| Wilkins Micawber | |
|---|---|
| David Copperfield character | |
 As illustrated in a 1912 edition of the book | |
| Created by | Charles Dickens |
| Based on | John Dickens (Dickens's father) |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Various |
| Nationality | British |
Wilkins Micawber is a fictional character in Charles Dickens's 1850 novel David Copperfield . He is traditionally identified with the optimistic belief that "something will turn up."
Micawber was incarcerated in debtors' prison (the King's Bench Prison) after failing to meet his creditors' demands. His long-suffering wife, Emma, stands by him despite his financial exigencies that force her to pawn all of her family's heirlooms. She lives by the maxims, "I will never desert Mr. Micawber!" and "Experientia does it!" (from Experientia docet, "One learns by experience.")
Micawber is responsible for a major financial setback to another character. The hardworking, reliable Tommy Traddles, who is saving to furnish a home for the young woman he hopes to marry, allows his optimism to overcome his common sense. He "lends his name" to Micawber by co-signing for his rent, and when Micawber fails to pay, Micawber's creditors seize all of the Micawber family's furniture and personal effects, along with those of Traddles. Although Traddles eventually recovers the little round table and flower pot that symbolize his hopes for future happiness, he hampers himself financially by paying off Micawber's debt.
Micawber is hired as a clerk by the scheming Uriah Heep, who assumes wrongly that Micawber's debts arise from dishonesty. But working for Heep allows Micawber to expose his boss as a forger and a cheat. To start anew, Micawber and his family emigrate to Australia with Daniel Peggotty and Little Em'ly, where Micawber becomes manager of the Port Middlebay Bank and a successful government magistrate. Prior to leaving, Micawber repays the money Traddles spent settling his loan.
In Hablot Knight Browne's illustrations for the first edition, Micawber is shown wearing knee-breeches, a top hat, and a monocle. Micawber was modelled on Dickens' father, John Dickens. [1]
Micawber is known for asserting his faith that "something will turn up." [2] His name has become synonymous with someone who lives in hopeful expectation. This has formed the basis for the Micawber Principle,[ according to whom? ] based upon his observation in Chapter 12:
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen nineteen and six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds nought and six, result misery.
Written in full, the expenditure amounts are nineteen pounds, nineteen shillings and sixpence (£19/19/6) and £20/0/6, the pre-decimal equivalents of £19.97½ and £20.02½ in modern British currency.
The character was played by W.C. Fields in the 1935 screen classic, Personal History, Adventures, Experience, and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger . Bob Hoskins took the role in a 1999 BBC serial. Peter Capaldi played Micawber in the 2019 Armando Iannucci film The Personal History of David Copperfield .
Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones named one of his guitars (an early 1950s Fender Telecaster with a Gibson PAF humbucking pickup installed in the neck position) "Micawber"; Richards is known to be a fan of Dickens. "There's no reason for my guitar being called Micawber, apart from the fact that it's such an unlikely name. There's no one around me called Micawber, so when I scream for Micawber everyone knows what I'm talking about."[ citation needed ]
The character formed the basis of Micawber , a 2001 ITV drama series written by John Sullivan and starring David Jason in the title leading role. In the U.S. Supreme Court opinion of Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly , 550 U.S. 544, 562 (2007), Justice Souter criticized the court for an approach to pleading that "would dispense with any showing of a reasonably founded hope that a plaintiff would be able to make a case; Mr. Micawber's optimism would be enough. [3] "
The character of Wilkins Micawber has given rise to the English noun "Micawber" and the adjectives "Micawberish" and "Micawberesque." The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a Micawber as "one who is poor but lives in optimistic expectation of better fortune." [4] Judge David Halpern described Craig Whyte's legal arguments in a case heard in 2013 as "pure Micawberism." [5]
Besides the Micawber Principle, Micawber is notable for a number of memorable quotations:
| Year | Title | Wilkins Micawber played by: |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | David Copperfield | W.C. Fields |
| 1956 | David Copperfield | Hilton Edwards |
| 1966 | David Copperfield | Bill Fraser |
| 1969 | David Copperfield | Ralph Richardson |
| 1974 | David Copperfield | Arthur Lowe |
| 1993 | David Copperfield | Joseph Marcell |
| 1999 | David Copperfield | Bob Hoskins |
| 2000 | David Copperfield | Michael Richards |
| 2002 | Micawber | David Jason |
| 2019 | The Personal History of David Copperfield | Peter Capaldi |
Uriah Heep is a fictional character created by Charles Dickens in his 1850 novel David Copperfield. Heep is the primary antagonist during the second part of the novel. His character is notable for his sycophancy.
David Copperfield is a 1935 American film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer based upon Charles Dickens' 1850 novel The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger.
David Copperfield is a novel by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from infancy to maturity. As such, it is typically categorized in the bildungsroman genre. It was published as a serial in 1849 and 1850 and then as a book in 1850.
John Dickens was the father of famous English novelist Charles Dickens and was the model for Mr Micawber in his son's semi-autobiographical novel David Copperfield.
David Copperfield is the protagonist after which the 1850 Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield was named. The character is widely thought to be based on Dickens himself, incorporating many elements of his own life.
David Copperfield is a 2000 American-Irish made-for-television film adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel of the same name. It was filmed in Ireland, and broadcast on TNT as a Hallmark Entertainment production on 10–11 December 2000.
David Copperfield is a two-part BBC television drama adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel of the same name, written by Adrian Hodges. The first part was shown on Christmas Day 1999 and the second part the following day.
David Copperfield is a 1969 British-American international co-production television film directed by Delbert Mann based on the 1850 novel of the same name by Charles Dickens, adapted by Jack Pulman. The film was released in the UK in 1970. It stars Robin Phillips in the title role and Ralph Richardson as Micawber, and features well-known actors Richard Attenborough, Laurence Olivier, Susan Hampshire, Cyril Cusack, Wendy Hiller, Edith Evans, Michael Redgrave and Ron Moody.
David Copperfield is a 1993 Canadian traditionally animated film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic 1850 novel of the same name. Produced for NBC, the film is directed by Don Arioli and features the voices of Sheena Easton, Julian Lennon, Howie Mandel, Andrea Martin, Kelly Le Brock, Michael York and Joseph Marcell.
Micawber is a 2001 ITV comedy drama series starring David Jason. It was written by John Sullivan, based upon the character of Wilkins Micawber from Charles Dickens' 1850 novel David Copperfield, although the storylines were original.
Wilkins Micawber is a character in the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, who is noted for his poverty, effusive speech, and eternal optimism.
Copperfield is a 1981 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, who were nominated for the 1981 Tony Award for Best Original Score. It is based on the classic 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.
David Copperfield is a British six-part television serial of the 1850 novel by Charles Dickens adapted by Hugh Whitemore, directed by Joan Craft and first shown on BBC 1 in weekly parts from 1 December 1974 to 5 January 1975. It was a co-production with Time-Life Television Productions. It is the earliest BBC adaptation to exist in its entirety. The 1956 adaptation is completely lost, whilst only four of the 1966 adaptation's episodes are known to exist.
David Copperfield is a 1913 British black-and-white silent film based on the 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It is the second-oldest known film adaptation of the novel. Running six reels, it is significant as a very early British feature film at a moment when the world film industry was beginning its move away from traditional short films towards longer and more ambitious works.
David Copperfield is a BBC television serial starring Ian McKellen in the title role of the adaptation of Charles Dickens's 1850 novel that began airing in January 1966. It also featured Tina Packer as Dora Flora Robson as Betsey Trotwood, Gordon Gostelow as Barkis, and Christopher Guard as young David. The screenplay adaptation was written by Vincent Tilsley, who had previously helmed the 1956 adaptation almost a decade prior.
David Copperfield is a 10 episode BBC serial broadcast between 19 October and 21 December 1986 and based on the 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. The series was written by James Andrew Hall and directed by Barry Letts. It was produced by Terrance Dicks.
Dickensian is a British drama television series that premiered on BBC One from 26 December 2015 to 21 February 2016. The 20-part series, created and co-written by Tony Jordan, brings characters from many Charles Dickens novels together in one Victorian London neighbourhood, as Inspector Bucket investigates the murder of Ebenezer Scrooge's partner Jacob Marley.
Agnes Wickfield is a character of David Copperfield, the 1850 novel by Charles Dickens. She is a friend and confidante of David since his childhood and at the end of the novel, his second wife. In Dickens' language, she is the "real heroine" of the novel.
The Personal History of David Copperfield is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Armando Iannucci, based on the 1850 novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. It stars Dev Patel as the title character, along with Aneurin Barnard, Peter Capaldi, Morfydd Clark, Daisy May Cooper, Rosalind Eleazar, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw and Paul Whitehouse.
Demon Copperhead is a 2022 novel by Barbara Kingsolver. It was a co-recipient of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and won the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction. Kingsolver was inspired by the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield. While Kingsolver's novel is similarly about a boy who experiences poverty, Demon Copperhead is set in Appalachia and explores contemporary issues.
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