Charles Dickens' Great Expectations as a Fairy Tale

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Charles Dickens' Great Expectations as a Fairy Tale

There are many ways in which Great Expectations resembles a fairy

tale, such as the themes- poor people receiving riches, the moral

reasons, - do good unto others and you shall be repaid. During

Victorian times stories were used mainly for morals purposes.

One of the main reasons why resembles a fairy tale is due to its

characters

Great Expectations has many characters that reflect the

characteristics of those in fairy tales.

Some of these fairy tale characteristics are found in Miss Havisham.

In chapter eight, when Miss Havisham first appears, she seems to take

on the aspect of a fairy godmother, but yet, she still seems to come

across as a distorted figure.

In chapter eleven, Pip tells how she placed her hand upon his

shoulder,

“…She looked like the witch of the place.” This shows Miss Havisham to

be the wicked witch of the story.

Chapter fifteen, in this chapter of the book we learn about the

‘morose journeyman’ and the sort of tales he told Pip.

“…the devil lived in a black corner of the forge, and that he knew

the fiend very well: also that it was necessary to make up the fire,

once in seven years, with a live boy, and that I might consider myself

fuel.”

The horror stories Pip was told throughout his childhood are threaded

into the texture of the novel through various images, and at this

point in the book, Miss Havisham represents the witch, but she is also

fulfilling the role of the fairy Godmother.

Another witchlike character in the book is Mrs. Joe.

Estella is another character ‘type’ that you would find in a fairy

tale.

She comes across as the princess of the story.

When we first meet Estella she comes across as mean, and cold hearted

which is due to being brought up by Miss Havisham. As we get further

into the story we begin too fell sorry for Estella, as she has lived

all her life with a ‘witch’. She now seems to be the doomed princess;

however, in chapter 29, it seems as if Estella will no lunge be the

doomed princess.

”… in short, do all the shining deeds of the young Knight of romance,

and marry the princess.”

This chapter shows that Pip believes he can rescue Estella from Miss

Havisham and live a happy life with her.

Orlick and Magwitch represent the ogre type character that you would

find in a fairy tale.

In chapter fifteen we learn how Pip feels that Orlick dislikes him fro

some unknown reason. “…Drew out a red-hot bar, made at me with it as

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