What is the name of David Copperfield's cruel stepfather?

David Copperfield’s cruel stepfather is Mr. Murdstone, whose full name is Edward Murdstone.

Murdstone marries David’s widowed mother, Clara Copperfield, when David is seven. He claims that “firmness” is the foundation of proper child-rearing, but Dickens uses the idea to expose cruelty disguised as discipline. Murdstone is harsh toward both David and Clara, imposing rigid rules and suppressing the affection that had previously made their home welcoming.

When David falls behind in his studies, Murdstone beats him. David bites his stepfather’s hand in resistance, and Murdstone responds by sending him to Salem House, a boarding school run by the brutal headmaster Mr. Creakle. After David’s mother dies, Murdstone sends him to work in a London factory, beginning the hardship that eventually drives David to seek help from his aunt, Betsey Trotwood.

Mr. Creakle is another cruel authority figure in the novel, but he is not David’s stepfather. Mr. Wickfield and Mr. Spenlow are also important adults in David’s later life, while Mr. Murdstone is specifically the domestic tyrant who reshapes David’s childhood.