David Copperfield Genre

Coming-of-Age, Family Drama

The genre question is pretty easy with David Copperfield – this is not surrealist experimental fiction. What we have here is a classic coming-of-age story, as we watch David grow from a boy to a man. And since almost all of the drama in the novel comes from family stuff – David's abusive stepfather, Annie Strong's (supposed) infidelity, David's unsuitable first marriage, Emily's flight from her family, and so on – we think "family drama" is a pretty good description of what goes on in David Copperfield, too.