Mr. Dick

Mr. Dick, whose full name is Richard Babley, is a character in the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield and its many adaptions.

[2] Mr. Dick has eccentric traits and an obsession with work on his memorial from which he is constantly distracted by thoughts of King Charles' head.

Janet looked a little surprised to see me lying stiffly on the sofa (I was afraid to move lest it should be displeasing to my aunt), but went on her errand.

[8]Aunt Betsey explains to David Copperfield that Mr. Dick has been called mad, but that she considers him merely eccentric.

It was originally an obsession with a bull in a china shop, which had been the subject of a popular song around 1808, being sung by Grimaldi in Sadler's Wells.

Dickens was also interested in the treatment of the insane and, from 1842, he followed the work of Dr John Conolly, Superintendent of the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum, who pioneered reforms, treating inmates with kindness rather than with harsh restraints.

Mr. Dick (R) drawn by Fred Barnard talking to David Copperfield (L) : "'Then, I have got it, boy!' said Mr. Dick. And he stood up before me, more exultingly than before, nodding his head, and striking himself repeatedly upon the breast, until one might have supposed that he had nearly nodded and struck all the breath out of his body. 'A poor fellow with a craze, sir,' said Mr. Dick, 'a simpleton, a weak-minded person – present company, you know!' striking himself again, 'may do what wonderful people may not do. I'll bring them together, boy. I'll try. They'll not blame me. They'll not object to me. They'll not mind what I do, if it's wrong. I'm only Mr. Dick. And who minds Dick? Dick's nobody! Whoo!' He blew a slight, contemptuous breath, as if he blew himself away." [ 1 ]