Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Summary: Great Expectations, written by English author Charles Dickens, follows the transformation from adolescence to the early adulthood of Pip, an orphan boy adopted by his sister and her blacksmith husband, Joe. Throughout the novel, Pip encounters several characters which will shape his success, happiness and views on life, love and friendship. One evening while the family is home, Pip learns that Mrs. Havisham, the wealthy owner of the Satis House, which is very poorly kept, would like Pip to stay with her and Estella, the young girl she has adopted. Pip has a longing desire to court Estella, who was adopted by Mrs. Havisham to carry out her revenge on men. Mrs. Havisham’s perception of men was established before meeting Pip. Years prior, Mrs. Havisham was left on her wedding day by the man she was engaged to. Not only did the termination of the relationship lead to the downfall of Mrs. Havisham’s sanity, but also to the tragedy of Pip’s perception of love. Due to Estella’s upbringing by Mrs. Havisham, she denies Pip and he experiences his first heartbreak. When asked by Mrs. Havisham to bring is adoptive father, Joe to
visit, Pip becomes ashamed of his home, trade and poverty. When returning home, Pip finds his sister had been attacked and had lost previous abilities. Biddy, a friend of Pip’s who is also an orphan, moves in with Joe and Pip’s sister to assist them in the work that had previously been done by Mrs. Joe. Over the course of Pip’s apprenticeship, an anonymous benefactor offers him a monthly sum of money. He begins to believe that his unknown sponsor was Mrs. Havisham, but later finds out it was Magwitch, a convict he had briefly helped as a young boy. Pip learns that Magwitch was an accomplice of the man who had left Mrs. Havisham
years earlier and also the father of Estella. The novel ends with the death of Pip’s sister, the marriage of Joe and Biddy, and Pip’s reconciliation with Estella. The readers are left unknown as to their expectations of carrying their relationship further. Along the way, Pip’s youth expires, his ideas evolve and his social status improves. Though these changes occur, Pip still contains his youthful, naïve character when the novel ends.
Analysis of Major Characters:
Pip – Philip Pirrip, or Pip, serves as both the narrator and the protagonist of Great Expectations. As the narrator narrating the story
after each of the events in the novel take place, the reader understands that there are two Pips; one being the narrator, and the other being the character. Throughout the novel, Pip matures from a young boy to a young adult. The many experiences and people he encounters encourage a transformation. Pip also transfers from poverty to wealth. The narrator Pip judges his young actions
harshly. Though it is evident that Pip has matured, the reader can see that he still contains the two traits he began the novel with: his immature idealism, and his good conscience. These traits can be seen all throughout the novel and they never seem to disappear. The most evident transformation of Pip is from his adolescence to a gentleman. This was Pip’s greatest expectation beginning the novel.
visit, Pip becomes ashamed of his home, trade and poverty. When returning home, Pip finds his sister had been attacked and had lost previous abilities. Biddy, a friend of Pip’s who is also an orphan, moves in with Joe and Pip’s sister to assist them in the work that had previously been done by Mrs. Joe. Over the course of Pip’s apprenticeship, an anonymous benefactor offers him a monthly sum of money. He begins to believe that his unknown sponsor was Mrs. Havisham, but later finds out it was Magwitch, a convict he had briefly helped as a young boy. Pip learns that Magwitch was an accomplice of the man who had left Mrs. Havisham
years earlier and also the father of Estella. The novel ends with the death of Pip’s sister, the marriage of Joe and Biddy, and Pip’s reconciliation with Estella. The readers are left unknown as to their expectations of carrying their relationship further. Along the way, Pip’s youth expires, his ideas evolve and his social status improves. Though these changes occur, Pip still contains his youthful, naïve character when the novel ends.
Analysis of Major Characters:
Pip – Philip Pirrip, or Pip, serves as both the narrator and the protagonist of Great Expectations. As the narrator narrating the story
after each of the events in the novel take place, the reader understands that there are two Pips; one being the narrator, and the other being the character. Throughout the novel, Pip matures from a young boy to a young adult. The many experiences and people he encounters encourage a transformation. Pip also transfers from poverty to wealth. The narrator Pip judges his young actions
harshly. Though it is evident that Pip has matured, the reader can see that he still contains the two traits he began the novel with: his immature idealism, and his good conscience. These traits can be seen all throughout the novel and they never seem to disappear. The most evident transformation of Pip is from his adolescence to a gentleman. This was Pip’s greatest expectation beginning the novel.
"Gillian Anderson, Helena Bonham Carter and Miss Havisham on Film." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.
Miss Havisham – As the wealthy, mad woman who took
in Pip, Miss Havisham was probably the most influential character on Pip in the
novel, good and bad. Miss Havisham had lost her sanity years earlier when her
beloved fiancé, Compeyson left her on her wedding day. Her house was decorated
with decaying wedding decorations, her table with a decaying wedding feast. She
had never taken off her wedding dress, wore only one shoe because when she
learned of Compeyson’s absence, she had not yet put on the other, and every
clock in her mansion was stopped at the time of his departure. Despite Miss
Havisham’s perception of men that resulted from her heartbreak, she takes Pip
in and transforms him into a gentleman and provides him with great connections.
It is Miss Havisham’s doing that allowed Pip to gain an understanding of upper
class, and the ways of being a gentleman. It is also Miss Havisham who is
responsible for Pip’s heartbreak.
Estella – Having been adopted by Miss Havisham at age three, Estella’s social status improved but her well-being was cheated from her. The motive of Miss Havisham’s adoption of Estella was to use her as weapon to break the hearts of men and Estella did just that. She was very cruel, cold and cynical. Estella was the subject of Pip’s love. He was intrigued by her beauty, social status and casualty. Estella, daughter of Magwitch, a convict with great inner nobility, was truly born of lower class than Pip. Her existence provided for the theme of the novel, one’s social status is not directly related to one’s happiness. Due to her biased education of men and wealth via Miss Havisham, Estella chose to marry a cruel, wealthy nobleman rather than the genuine Pip. Ironically, Estella experienced the same heartbreak and suffering experienced by Pip and Miss Havisham. Seen at the end of the novel, Estella’s true character is sympathetic and her truest lessons were taught by suffering.
Setting: The story of Great Expectations takes place in the 19thCentury and in the early Victorian England. Pip was born in the early 1800s, and the story of Great Expectations is told several years later, approximately in 1860. In the novel, England is depicted as dark, dirty and crime ridden, hence Pip’s encounter with Magwitch early on in the novel. This is seen especially to be true in Kent, where Pip and his sister live and in London when Pip visits Mr. Jagger’s office. Pip’s hometown is near several bodies of water: the ocean, Thames River and a vast amount of marshland. Not only does the water surrounding this area of England provide for an eerie, misty atmosphere, but it also entails the constant presence of convicts. During this time, England was experiencing an
Industrial Revolution and though it was supposed to be a healthy and powerful country, Charles Dickens’ descriptions did not support this assumption. Having lived in both Kent and London, and experiences several hardships and encounters with convicts, such as his father, Dickens’ perception of the country was not ideal. Another issue under this Industrial Revolution, serving as a great influence on Great Expectations, was the new understanding that social class was no longer related to one’s birth. Despite this realization, the large gap between social classes still remained. Dickens’ Great Expectations was considered a bildungsroman novel, meaning a novel pertaining to the personal growth of an individual, such as the transition of Pip in the novel.
Types of Conflicts: Based on the self-judging personality of Pip, the most existent type of conflict in Great Expectations is Man vs. Self. Because the story is being told subsequent to its happening, Pip is given several opportunities to criticize and regret his actions as a young boy. However, Pip had always been harsh on himself, always expecting more out of himself and never having full confidence. The main Man vs. Self conflict seen in the novel is Pip’s constant struggle for self-approval, especially in his worthiness of Estella. The other focal type of conflict in Great Expectationsis Man vs. Society. The issue of social class is the greatest aspect of the novel and is seen in almost all of the character’s personal struggles.
Major Themes:
Self-Improvement – As seen in the types of conflicts, self-improvement is an important aspect of novel and serves as a theme. Several characters seek self-improvement, such as Pip, Estella and even Miss Havisham. The way in which they go about it, however, differs. Pip seeks self-improvement through maturity and social class, only to gain the acceptance of Estella. Estella searches for the type of improvement that Miss Havisham encourages, which is not much of an improvement. Lastly, Miss Havisham does not seek
self-improvement, but discovers it near the end of the novel.
The importance or unimportance of social class – Each character in Great Expectations is clearly ranked by social class. Throughout the novel, the reader is able to understand the pattern of happiness in relation to social standing. The characters that are of the higher class, Miss Havisham, Estella and eventually Pip, begin to realize that their happiness is an independent variable. Estella, for example, might have been more content with her life, if she had not been brought up by the wealthy Miss Havisham.
Guilt and Innocence – Aside from the reoccurring mention of convicts such as Magwitch, the novel explores guilt and innocence experienced by the characters. For example, the reader can see that Pip has much guilt looking back on his adolescence. The same applies to Estella and Miss Havisham. After realizing how their actions influenced by a single event affected those they cared for, they felt much guilt. The theme of innocence is seen mainly through Pip. Though Pip transitions from a young boy into a mature young adult, his innocence remains with him. From the beginning of the novel, Pip has always had hopefulness about him and his journeys in life. This innocence and naivety gets him hurt, but also allows him to forgive those whose intentions were good.
Major Symbols:
Satis House – The Satis House, owned by Miss Havisham, is a symbol of Estella’s future. The mansion is old and deteriorating. The house is painted with reminders of loneliness, for example the clocks and the feast on the table. Estella and Miss Havisham live their lives avoiding emotion, expecting to prevent any form of sadness. The truth of this concept is seen by the condition of the house. Miss Havisham’s life is full of decaying memories, and by not allowing herself to care for anyone, she is not allowing anyone to
care for her. If Estella continues on in the way Miss Havisham encourages, she will be alone and in poor condition.
The setting (marshes) – As talked about earlier, the setting provides an eeriness and darkness for the novel. The mist of the marshes
provided a tone for the rest of the novel. Throughout the novel there is a unsettling, unpredictable feeling about the intentions of the characters such as Miss Havisham’s invitation of Pip to her mansion, and the anonymous benefactor.
Estella – Estella is a symbol of high social class. There is a minor comparison between Estella and Biddy. Estella beauty excels Biddy’s, but Biddy is genuine and hardworking. Estella represents the beauty and worthlessness of the upper class. Though it is much of an exaggeration, her cold nature is also a characteristic Charles Dickens points out about the class.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7v453Uxekw
Setting: The story of Great Expectations takes place in the 19thCentury and in the early Victorian England. Pip was born in the early 1800s, and the story of Great Expectations is told several years later, approximately in 1860. In the novel, England is depicted as dark, dirty and crime ridden, hence Pip’s encounter with Magwitch early on in the novel. This is seen especially to be true in Kent, where Pip and his sister live and in London when Pip visits Mr. Jagger’s office. Pip’s hometown is near several bodies of water: the ocean, Thames River and a vast amount of marshland. Not only does the water surrounding this area of England provide for an eerie, misty atmosphere, but it also entails the constant presence of convicts. During this time, England was experiencing an
Industrial Revolution and though it was supposed to be a healthy and powerful country, Charles Dickens’ descriptions did not support this assumption. Having lived in both Kent and London, and experiences several hardships and encounters with convicts, such as his father, Dickens’ perception of the country was not ideal. Another issue under this Industrial Revolution, serving as a great influence on Great Expectations, was the new understanding that social class was no longer related to one’s birth. Despite this realization, the large gap between social classes still remained. Dickens’ Great Expectations was considered a bildungsroman novel, meaning a novel pertaining to the personal growth of an individual, such as the transition of Pip in the novel.
Types of Conflicts: Based on the self-judging personality of Pip, the most existent type of conflict in Great Expectations is Man vs. Self. Because the story is being told subsequent to its happening, Pip is given several opportunities to criticize and regret his actions as a young boy. However, Pip had always been harsh on himself, always expecting more out of himself and never having full confidence. The main Man vs. Self conflict seen in the novel is Pip’s constant struggle for self-approval, especially in his worthiness of Estella. The other focal type of conflict in Great Expectationsis Man vs. Society. The issue of social class is the greatest aspect of the novel and is seen in almost all of the character’s personal struggles.
Major Themes:
Self-Improvement – As seen in the types of conflicts, self-improvement is an important aspect of novel and serves as a theme. Several characters seek self-improvement, such as Pip, Estella and even Miss Havisham. The way in which they go about it, however, differs. Pip seeks self-improvement through maturity and social class, only to gain the acceptance of Estella. Estella searches for the type of improvement that Miss Havisham encourages, which is not much of an improvement. Lastly, Miss Havisham does not seek
self-improvement, but discovers it near the end of the novel.
The importance or unimportance of social class – Each character in Great Expectations is clearly ranked by social class. Throughout the novel, the reader is able to understand the pattern of happiness in relation to social standing. The characters that are of the higher class, Miss Havisham, Estella and eventually Pip, begin to realize that their happiness is an independent variable. Estella, for example, might have been more content with her life, if she had not been brought up by the wealthy Miss Havisham.
Guilt and Innocence – Aside from the reoccurring mention of convicts such as Magwitch, the novel explores guilt and innocence experienced by the characters. For example, the reader can see that Pip has much guilt looking back on his adolescence. The same applies to Estella and Miss Havisham. After realizing how their actions influenced by a single event affected those they cared for, they felt much guilt. The theme of innocence is seen mainly through Pip. Though Pip transitions from a young boy into a mature young adult, his innocence remains with him. From the beginning of the novel, Pip has always had hopefulness about him and his journeys in life. This innocence and naivety gets him hurt, but also allows him to forgive those whose intentions were good.
Major Symbols:
Satis House – The Satis House, owned by Miss Havisham, is a symbol of Estella’s future. The mansion is old and deteriorating. The house is painted with reminders of loneliness, for example the clocks and the feast on the table. Estella and Miss Havisham live their lives avoiding emotion, expecting to prevent any form of sadness. The truth of this concept is seen by the condition of the house. Miss Havisham’s life is full of decaying memories, and by not allowing herself to care for anyone, she is not allowing anyone to
care for her. If Estella continues on in the way Miss Havisham encourages, she will be alone and in poor condition.
The setting (marshes) – As talked about earlier, the setting provides an eeriness and darkness for the novel. The mist of the marshes
provided a tone for the rest of the novel. Throughout the novel there is a unsettling, unpredictable feeling about the intentions of the characters such as Miss Havisham’s invitation of Pip to her mansion, and the anonymous benefactor.
Estella – Estella is a symbol of high social class. There is a minor comparison between Estella and Biddy. Estella beauty excels Biddy’s, but Biddy is genuine and hardworking. Estella represents the beauty and worthlessness of the upper class. Though it is much of an exaggeration, her cold nature is also a characteristic Charles Dickens points out about the class.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7v453Uxekw
Citations:
"Great Expectations." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 31 Mar.
2013. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/greatex/characters.html.
Zhou, Linda. "Conflict - Great Expectations." Great
Expectations. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
< http://greatexpectationsnovel.weebly.com/conflict.html>.
"Great Expectations Summary." Study Guides& Essay Editing.
Greade Saver, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
< http://www.gradesaver.com/great-expectations/study-guide/short-summary/>.
"Great Expectations Setting." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar.
2013.
< http://www.shmoop.com/great-expectations/setting.html>.
""Crime and Punishment" OVERVIEW -- Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment" ... from
60second Recap®." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Mar. 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2013.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7v453Uxekw>.