Character and Theme Analysis of Great Expectations

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Character and Theme Analysis of Great Expectations

Great Expectations depicts a young man’s search for identity. It is a story revolving around the life of this one man, Phillip Pirrip, known throughout the story as Pip to the reader. It shows the important events in Pip’s life from the time he was seven years old until his mid-thirties that shaped who he would become. Along the way, he meets a variety of friends and acquaintances who influence him in forming his decisions and goals, making him almost constantly unsure of what he truly wants.

The main theme makes a strong point: it doesn’t matter what happens to a person in their life, he or she cannot change who they truly are, inside the facades and fancy clothing, behind the reputation and wealth. Unfortunately, Pip doesn’t realize this at first: he’s always tried to change himself ever since that first cold meeting with Miss Havisham, and especially Estella, and to fit a mold that he thought was what they wanted. At first, it was as simple as desiring to read and write, become literate, gain an education, but as time passed and his world changed, Pip tugged farther and farther away from where he came from and who he was, trying to leave behind his roots and identity. It is obvious to the reader throughout most of the story that this need and yearning for self-improvement brings him no joy, and in fact, virtually nothing but misery and confusion.

Some secondary themes are clarity, realization, and self-discovery. The point of this story is not that Pip and Estella fall in love and live happily ever after; Dickens never wrote anything more of what was to happen between them in the end other than that they’ve finally resolved some of their confused past. It is assumed that they just remained friends, because of all we know about Estella’s cold heart and inability to give up her love and commit herself to a man. The purpose of this is that the novel speaks of Pip’s quest and yearning for Estella’s love and the great lengths he’s willing to go to gain that affection, not about the actual love itself. It’s all about Pip. Not about the love, and not about Estella. In fact, in most parts of the story, Estella is only present in Pip’s heart and thoughts, while the actual interaction between the two is kept at a minimum.

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