Essays on Great Expectations

“Great Expectations” is the penultimate novel by English writer Charles Dickens. One of the most important events in it is the fire in Miss Havisham’s house. This event has the multiple symbolic. When the main character Pip talks about fire in earlier chapters, then this symbol has the positive connotations; it represents the warmness of family house. But the big fire in Miss Havisham’s home, described in the chapter 49, has the opposite symbolic meanings: guilt, suppressed emotions and finally - fire symbolizes the change of the characters. First reason for the author to include motif of ...

There can be no denial of the fact that the novel, Great Expectations, is one of the finest works of literature. The novel has intrigued the literary critics as well as the avid readers alike, and it is deemed among the most famous literary works in the history of literature. The stalwart author, Charles Dickens goes on to exude his literary quintessence and aesthetic appeal in this novel that has left a lasting mark in the minds of one and all owing to its content and portrayal. Indeed, this novel in context is one of the most apt literary ...

There a number of themes in Dickens ‘Great Expectations,’ but the theme of the age old problem of being a gentleman in any society surfaces through the character of Pip. In the past, the gentleman was any wealthy male whose status as a gentleman was determined by his clothes, wealth, and his family history. But, the gentleman is truly more than his physical appearance. A true gentleman should possess qualities that goes beyond one’s physical appearance or heritage and should include the personal qualities and traits of the individuals. The novel centres around Dickens ideal vision of a gentleman as one who ...

Great Expectations is a coming of age story written and set in England during the period of the Industrial Revolution. With the endowment of a secret benefactor, the main character, a country orphan named Phillip “Pip” Pirrip, sets out to attain the necessary accoutrements of Victorian gentility; education, money, and social acceptance. The novel exposes the immorality and hypocrisy of the Victorian Era’s socio-economic class system. When viewed through the author’s depiction of prevalent social issues such as child welfare and development, criminal justice, and social mobility, Great Expectations’ is a poignant indictment of the corruptive influence of money on moral ...

The element of nostalgia in the novel

Great Expectations is a novel that is based on elements of nostalgia. The arch typical nostalgic character is the doomed Miss Havisham, who lives in the past and cannot get over the jilting of her suitor – she leaves her crumbling house just as it was all those years ago. Pip longs for his dead parents since he is treated badly by his sister although he finds comfort in the kindly character of Joe Gargery, his sister’s husband. There is also an autobiographical sense of nostalgia coming from Dickens’ himself, especially with the Kent surroundings forming such an important part ...

"A Tale of Two Cities" is the second and last historical novel by Dickens, which consists of three books. The first tells a story of the return to life of Dr. Manette, who spent many years in solitary confinement in the Bastille. Bank employee, Mr. Lorry and Lucie Manette, daughter of Dr., take him away from Paris to London. The second book begins with a story about the trial of Charles Darnay and his deliverance from death. Soon Lucy marries him, and the family has a quiet and spiritual life. In France, meanwhile, revolutionary storm is brewing. Father and uncle of ...

“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 ...

The company of books they say is the best company a person can get. The knowledge they provide stays with their reader forever. I am not much of a reader. But there are books that have had a great impact on my perspective of life. These books have left an impression so deep on me that I find myself implementing some lessons that I learnt through them. I have read a few good books but the most that impacted me are sure to stay with me. This is a small piece on the three most memorable books of mine (Thesis). These three books ...

“When we read Dickenswe are reading all sorts of other things at the same time—plot, character, moral dilemma, historical predicament, and so forth—but we can see all these in their full complexity only if we attend to the illuminating play of style” (Alter 1996). Indeed, Charles Dickens is a master of style and a versatile genius. He weaves magic with his words that takes the readers into a rapturous world of imagination. The power of his words and imagination manifested in his depiction of simple stories and building of characters make him one of the most popular English novelists of ...

In “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens the narrative is fraught with symbolism to examine the expectation of the key characters. Throughout this writing I endeavor to explore the presence of symbolism and discover the symbolic relationship to the narrative and expectations of the individual characters. Within “Great Expectations” there is a lot of mist imagery. These mists mainly persist throughout the mashes of Pip’s home. These mists have a continuous presence throughout the novel. Dickens may also have intended for the mists to be symbolic of Pip’s inability to understand and comprehend the darkness he encounters. Showing a sense ...

The British Literary work from the modern term that this paper chooses is the Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This literary work was crafted at the height of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. England was facing an economic transformation from manual labor to an industrial-led economy. This new economy required men and women with the necessary classical education to run machinery and occupy various managerial posts within the emerging corporate market. This transition saw a large population of Britain move from the rural areas to urban areas to seek employment opportunities. The level of education was an essential determinant on ...

Assignment#2

Introduction Successful leadership is characterized by the manner in which the leaders manage difficult times. Most leaders ranging from those in businesses to those working in the public setting have undergone and put up with traumatic situations. The ability to learn from every negative experience and soldering on to making great leaders is what makes the difference. Thomas and Bennis(2001) refer to these challenges of leadership as “the crucibles of Leadership.” A crucible is a transforming occurrence of a person from an old perspective to a new sense of individuality. For a leader to grow and develop out of the crucibles, ...

Analysis of Autobiographical Character of the Novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Introduction Charles Dickens was one of the most popular English writers whose novels were known all over the world. His name was associated with realism trend in English classic literature. The two novels, David Copperfield and Great Expectations, are considered the most autobiographical of all other works created by Charles Dickens. This paper is devoted to the analysis of autobiographical facts of Dickens’ life in comparison with the life of the main hero of his novel Great Expectations, Philip Pirrip (Pip). Many critics cannot achieve a unified opinion with regard to the statement that Great Expectations is autobiographical. ...

Book Review: Great Expectation by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations is Charles Dickens’s most popular book. It was published in the year 1861; in three volumes. Pip as he was known was from his names Philip Pirrip as he could not be able to pronounce his names when he was an infant. Pip being orphaned lives in the country at Southeast England with his sister and her husband. Being from a poor background, he expects to be a blacksmith when he grows up just like his sister’s husband (Dickens 1-5). Richness to poor people is not something they expect to come their way. However, if given ...

Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, the tale of an orphan coming of age and falling into his role as a gentlemen, has many different layers of commentary regarding class distinctions in Victorian England. The characters of this book all strive to either gain or keep their largesse, no matter what it takes to achieve it. As a result, these characters constantly sacrifice parts of themselves and their personalities to become cold and lifeless, but rich. Dickens meant to show the audience a tale of love mixed with political and economic intrigue, as the relationship and conflict between rich and poor is made clear ...

It has many acceptances, people perceive it in different ways, there are various stories around it, but one thing is certain: nobody can escape it. This is death, the final event in people’s lives, one that cannot be avoided. The current paper treats different perspectives about death, as expressed in the works of Dylan Thomas (Do not Go Gentle into that Good Night), Wislawa Szymblorska (“On Death without Exaggeration”), Mary Oliver (“When Death Comes”), and John Donne (“Death Be Not Proud”). One’s existence on earth includes several stages from the moment when he is born until ...