“Great Expectations” is a luminous piece of literary work by British author Charles Dickens. This novel was written in 1860’s and is completely recited in the first person. This is one of highly acclaimed novels of Dickens. The author raises some relevant issues in his novel and presents the same before readers in a vivid manner. This paper aims to propose a discussion on the novel, “Great Expectations” and further discusses Dickens writing style, various symbols and themes of the novel.
Plot Summary
The story is knitted around a young boy named Pip, who is orphan and lives with his elder sister. One day pip came across a convict when pip was visiting the graves of his family. The convict asked pip to bring food for him and pip obeys his order. However, the convict captured soon. One day Pip’s uncle named Pumblechook took him to Satis house, house of a wealthy Miss Havisham. In that house Pip meets with Estella, a beautiful girl. Estella treated him disrespectfully, but Pip fell in love with her and started dreaming to become a rich man and marry Estella. However, Miss Havisham decided to make him common labor.
Pip started working in Forge with other workers including his brother-in-law. One day suddenly a lawyers appears in front of him, claimed that Pip is beneficiary of large sum, hence he should come immediately to London to start his education and live life of a gentleman. Pip thought than his dream to marry Estella will come true and large sum he is receiving is provided by Miss Havisham. Pip came to London and started his education. He made two friends Herbert Pocket and Law clerk. Pip also had shown his disregard for his sister and Joe. Herbert helped Pip in learning various skills and elite lifestyle, and Pip promised him to give some money to start his business when Pip will receive his fortune money after age 21(Dickens).
Orlick Pips sister reappears as porter of Miss Havisham, but got fired when Pip mentioned her unsavory past. Pip visits her sister when Mrs. Joe dies with feeling of grief. After several years, one night the same convict who meets Pip in churchyard appears in front of him and said that he is behind his fortune. Pip decided to help Magwitch, the convict in escaping from London. Pip also discovered that Estella is actually the daughter of Magwitch. Before the escape of Magwitch, Estella got married to rich man and Miss Havisham meet with an accident when her cloths catches fire. During the attempt of Magwitch’s escape, police started chasing them. Magwitch fight with Compeyson which resulted in drowning of Compeyson. Magwitch also caught by police and sentenced to death. Pip lost his fortune. Pip and Herbert went abroad and returned after few years. Pip discovered that Estella’s husband has died and they both joined their hands with a belief that they will never separate.
The novel “Great Expectations” is narrated in first person. The language and grammar, used in the novel, belong to Victorian era and are not in common use anymore. The title of the novel “Great Expectations” denotes its character Pips’ expectations who wants to be a gentleman and aspires to earn a lot of property. This novel is a bildungsroman that focuses on personal and psychological development of protagonist of “Great Expectations”, Pip from his childhood to his adulthood.
Quotes and Their Significance
“I had heard of Miss Havisham up town—everybody for miles round, had heard of Miss Havisham up town—as an immensely rich and grim lady who lived in a large and dismal house barricaded against robbers, and who led a life of seclusion” (7.80).
This quote shows that Pip is living in socially stratified town where Miss Havisham is a rich lady who lives up town. The quote shows description of wealthy people who lives in loneliness and poor people who lives in crowded place.
“I have not bestowed my tenderness anywhere. I have never had any such thing" (29.75).
This quote explains that Estella do not love anything. She asked Pip not to love her as she do not even love her jewels. The quote is significant as it describe the mental and emotional situation of Estella.
“Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together, as I may say, and one man’s a blacksmith, and one’s a whitesmith, and one’s a goldsmith, and one’s a coppersmith. Diwisions among such must come, and must be met as they come” (27, 177).
This quote is said by Joe when he was giving farewell to Pip after their meeting took place in London. Joe inform pip that he liked his meeting with the Pip and it is always good live together in peace. Joe shown his positive attitude towards Pip and changes took place in Pip’s life that resulted in parting their ways. Joe also mentioned that their division was not taken place because of him but because of human nature and conditions.
Description of Symbol
Symbols reflect the idea of story or scene. In great expectations, Satis House is used as an important symbol that reflects the wealth and upper class life style. Satis house shown as a romantic perception of Pip and reflection of other themes covered in the book. In Satis house all clocks were stopped at same time which shows that time is not moving and people staying in that house wants to live in same time. The wedding dress of Mrs. Havisham symbolizes her past and also shows her willingness to live in the time when she was getting married. Brewery located next to Satis house symbolizes the relation between wealth and commercial activities. It also symbolize that wealth of Mrs Havisham is comes from commercial activities.
Significance of Opening and Closing Scene
Opening and closing scenes both significantly impacts reader perception about the whole story. Opening scene in which Pip is visiting the churchyard and got caught by convict, is capable to grab the attention of readers. The readers from opening scene make out that convict and Pip both are in important roles in the story. The closing scene provides a feeling of love and romance, and conveys a message that love is eternal and never dies. The closing scene shows that dream and desire of Pip comes true not when he earned fortune but when he earned his own fortune.
Major Themes
“Great Expectations” has various themes including social class, ambition, wealth, friendship, lies and deceit. Pip always feels that someone will arrest him and this feeling becomes stronger once he comes to know that his patron is a convict. Pip has always been struggling with his inner sense of rights and wrongs throughout the play. Pip is involved with various classes, crimes and ambitions that he carries throughout the story. Many people believe that Charles Dickens has portrayed a number of events in the novel “Great Expectations” from his real life.
Dickens describes class system of United Kingdom of Victorian era throughout the novel. Various classes from peasants to dreaded criminals and middle class to elite class of the English society have been thoroughly portrayed by the author. Portrayal of various social classes is done in a realistic manner by Dickens. Pip belongs to poor class and he keeps aspiring to change his class from poor to rich class. He wants to earn a lot of money and wants to be a part of popular crowd.
The social class that is portrayed in the novel belongs to England of Victorian era and post-industrial revolution society. Dickens avoids describing characters that have hereditary nobility but in this novel, he describes people who have made fortunes because of their background. On one side Dickens portrays Pip while he portrays Estella on the other side. At the end of the story, Dickens portrays that affection and loyalty are greater than the wealth and class. Dickens also suggests that qualities and values can be found in anybody and it is not necessary people who belong to upper class are also good in nature and behavior.
The story also displayed crime, innocence and forgiveness through the movies. Convict character shows the crime, and unsavory activities performed by Orlick, and wrongful intentions of Mrs. Havisham formed a major part of the story. Magwitch asked help of Pip in escaping him from London, and Pip also helped him, which was a crime. However, They did not succeeded and Magwitch was give death sentence. Pip felt guilty when he decided to help Magwitch, but at the same time he shown his innocence as he was helping someone who gave all comfort he desired and a good education. Mrs. Havisham after the accident asked Pip to forgive her for all wrong things she done to him and for very bad behavior. Pip had shown his kindness and forgiveness when he forgive Mrs. Havisham.
Works Cited
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. New York: James G. Gregory, 1861. Print.
