears the pounding of nails across the courtyard, it is the coffin. Learns here that not only his mother, but his baby brother has also died. He is utterly alone in the world.

The funeral home people bring him home to Blunderstone. His mother and the baby are buried in the churchyard next to his father. Peggotty tells David about how his mother died, and how she held her and kissed her face at the last breath, that David's mother died in the arms of the one who loved her most, her dearest friend, Peggotty. Her spirit utterly broken by the wicked Murdstones. Peggotty is given notice by the Murdstones.

Holiday

David comes home for holiday. Meets his new baby brother, enjoys time with mother, the baby, and Peggotty, but the Murdstones are awful, cruel to both David and to Clara. They treat her like a child and won't let her love her son, won't let David hold his baby brother, and won't allow Clara to defend David, which makes David feel abandoned. In his last memory of her as he's leaving in the cart back to school, she is desperately standing at the gate with the baby saying good-bye. He never sees her alive again.

Sent away

The awful Murdstones. Mr. Murdstone greatly dislikes David. He attempts to teach David, but punishes him for every mistake so that David does nothing but make mistakes and is written off as stupid and insolent. A fight ensues at some point and David bites Mr. Murdstone in self-defense. He is sent away from his beloved mother and Peggotty to school in London. When he arrives the other boys are on holiday. He is made to wear a placard that says that he bites. He dreads the day of the other boys arrival. James Steerforth charms and befriends him. He ends up thriving there in spite of the near constant beatings of the boys by the headmaster.

Progress in reading, no progress in posting

I have been reading. I actually wrote some thoughts in a notebook, but haven't had the wherewithall to post any of it. There's always so much going on in his writing, it's hard to know what all to say.

Will make an attempt to post tonight, I'm past page 100, but am getting close to my last renewal and am in my really heavy school schedule, still, mornings are currently free during this week. Enjoying a brief feeling of summer vacation, and freedom. Cheers.

Marriage, unfortunate for David

Took day off. Went to coffee shop to try to get some reading done. Two more chapters in before I got too cold from the air conditioning and wandered home. David recalls early childhood memories of Peggotty and his mother. He was happy. Then his mother began to spend time with a man, Mr. Murdstone. David goes away with Peggotty to visit her brother in Yarmouth for a fortnight. He lives in an old, land-locked boat, with two children, Ham and Emily (adopted after his two brothers died at sea and the children were left orphaned) and a Mrs. Gummidge, widowed by the sea. David falls in love with Emily. He is happy there. Longs for his mother and home only when he and Peggotty get in the cart to return. Everything is strange. No one comes out to meet them when they arrive. Peggotty takes him into the kitchen and tells him that he has a new father: the slick jackwagon, Mr. Murdstone. Everything has changed in an instant, the joy of childhood with his mother, shattered.

Watched a DVD of "The Famous Authors Series: Charles Dickens." Gives a brief overview of his biography, he began writing at age 20 and died at 58, wrote continually, and fairly prolifically during those 38 years. Also has a little about his novels, producers seem to be quite taken with "the Pickwick Papers." Maybe I will read it next. Oh, that reminds me, I'm due for my first renewal, and I'm only on page 45.