FREE ESSAY ON GREAT EXPECTATIONS BY DICKENS

GREAT EXPECTATIONS BY DICKENS

Title
Great Expectations 
Author
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth and moved to London on his twelfth. Because his
father spent more than he earned, Dickens had to work in a blacking factory, of which he
was very ashamed. This had a great influence on his writing, because he attacked the
social differences in the Victorian age. 
Other titles:
Oliver Twist
Hard Times
David Copperfield 
Title
The title: Great Expectations is about the expectations, which the young man Pip has for
his future life, during his life. From little expectations, increasing to great and in
the end he finally has peace with his fate. 
First published
October 1861 
Edition
Wordsworth Classics 
Number of pages
412 
Genre
Novel of character 
Theme
It's about the struggle that a man has in his life to find out what he wants belongs and
the difficulties, like love, good and evil, friendship, financial troubles, he has to
conquer to form his character. 
List of main characters and description of them
Pip: Main person, he is seen through his complete life. He is a boy with no expectations,
until an anonymous benefactor adopts him, so he becomes a boy of great expectations.
Therefore he goes to London to become a gentleman, and he falls in love with the
beautiful Estella. Finally, he finds out, which persons are his real friends and which
just want to have some profit.
Herbert: Pips best friend. A very loyal person with great ideas but who has lack of money
to make them reality. Pip gives him the money. Joe: An old, loyal, simple labor man, who
has raised Pip and will never abandon him. 
Miss Havisham: An old lady, who has been left by a man and therefore hates them and lives
in very strange circumstances. She raises Estella, so she can take revenge for her.
Estella: Very beautiful girl, who hurts Pip repeatedly by not returning his love. She is
raised so she could revenge men, but in the end, finally Pip and she come together.
Wemmick: An old man, who provides Pip of the needed advice, when he has some doubts about
life, or friendship. 
Narrative technique
The story is told by Pip. He is the only one, through whose eyes we see the story. The
story is chronological and starts from the beginning. There are no flashbacks, only
people tell something about someone's past. 
Time lapse
30-35 years 
In what period or time is the story situated
England in the beginning of the Victorian age. 
Style
Long sentences, with extra information, uses Dickens in this book. It is very
long-winded. 
What is your own opinion of the work
The story isn't attractive to read when you start reading it. Dickens introduction is
very long and reading progresses very slow. However, when you get further on in the book
that improves. Dickens succeeds in making a story that is intriguing, because of the
themes, which still are very up-to-date. While reading the book, I found the young man
Pip a very charming character, with a pleasant view of life. Also his companion and
friend Herbert, has the same sort of view. Nice about the book, is the number of
characters that Dickens creates, which are in fact all stereotypes, but that you realize
only but in the end. But Dickens has written a book, that he also could have written in
200 pages, because some of the situations could easily have been left out, without
feeling that the book is incomplete. 
Short summary
Pip is raised in a little place by his older daughter and her husband Joe. One night he
meets a villain who he brings some food. He gets his education at Mr. Pumblechook who
sends him to Miss Havisham. This is a very old, but strange lady, who lives in the dark
with a very beautiful girl. Pip falls in love to her. But she thinks he isn't a
gentleman. Then a lawyer appears who says that some anonymous benefactor wants Pip to
become a boy of Great Expectations and therefore he has to go to London to become a
gentleman. Therefore, he does. In London, he becomes best friend with Herbert Pocket, who
wants to have an insurance company. His benefactor turns out to be the criminal who he
once brought some food. Heavily disappointment, and feeling mere hate against his
benefactor, he gets into debts and only by intervening of Joe he gets out of jail. Pip
sets himself to honest work to pay his debts. Meanwhile Estella, whose father was the
villain, has married Pips enemy Bentley Drummle, but he treats her badly and after his
death Pip and Estella are reunited