Elizabeth C., 9th Grade: An Introduction to Charles Dickens's Great Expectations
When it comes to the characters, Charles Dickens writes Great Expectations based off of his own childhood. Dickens decided when writing the book to divide the settings and characters into two categories: “secure”and“threatening.” In
most of his book, Dickens uses natural dialogue to introduce the characters subtly and very indirectly. Dickens relates the hopeless love Pip has for Estella in Great Expectations to his childhood love with a banker’s daughter-Maria Beadnell
(Allingham).
In many of Charles Dickens books, Dickens believes the main problem in life as being people’s perception of others, and how people fail to see one another clearly. He sees the problem as being that people judge each other before they truly understand them. He believes people should try and see the spiritual and emotional side of that person (Allingham).
Pip is madly in love with Estella, and will stop at nothing to make her love him back. Estella makes Pip feel unworthy of her, which makes him strive to do something better with his life, and to be successful. Estella doesn’t show Pip that she loves him, and it makes Pip work harder to try and earn her love. Estella somewhat plays games with Pip, but she is helping him become something better (Allingham).
Miss Havisham is a very odd lady, and is quite important in the novel. Miss Havisham is a proud and very formal woman who takes care of Estella and raises her to be hateful towards mostly everyone. Miss Havisham’s heart was broken by a man who called off their wedding twenty minutes before it even started- so Miss Havisham is out for revenge. She wants to break every man’s heart, because hers was broken (Allingham).
Pip shows he has matured in the book when he decides to leave his close friends Joe and Biddy to move to London and assist Magwitch, his godfather. At the end of chapter 19, Pip changes clothes- this symbolizes how he changes from living in the country-side, to living in a big city like London. It also symbolizes his change from a young, naive boy, to a true gentleman (Allingham).
Great Expectations is different from Dickens’ other novels in the sense that Great Expectations is not as dramatic, or exuberant as his past books. Dickens’ limited himself to a child’s point of view in Great Expectations. Dickens’ is set back by writing from Pip’s perspective because he can’t put his personal, more mature thoughts directly in the book, He only allows himself to write mostly about what Pip is seeing, thinking, and feeling (Allingham).
Works Cited
Allingham Philipp V., Faculty of Education, Lake head University, Thunder Bay, Ontario. Etowah High School. Web.
26 August 2013.
most of his book, Dickens uses natural dialogue to introduce the characters subtly and very indirectly. Dickens relates the hopeless love Pip has for Estella in Great Expectations to his childhood love with a banker’s daughter-Maria Beadnell
(Allingham).
In many of Charles Dickens books, Dickens believes the main problem in life as being people’s perception of others, and how people fail to see one another clearly. He sees the problem as being that people judge each other before they truly understand them. He believes people should try and see the spiritual and emotional side of that person (Allingham).
Pip is madly in love with Estella, and will stop at nothing to make her love him back. Estella makes Pip feel unworthy of her, which makes him strive to do something better with his life, and to be successful. Estella doesn’t show Pip that she loves him, and it makes Pip work harder to try and earn her love. Estella somewhat plays games with Pip, but she is helping him become something better (Allingham).
Miss Havisham is a very odd lady, and is quite important in the novel. Miss Havisham is a proud and very formal woman who takes care of Estella and raises her to be hateful towards mostly everyone. Miss Havisham’s heart was broken by a man who called off their wedding twenty minutes before it even started- so Miss Havisham is out for revenge. She wants to break every man’s heart, because hers was broken (Allingham).
Pip shows he has matured in the book when he decides to leave his close friends Joe and Biddy to move to London and assist Magwitch, his godfather. At the end of chapter 19, Pip changes clothes- this symbolizes how he changes from living in the country-side, to living in a big city like London. It also symbolizes his change from a young, naive boy, to a true gentleman (Allingham).
Great Expectations is different from Dickens’ other novels in the sense that Great Expectations is not as dramatic, or exuberant as his past books. Dickens’ limited himself to a child’s point of view in Great Expectations. Dickens’ is set back by writing from Pip’s perspective because he can’t put his personal, more mature thoughts directly in the book, He only allows himself to write mostly about what Pip is seeing, thinking, and feeling (Allingham).
Works Cited
Allingham Philipp V., Faculty of Education, Lake head University, Thunder Bay, Ontario. Etowah High School. Web.
26 August 2013.