ShmoopTube

00:04

Here's your Shmoop du jour...

00:05

If you'd like to review the passage, just hit pause and go for it. We'll be over here if you need us...

00:26

Why does the author spend so much time discussing the anecdote of the old woman?

00:30

And here are some potential answers...

00:35

This passage is from a book called David Copperfield, not Some Old Biddy Who Bought a Caul.

00:40

So why does Dickens spend so much time talking about this lady?

00:47

Does the anecdote, or little story, set a serious tone for the passage?

00:51

Not really. The whole thing is actually pretty funny.

00:56

Could it be B? Does the description of the old woman give us the scoop on the narrator's community?

01:02

Yeah, it definitely does. By going into details about the old lady, Dickens gives us a taste

01:07

of what the larger community is like.

01:09

We'll keep B in mind as we push on.

01:13

What about C? Is the old woman the narrator's grandmother?

01:17

Absolutely not. The narrator doesn't say that at all. Buh-bye, C.

01:21

OK, last one. Does the anecdote show how much the narrator hated the sea?

01:27

Nope, the narrator never says he hates the sea.

01:29

Looks like B is the only one that works. Dickens is just giving us a taste of the community.

01:34

And boy does it taste...um...British?

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