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The stained glass window is an odd symbol in the sense that it doesn't actually appear in the novel itself: David vaguely remembers seeing such a window sometime in his early childhood, but can't exactly place the image. The memory resurfaces, however, when he first meets Agnes Wickfield, and from that moment on, it repeatedly appears in connection with her. The image of beautiful, soft light filtered through a window symbolizes Agnes's gentle kindness and calming demeanor, while the religious overtones of the window (David associates it with a church) hint at her "angelic" nature, as David frequently refers to Agnes as his “good Angel.”
Stained Glass Window Quotes in David Copperfield
The David Copperfield quotes below all refer to the symbol of Stained Glass Window. 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:
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Chapter 15
Quotes
I cannot call to mind where or when, in my childhood, I had seen a stained glass window in a church. Nor do I recollect its subject. But I know that when I saw her turn round, in the grave light of the old staircase, and wait for us, above, I thought of that window; and that I associated something of its tranquil brightness with Agnes Wickfield ever afterwards.
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Stained Glass Window Symbol Timeline in David Copperfield
The timeline below shows where the symbol Stained Glass Window appears in David Copperfield. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15: I Make Another Beginning
...by her appearance and demeanor, and forever associates Agnes with a childhood memory of a stained glass window 's "tranquil brightness."
(full context)
Chapter 54: Mr. Micawber's Transactions
...after Dora's death, and begins to think that his old association of Agnes with the stained glass window was a "foreshadowing" of the role she would play during this period of his life.
(full context)
