David Copperfield

David Copperfield

by

Charles Dickens

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Ham Peggotty Character Analysis

Ham Peggotty is Mr. Peggotty's nephew and little Em’ly's cousin. He shares both his uncle's generous nature and his reliance on the sea for a living: he is a boat-builder by trade. Despite being several years older than Emily, Ham is deeply in love with his cousin, and the two are at one point engaged to be married. Little Em'ly, however, clearly has misgivings about the relationship, since she aspires to something beyond a working-class life. Ham therefore blames himself when Emily elopes with James Steerforth, saying he should have noticed Emily's discomfort with the prospect of marrying him. Still, Emily's desertion wounds Ham, who afterwards dedicates himself exclusively to his work. He retains his kindness and nobility to the last, however, ultimately drowning in an attempt to rescue the passengers of a sinking boat—one of whom is Steerforth himself.

Ham Peggotty Quotes in David Copperfield

The David Copperfield quotes below are all either spoken by Ham Peggotty or refer to Ham Peggotty. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age and Personal Development Theme Icon
).
Chapter 22 Quotes

"I have been sitting here," said Steerforth, glancing round the room, "thinking that all the people we found so glad on the night of our coming down, might—to judge from the present wasted air of the place—to be dispersed, or dead, or come to I don't know what harm. David, I wish to God I had had a judicious father these last twenty years."

"My dear Steerforth, what is the matter?"

"I wish with all my soul I had been better guided!" he exclaimed. "I wish with all my soul I could guide myself better!"

Related Characters: David Copperfield (speaker), James Steerforth (speaker), Little Em'ly (Emily), Peggotty, Ham Peggotty, Mrs. Gummidge
Related Symbols: The Sea
Page Number: 275
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 50 Quotes

"The miserable vanity of these earth-worms!" she said, when she had so far controlled the angry heavings of her breast, that she could trust herself to speak. "Your home! Do you imagine that I bestow a thought on it, or suppose you could do any harm to that low place, which money would not pay for, and handsomely? Your home! You were a part of the trade of your home, and were bought and sold like any other vendible thing your people dealt in."

Related Characters: Rosa Dartle (speaker), David Copperfield, James Steerforth, Little Em'ly (Emily), Peggotty, Ham Peggotty
Page Number: 599
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 55 Quotes

And on that part of [the shore] where she and I had looked for shells, two children—on that part of it where some lighter fragments of the old boat, blown down last night, had been scattered by the wind—among the ruins of the home he had wronged—I saw him lying with his head upon his arm, as I had often seen him lie at school.

Related Characters: David Copperfield (speaker), James Steerforth, Little Em'ly (Emily), Ham Peggotty
Related Symbols: The Sea
Page Number: 661
Explanation and Analysis:
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Ham Peggotty Quotes in David Copperfield

The David Copperfield quotes below are all either spoken by Ham Peggotty or refer to Ham Peggotty. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Coming of Age and Personal Development Theme Icon
).
Chapter 22 Quotes

"I have been sitting here," said Steerforth, glancing round the room, "thinking that all the people we found so glad on the night of our coming down, might—to judge from the present wasted air of the place—to be dispersed, or dead, or come to I don't know what harm. David, I wish to God I had had a judicious father these last twenty years."

"My dear Steerforth, what is the matter?"

"I wish with all my soul I had been better guided!" he exclaimed. "I wish with all my soul I could guide myself better!"

Related Characters: David Copperfield (speaker), James Steerforth (speaker), Little Em'ly (Emily), Peggotty, Ham Peggotty, Mrs. Gummidge
Related Symbols: The Sea
Page Number: 275
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 50 Quotes

"The miserable vanity of these earth-worms!" she said, when she had so far controlled the angry heavings of her breast, that she could trust herself to speak. "Your home! Do you imagine that I bestow a thought on it, or suppose you could do any harm to that low place, which money would not pay for, and handsomely? Your home! You were a part of the trade of your home, and were bought and sold like any other vendible thing your people dealt in."

Related Characters: Rosa Dartle (speaker), David Copperfield, James Steerforth, Little Em'ly (Emily), Peggotty, Ham Peggotty
Page Number: 599
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 55 Quotes

And on that part of [the shore] where she and I had looked for shells, two children—on that part of it where some lighter fragments of the old boat, blown down last night, had been scattered by the wind—among the ruins of the home he had wronged—I saw him lying with his head upon his arm, as I had often seen him lie at school.

Related Characters: David Copperfield (speaker), James Steerforth, Little Em'ly (Emily), Ham Peggotty
Related Symbols: The Sea
Page Number: 661
Explanation and Analysis: