Great Expectation by Charles Dickens

Great Expectation by Charles Dickens

After the battle of Waterloo in 1815, England had developed a time of

peace in which the towns and cities became more industrials. Most of

the roads and canals were built to connect industrials area. But as

time past by, more and more workers felt that their effort were making

other people rich instead of themselves, so they formed a union to

protect themselves against the nasty and cruel employers.

Nevertheless, employers were still hiring employees more and more

everyday. Gradually, many private companies became restricted due to

the huge number of workers. Hospitals were not available for all and

childbirth was thought to be risky. Poverty forced people to crime,

despite the harshness of the punishment.

In the novel Great Expectation, Charles Dickens evolved the characters

as vivid and believable. For example, Pip the hero, is not perfect or

always right, like real people he misunderstand things and behave in

ways that show him in a bad light.

In the first extract we learn that Pip is a seven-year-old boy who

lives with Mr. and Mrs. Joe Gargery in Kent. Pip was being looked

after by his sister Mrs. Joe as both of his parents had died and he

was more misfortunate as he hadn't ever seen them and his five younger

brothers had also died "exceedingly early in that universal struggle".

The opening extract of the novel is very striking because of the

wickedness, excitement and a sense of mystery. The quote "dark flat

wilderness" represents a sense of evilness, danger and forbidden

surrounding which shows how vulnerable Pip is to the merciless setting

based on his own imagination. The word" wildness" defines the wildness

of the convict Abel Magwitch. Wilderness also suggests a contrast

between the murderous and harsh environment to the civilisation, which

"lay" unaware from ruthless surrounding which environs them. This

illustrates the ignorance and unadventurous the local people. In

addition the, the churchyard is "overgrown with nettles" signifying

the irresponsibility and restlessness of the villagers.

We can tell immediately from his clothing that Magwitch is a