David Copperfield · Character

Mr. Spenlow

A prosperous proctor whose immaculate garden and charming daughter Dora make David's clerkship feel like a doorway into a world he can barely afford to enter.

supporting

Also known as Spenlow, the late Mr. Spenlow

First appearance: XXIII: I Corroborate Mr. Dick, and Choose a Profession

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

Interviews David about the proctor vacancy; mentions the inflexible partner Mr.

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Mr. Spenlow is a well-to-do proctor of the Commons who takes David on as a clerk and invites him home to a house where hats, whips, and walking-sticks crowd the hall and a lovely garden lies beyond. He is genial, conventional, and quietly proud of his position, and he assumes David's admiration for Dora is harmless because the young man's prospects are plainly beneath her. His approval, or refusal of it, becomes the quiet gate David must somehow pass through.

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See Mr. Spenlow in XXIII: I Corroborate Mr. Dick, and Choose a Profession

Character Web

16 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Legal and professional associates
Protagonist
Central characters and antagonists

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

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

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…

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In the story

Mr. Spenlow appears across 4 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

XXIII: I Corroborate Mr. Dick, and Choose a Profession
Interviews David about the proctor vacancy; mentions the inflexible partner Mr. Jorkins; agrees to a month's trial.
XXIX: I Visit Steerforth at His Home, Again
David's employer; grants leave and mentions Dora's health casually.
Blissful
Dora's father, a proctor who accompanies the party to the picnic and later invites David in for refreshments.
Depression
David attempts to speak with him about canceling his articles, but the effort is unsuccessful.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Spenlow in XXIII: I Corroborate Mr. Dick, and Choose a Profession