David Copperfield

David Copperfield

by

Charles Dickens

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Mr. Chillip Character Analysis

Mr. Chillip is the doctor who delivered David. He is a kind but timid man, as evidenced by his fear of Miss Betsey and his tendency to attribute all of his opinions to his wife. However, when David reencounters him late in the novel, he is eventually able to coax Chillip into condemning the actions of Miss Murdstone and Mr. Murdstone, who has once again married a young and well-off widow.
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Mr. Chillip Character Timeline in David Copperfield

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. Chillip appears in David Copperfield. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: I Am Born 
Womanhood and Gender Roles Theme Icon
...arrives to find Clara settled upstairs and Miss Betsey waiting in the parlor. The doctor, Chillip, is slightly unnerved by Miss Betsey's formidable appearance, but keeps her regularly updated on Clara's... (full context)
Chapter 9: I Have a Memorable Birthday
Coming of Age and Personal Development Theme Icon
Memory and Nostalgia Theme Icon
...a sheet. He remembers the funeral perfectly, however, and describes how Miss Murdstone discouraged Mr. Chillip—the doctor who attended his birth—from speaking kindly to David. He then recalls how the funeral... (full context)
Chapter 22: Some Old Scenes, and Some New People
Coming of Age and Personal Development Theme Icon
Memory and Nostalgia Theme Icon
Home and Family Theme Icon
...looks largely abandoned. In addition, some of David's old neighbors have moved away, while Mr. Chillip has remarried and has a child. Overall, revisiting his childhood home is a bittersweet experience... (full context)
Chapter 59: Return
Memory and Nostalgia Theme Icon
...he can resign himself to being just a brother to Agnes, he notices that Mr. Chillip is also in the room. David walks over and asks whether Mr. Chillip recognizes him.... (full context)
Womanhood and Gender Roles Theme Icon
Home and Family Theme Icon
Mr. Chillip expresses his condolences over Dora's death, which he says he learned about from Miss Murdstone.... (full context)
Coming of Age and Personal Development Theme Icon
Womanhood and Gender Roles Theme Icon
David, unsurprised, asks whether Mr. Murdstone still claims to be deeply religious, and Mr. Chillip says that he does, according to Mrs. Chillip. He also says that Mrs. Chillip believes... (full context)
Memory and Nostalgia Theme Icon
Womanhood and Gender Roles Theme Icon
David and Mr. Chillip continue to chat, and the conversation eventually moves to Miss Betsey, who was present the... (full context)