This character in David Copperfield is brain damaged. He is, as a result, a simpleton, childish, lacks verbal skills, is obsessed with his memorial to King Charles I, possesses intuitive empathy.
Yes, that is Mr. Dick.
That is not the Mr. Dick of the preceding 541 pages. That looks like Mr. Micawber:
Until, that is, Chapter XLV beginning on page 542.
Addressing Copperfield,
"You couldn't speak to me without inconveniencing yourself, Trotwood, I am afraid?"
No. Mr. Dick does not talk like that.
...
"Now, boy," said Mr. Dick, "I am going to put a question to you."
On an earlier reading I circled "boy" in black. Mr. Dick would not address David Copperfield aka Trotwood as "boy."
"What do you consider me, sir?" asked Mr. Dick, folding his arms.
"Folding his arms" is to indicate that Mr. Dick is smarter than David, has a secret. No. Mr. Dick is not smarter than David. Two sentences before Mr. Dick had addressed Copperfield as "boy." Now, "sir."
No. NO! Fail.
No. NO! Fail.
"A dear old friend," said I.
"Thank you, Trotwood, returned Mr. Dick, and reaching across in high glee to shake hands with me."But I mean, boy," resuming his gravity, "what do you consider me in this respect?" touching his forehead.
...
"Weak?" said Mr. Dick.
"Well," I replied, dubiously. "Rather so."
"Exactly!" cried Mr. Dick...
NO! Mr. Dick does not have insight into his condition.
...
"In short, boy," said Mr. Dick, dropping his voice to a whisper, "I am simple."
Black circle by moi.
...
"Then, I have got it, boy!" said Mr. Dick.
The eureka moment for a person who didn't get eureka moments. Circle, margin note, "Mr. Dick wouldn't talk like this."
There is an illustration accompanying "Then, I have got it, boy.":
This is the Mr. Dick from earlier chapters.
Sitting in corner at right.
With his kite.
Dickens lost control of this character. It is as if he forgot how he had drawn Mr. Dick in the previous 541 pages. And that's a FAIL!
