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Book review of Great Expectations
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Great Expectations is a tale of a young man raised high above his
position in society by a mysterious person. Despite the book lacking
in length, it more than makes up for in its remarkable characters and
gripping story.
It was published serially in 1860 and issued in book form in 1861. The
third person mixed with first person narrative takes Pip (Philip
Pirrip) through a journey he would never forget. He was brought up “by
hand”, in the marshes of Kent by his disagreeable Sister and the
sweet-natured Joe Gargery and always wanted to grow to be a wealthy
gentleman.
The young Pip one day helps a convict to escape in a nearby graveyard
by getting him some food that he needed and a file to take the iron
off his leg. Pip was unaware of all that what was to follow such a
task.
Having started the novel in a cemetery, Dickens introduces Pip into
the decaying household of Miss Havisham, a rich women, driven half-mad
by her lover that left her on their wedding day. Pip was brought to
Miss Havisham’s to play with her ward, Estella, whom was being taught
by Miss Havisham to make young men love her, as she was so beautiful.
Estella makes Pip become ashamed of himself, as she torments him on
how he looks and makes him feel common (as he is). She makes Pip’s
life a misery at the same time as making him fall in love with her.
These two things eat away at Pip, especially when he continues to
visit Miss Havisham’s eerie mansion, “Satis House”.
Pip wanted to become “oncommon” as well as wanting to turn out to be a
gentleman. He increasingly becomes unhappy with his life as he thought
he would stay as Joe’s apprentice for all of his time. He als...
... middle of paper ...
... he had his doubts on the
ending to Pip’s journey.
The story is creative and unpredictable, and divided into three
stages. Although the second stage is rather boring until the end, the
first phase sets up everything that later occurs in the novel, with
the third stage being full of excitement and contains Pip’s regrets on
what has happened in the course of his life and also, his improvement
in himself.
“Great expectations” is to a great extent a very well made novel,
examining moral values and using a large variety of skills to provide
us with the story. Dickens’ memorable characters come to play their
part in a story whose title shows the reader the deep irony that
created Dickens’ thoughts on the Victorian class.
The novel was written over a hundred years ago, and despite being dull
at times, it still has a lot to say about the way we live today.
had a knock on effect towards Pip and in the end his wanted to do
his past and his family. By now, the only thing Pip was interested in was
he uses the young Pip to exaggerate an event so much that it turns in
This progression of Pip’s life tests him many over. He tries again and again with haste to move towards his one true goal borne upon a children’s folly that grows to be his all consuming desire. He resents his current status as mere orphan smithy boy, common in all respects to his eyes, and fails to recognize his own strangeness in rejecting his allotted path in life. His father figure, Joe, advises that his own questioning is uncommon enough but he simply disregards fulfilment in being himself, believing himself to be the one true, harsh, judge of his character, he is simply not one to back down on his ideals.
Chapters One and Thirty Nine of Great Expectations In the novel 'Great Expectations', chapter 1 and chapter 39 are both descriptions of Pip's encounters with Magwitch the convict. The two chapters have key differences and important similarities.
Pip, through spending time with Estella, quickly picks up the desire for social improvement through games, whether physical or emotional, and it is not until he realizes the difference between fantasy and reality that he truly understands the game of life. Just as Estella uses card games to torment Pip, telling him that he is “a common labouring boy” Pip unknowingly begins to see every human interaction as a competition (Volume I, Chapter 8). His physical fight with Herbert represents Pip’s gradual addiction to always winning, never stopping until others are defeated. Pip takes his early, innocent ambition to improve himself and, without even realizing it himself, turns it into a ruthless fight for revenge. Parkinson argues that he sees “the role of chance” influencing his life, forcing himself to submit to whatever life throws at him (Parkinson, 121). Soon, however, Pip becomes the one who forces others, including Joe and Biddy, to simply accept his desire to become an “uncommon” gentleman through his unfailing faith in the wealthy (Volume I, Chapter 8). The problem is not his “fairy-tale expectations,” but his admiration in the wrong people; though he looks up to Miss...
...eration. It’s ironic that if only Pip had followed through with the original expectations that he had set for himself instead of the supposed greater expectations that he hoped for, he would have been better off.
Chapter 39 is a Pivotal One, Why? How does Dickens communicate the importance of the drama of the chapter to the reader? In chapter 39, Pip's benefactor is revealed. It is around this person. that the mystery of Pip's expectations is built.
Pip learns the way of life and the road to being a gentleman. Pip gets
In the opening chapter, we feel sorry for Pip as we find out that his
think that he was his servant. Pip on the other hand is more like the
When Pip was a child, he was a contented young boy. He wanted to grow
In the beginning, Pip, an orphan, considers himself to be a common laboring boy, but he has a
The book that I read is called Great Expectation By Charles Dickens. It is based mainly in London but also has scenes in Pip's home town. Which is a small village in the country? Where he and his sister Mrs. Joe and her husband Joe Gargary live and Pips was raised. The setting of where Pips is is not as important as what is there with him. There are many contrasts to good and evil or more justice and innocence.
My mother often told my sisters and me stories of her childhood move from Virginia to North Carolina. She’d describe the heartbreak of being ripped away from her home, family, and best friends. Although it was painful in the moment, in hindsight she can honestly say that the move was one of the best things that even happened to her. Here she met the love of her life and gave birth to her three girls. The change of environment impacted her life forever. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens writes of a boy named Pip as he grows and changes as he transitions from his home in the marsh to the hustle and bustle of London. In his novel he proves that our surroundings have a life-changing impact upon us.