David Copperfield is often called a Bildungsroman, a German term for a novel of learning or development. The idea behind a Bildungsroman is that every (good) character has a goal to achieve: if you're Harry Potter, you've got to kill Voldemort. If you're Bella Swan, you've got to have Edward's (frankly creepy) vampire baby and become a vampire yourself. And if you're David Copperfield, you have to use your God-given talents to claw your way to the fame (and the happy family life) that you deserve. But of course, along the way, there have to be troubles and pitfalls waiting to bring you down.