Storytime for Grownups with Faith Moore

Episode: David Copperfield, Chapter 13

Date: February 19, 2026

Main Theme

In this episode, Faith Moore reads and discusses Chapter 13 of David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. She provides insightful commentary and context, helping listeners unpack the emotional and social complexity of David’s escape from London and journey to his great-aunt Betsy Trotwood’s house. The reading is interwoven with thoughtful explanations about Victorian society, character motivations, and Dickens’ literary craft, making classic literature accessible and deeply engaging.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap and Context (06:37 — 10:25)

• Davy has just run away from London after being separated from the Micawber family. His only hope is that his eccentric, wealthy great-aunt Betsy Trotwood near Dover will take him in.
• Davy loses the little money and possessions he had to a boy with a donkey cart, beginning his journey penniless and desperate.
• Faith reads and responds to listener comments, focusing on why Davy chose to seek out Betsy instead of returning to Peggotty, his former nurse.

“The only person he can think of to run away to is his aunt ... she’s the one that he never met, but she ran off on the night that he was born because he wasn’t a girl. But he hopes that she will take him in.” (09:25)

2. Davy’s Motivations and Social Realities (10:25 — 20:41)

• Faith examines Davy’s reasoning: he wants to avoid being trapped in the working class, yearning for middle-class respectability, education, and a profession.
• Peggotty would be loving, but financially unable to provide the life Davy wants.
• Davy’s choice reflects a Victorian value system, prioritizing status and security over emotional comfort.
• Commentary explores why neither simply quitting his job nor running to Peggotty seemed viable to Davy.

“He’s got a picture of what he wants his life to be like, and he can’t let it go. Even though going to Peggotty would meet his emotional needs, it wouldn’t set him up for the life he wants. And he knows that it’s not a great trade-off.” (17:40)

3. The Micawbers’ Departure and Its Impact (20:41 — 31:37)

• Faith discusses the Micawber family’s eccentricity and endearment, and Davy’s emotional connection to them, despite their inability to offer stability.
• Davy’s repeated separations and forced adulthood—he’s been treated as an adult confidante, not a child.
• The idea that the Micawbers “like being in a state of constant debt” and are used to their own instability.

“They’re both completely maudlin, completely over the top ... but also somehow endearing and they have been good and kind to Davy in a situation where pretty much no one else has.” (24:34)

4. Faith’s Guided Reading: Davy’s Journey (31:37 — 1:02:30)

• Davy narrates his lonely, hungry, and exhausting trek toward Dover, selling his waistcoat and jacket to survive.
• He describes sleeping outdoors, the threat and cruelty of fellow travelers, and reflects on how his mother’s memory carries him onward.
• Vivid storytelling of dangerous encounters: a drunken old shopkeeper, being accosted by a violent tinker, and the perpetual threat from adults and other boys.

“Never shall I forget the lonely sensation of first lying down without a roof above my head ... and I dreamed of lying on my old school bed talking to the boys in my room, and found myself sitting upright with Steerforth’s name upon my lips, looking wildly at the stars that were glistening and glimmering above me.” (34:32)

5. Arrival in Dover and Meeting Betsy Trotwood (1:02:30 — 1:18:49)

• Davy, utterly destitute, at last locates Betsy’s house with the help of a kind driver.
• A comic but poignant introduction: Betsy, in gardening gloves wielding a knife, at first tries to send him away with “Go along. No boys here.”
• Davy’s emotional collapse and eventual acceptance by Betsy, who is startled but quickly takes charge, tending to him and summoning eccentric companion Mr. Dick.
• The famous scene in which Betsy is repeatedly distracted by her vendetta against donkeys trespassing her lawn, even as she tries to nurse Davy to health.

Faith pauses:
“She came stalking out of the house exactly as my poor mother had so often described her, stalking up our garden at Blunderstone Rookery ... I have never heard ‘Eh?’ exclaimed in such a tone of amazement.” (1:08:40)

6. Household Dynamics: Mr. Dick and Janet (1:18:49 — 1:25:55)

• Introduction of Mr. Dick, whose odd manner and gentle nature make him one of Dickens’ most beloved eccentric characters.
• Janet, the maid, is part of Aunt Betsy’s pattern of “taking in” young women to “renounce mankind”—which always ends with them marrying and leaving her service.

Aunt Betsy:
“Mr. Dick sets us all right. Heat the bath.” (1:20:30)

7. Davy’s Recovery and Reflections (1:25:55 — 1:35:30)

• Aunt Betsy fusses over Davy, washing, scolding, feeding, and worrying for him, while waging her endless campaign against encroaching donkeys.
• Davy is grateful, awed, and hopeful, but anxious about his future.
• Dickens’ delicate narration: Davy senses, perhaps in a dream, Betsy’s hidden tenderness as she watches over him.

“I awoke with the impression that my aunt had come and bent over me, and had put my hair away from my face and laid my head more comfortably ... but certainly there was nothing else when I awoke to lead me to believe that they had been uttered by my aunt.” (1:28:51)

8. Aunt Betsy’s Fierce Opinions and the Theme of Family (1:35:30 — 1:44:00)

• Betsy rails against Davy’s late mother, her choice of husband, and the follies of marriage, blaming all for Davy’s plight.
• Davy defends Peggotty with emotion, and Betsy, interrupting herself to chase donkeys, is nonetheless visibly moved by his loyalty.

“Well, well, said my aunt, the child is right to stand by those who have stood by him ... Janet! Donkeys!” (1:40:05)

9. Closing: Hope and Uncertainty (1:44:00 — End)

• The episode ends with Davy safely installed in bed, feeling for the first time in weeks the comfort of home and longing for stability.
• Faith encourages listeners to write in with thoughts and questions, and teases the next chapter’s developments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Davy’s innocence:
  “He believes too much in goodness and kindness and honesty. And we applaud him for that. I mean, I do. ... But having this sense of honesty and assuming that everyone else does, too, it means that people take advantage of him like the boy with the cart did.” (15:55)
• Aunt Betsy’s entrance:
  “Go away, said Miss Betsy, shaking her head and making a distant chop in the air with her knife. Go along. No boys here.” (1:09:40)
• Betsy’s distraction:
  “Even while my mouth was yet open to receive the spoon, she would put it back into the basin, cry, Janet, donkeys! and go out to the assault.” (1:32:30)
• On the Micawbers:
  "They're very funny, which is important because we need some humor in this situation. … There’s strength in that, she married this guy and … she’ll never leave him. But she's also like falling into hysterics at the mere suggestion that she might leave him." (23:20)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Listener Comments and Recap: 06:37 – 10:25
• Davy’s Dilemma: Middle-Class Aspiration: 10:25 – 20:41
• Micawber Family Analysis: 20:41 – 31:37
• Guided Reading: Davy’s Journey: 31:37 – 1:02:30
• Arrival at Betsy’s House: 1:02:30 – 1:18:49
• Aunt Betsy, Mr. Dick, and Janet: 1:18:49 – 1:25:55
• Davy’s Recovery: 1:25:55 – 1:35:30
• Aunt Betsy’s Fierceness and Family Arguments: 1:35:30 – 1:44:00
• Closing Reflections: 1:44:00 – end

Tone & Style

Faith’s narration is warm, inviting, and conversational but always insightful. She balances humor, pathos, and scholarly context, guiding listeners through the emotional and societal stakes with both modern empathy and historical awareness. Her tone is especially engaging during listener correspondence and spontaneous literary analysis, ensuring the episode remains welcoming to both newcomers and seasoned classic literature fans.

Summary Takeaway

This episode vividly brings to life one of the most emotional turning points in David Copperfield: Davy’s desperate escape for a better life, his trials and innocence abused along the way, and his improbable yet hopeful arrival at Aunt Betsy’s—paving the way for a new chapter. Faith’s thoughtful commentary illuminates the nuances of Dickens’ world, highlighting the tension between hope, class, vulnerability, and the enduring need for love and security.

For more questions or comments, visit Faith K. Moore’s website or join the Storytime for Grownups community for future tea-time discussions.