The novel is a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story that follows the life of the titular character, David Copperfield, from childhood to early adulthood. The novel is divided into three parts, and this response will focus on Part I.In Part I, David is born in the town of Blunderstone, in Suffolk, England. His father dies before he is born, and his mother remarries a cruel and abusive man named Edward Murdstone. David is sent away to a boarding school run by the sadistic Mr. Creakle, where he befriends Tommy Traddles and James Steerforth. After the death of his mother, David is forced to work in a London warehouse, where he meets the affable Mr. Micawber and his family.