Dickens' Use of Settings in Great Expectations

Dickens' Use of Settings in Great Expectations

Great Expectations is the story of a young boy called Pip's physical

and emotional journey. The story starts when Pip meets an escaped

convict in a churchyard near his home and gives him food and drink.

The convict then disappears and is eventually recaptured. Then Pip is

sent to Satis House which is occupied by an old woman called Miss

Havisham, there Pip is attracted to her daughter, Estella. Later Pip

travels to London where he is to be trained as a gentleman, paid for

by an anonymous benefactor whom he presumes is Miss Havisham. Pip

stays in London for many years and in due course learns that Magwitch,

the convict, is his benefactor. This shatters his dreams of marrying

Estella and as the story unfolds he learns that Magwitch is Estella's

father. Pip is unable to marry Estella until he returns after eleven

years in Cairo and meets her again; Pip is sure they will always be

together.

The novel Great Expectations bears a direct relation to Dickens' own

life. Many of the events and characters featured are based upon

experiences that Dickens had. Like Pip Dickens had many great

expectations but these were to quickly diminish as events in his life

took a turn for the worse. Pip's actions and emotions in the story

reflect those of Dickens himself. There are certain themes and morals

that the book explores which Dickens chose to include; that money

causes greed and corruption and that family and friendship is more

important.

There are three key settings in the novel; Satis House, London and

Walworth; the first setting is Satis House. When Pip first enters

through the gates of S...

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...of prison and crime',

something Dickens himself had experienced and hated. There are lots of

references to prisons in the book which Dickens became obsessed with

after his father was imprisoned for being in debt. Dickens had his own

'great expectations' but when his father was sent to prison he was

forced to work in a blacking factory. He experienced what much of the

population did; poor working conditions, poor living and poor pay. He

realised that the 'gentlemen' of society had all the money and were

very selfish. From then on Dickens promoted the under-privileged in

society, like Joe and Magwitch. Dickens voiced many of his concerns

about society in general through Great Expectations and the character

of Pip has many links with Dickens himself; having hopes and dreams

that are later destroyed by problems with money.