← All characters

David Copperfield · Character

Doctor Strong

A gentle, absent-minded schoolmaster whose kindness to David and devotion to his young wife make him one of the novel's most quietly admirable men.

supporting

Also known as the Doctor, The doctor, The Doctor, Doctor, Strong

First appearance: XVI: I Am a New Boy in More Senses Than One

As a supporting figure in David Copperfield, Doctor Strong is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Doctor Strong is introduced as a gentle, absent-minded scholar; he is kind to David and devoted to his wife.
In the storyXVI: I Am a New Boy in More Senses Than OneOpen this moment free

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Doctor Strong runs the Canterbury school where David is sent after leaving Salem House, and he is famous for his learning, his mildness, and his unfinished dictionary. He has married a woman many years his junior,…

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Doctor Strong sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Doctor Strong in XVI: I Am a New Boy in More Senses Than One

Character Web

23 connections

A slice of how Doctor Strong sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

MSMrs. StrongMWMr. WickfieldHPHam PeggottyJMJack MaldonMDMr. DickDSDoctor Strong

Relationship types

  • Romantic
  • Friendship
  • Other

Character groups

  • Central characters and antagonists

+18 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional peak of David's concealed grief and the…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Doctor Strong in XVI: I Am a New Boy in More Senses Than One

In the story

Doctor Strong appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Doctor Strong unlock in the free preview.

See Doctor Strong in XVI: I Am a New Boy in More Senses Than One