As suggested by its title, Demon Copperhead is a loose reinterpretation of the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield. It deals with many of the same themes—poverty, childhood, abandonment—but places them in the context of modern-day Appalachia. Demon himself remarks on how much Dickens' novel resonates with his struggles: “Likewise, the Charles Dickens one, seriously old guy, dead and a foreigner but Christ Jesus did he get the picture on kids and orphans getting screwed over and no one giving a rat’s ass. You’d think he was from around here.” Demon feels seen by Dickens as he seems to understand the plight of poor children. A comparison of the two books gives a sense of both Dickens' influence on Kingsolver and Dickens' keen understanding of many present-day class dilemmas.
Dickens' novel tells the story of a young boy named David Copperfield. He is born in a small village in Suffolk, England. His mother marries a cruel man named Edward Murdstone and David is sent to spend time with the family of their housekeeper, Clara Peggotty and her husband. He befriends their adopted niece and nephew, Ham and Emily. David's mother and Edward return from their trip and Edward immediately begins to terrorize David with excessively harsh punishments. The two get into an altercation that ends with David biting Edward. As a result, David is sent to a boarding school. He is mistreated by the headmaster, Mr. Creackle, and makes two new friends, James Steerworth and Tommy Traddles. James is an older boy who inspires a great deal of admiration in the people around him. Tommy is exceedingly kind. Eventually, David returns home for the holidays only to find that his mother has died in childbirth. Edward ships David off to work for a wine merchant in London. Some months pass and, on the advice of his former landlord, David seeks out his great-aunt, Betsy Trotwood, his sole living relative.
He arrives in Dover and meets Betsy. She takes custody of him and encourages him to work hard in school. She sends him to a better boarding school and places him in the care of Mr. Wickfield. He befriends Wickfield's daughter, Agnes, and also meets his devious clerk, Uriah Heep. Gradually David learns that Uriah has been taking over Wickfield's finances, as Wickfield drinks heavily and is unable to stop him. Uriah also tells David he intends to marry Agnes. His schemes are eventually revealed and he is thrown out of the house. David studies to be a proctor, a government lawyer in England. He then begins working for a newspaper, with the help of his friend Tommy. Later, with the support of Agnes and his own hard work, David becomes a well-regarded author of fiction. James re-enters David's life and starts courting Emily. He sleeps with her and then abandons her in Europe. The Peggottys locate her and bring her home. Ham dies in a shipwreck. Emily relocates to Australia and lives peacefully. David has a stormy marriage with a woman named Dora Spenlow. They quarrel constantly over daily matters and he struggles to find time to write. She dies in childbirth, leaving him bereft. Later, he reconnects with Agnes, realizing he is in love with her. They confess their feelings, get happily married, and have several children together.
Dickens' novel shows the humanity of his protagonist, focusing on the injustices he faces as an orphan and a member of the working class. At the same time, it never falls prey to preaching or overemphasizing certain points of view. Instead, it reveals David's complexities, as he is forced to live many different lives and rapidly accommodate his constantly changing circumstances. On these accounts, and many more, Dickens' novel was celebrated at the time of its publication and continues to be widely regarded as his masterpiece.
