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Mr. Wickfield
Rosa Dartle is an orphaned relation of James Steerforth; after the death of Rosa's parents, Mrs. Steerforth engaged her as a companion. Rosa and Steerforth therefore grew up together and at one point were sweethearts—according to Rosa, she was the object of Steerforth's "truest" love. Unfortunately, Steerforth's spoiled upbringing and consequent selfishness ruined any possibility of a lasting relationship between the two. Although Rosa continued to love Steerforth exclusively and obsessively, Steerforth flirted with Rosa as a way of passing the time between what is implied to be a string of lovers. These experiences permanently twist Rosa's character, turning her into a bitter, sarcastic, and angry woman who vents her frustrations on those she sees as responsible for her own misery—most notably, little Em'ly and Mrs. Steerforth. Rosa's warped personality is echoed in her physical appearance; she bears a scar on her face from a time when Steerforth lost his temper and threw a hammer at her.
Rosa Dartle Quotes in David Copperfield
The David Copperfield quotes below are all either spoken by Rosa Dartle or refer to Rosa Dartle. 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:
).
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."
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Rosa Dartle Quotes in David Copperfield
The David Copperfield quotes below are all either spoken by Rosa Dartle or refer to Rosa Dartle. 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:
).
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:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
