Great expectations by charles
Great expectations by charlesGreat Expectations was written in 1861, right after Dickens had divorced Kate, his first wife. Dickens basically invoked his own emotions in the story. It was where his heart lay. Also, anyone who has read more of Dickens' work can clearly see his determination to avoid repeating himself in this impressive gothic novel dealing with the fortunes and misfortunes that befall the main character Pip.
At first, Dickens had started it as a little humorous short story. Quoting Dickens himself from a accompanying note to the first installment: 'I have made the opening, I hope, in its general effect exceedingly droll. I have put a child and a good-natured foolish man, in relations that seem to me very funny.'
This note does seem rather out of place - Admittedly, the beginning of the story is quite hilarious. But it seems awkward that he really intended for Joe to appear to the reader as a "foolish man." However, this sets the tone for a story which is at times funny, but equally sinister and often harrowing.
One of the most striking things one encounters while reading the book, are the changes Pip goes through once he has moved to London to be raised a gentleman. He hardly writes to Joe or Biddy, the only two characters in the book who expressed their love for him, and also he only seems to care for money and status. I refuse to believe that this malice is inherent to Pip's character. As this story only focuses on Pip, I would like to think that something happened to him which made him in act in such a manner.
This essay doesn't claim to know the story, or what Dickens' intended it to be. You, as a reader, do not have to agree on the theories found herein. All I ask of you is that you consider them.
characters vs. locations
Any given Dicken's work is infested with dozens characters. Many of his different books contain, in essence, the same characters. The only difference between these characters is shown in the way they react to their environment. They react according to the situation Dickens cared to drop them in. These are usually the less important characters rather than the main characters. The latter are more interesting to Dickens, because they are the story. It may seem as if most of Dickens' novels are for the largest part original, but not without 'recycling' some of his earlier, smaller characters. One may find that this sounds boring, but Dickens' stories do not induce the feeling that one has already read a certain book, but more the familiar feeling that one has just run into some old friends.
A list of the different characters would be as follows. I have divided the characters over the two areas in which they play their part:
marshes:
? Pip
? Joe Gargery
? Mrs. Gargery...
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