Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Coursework Question: In the extract where Pip, a boy from a very

humble background meets Miss Havisham, a rich but eccentric lady

dickens wants the reader to feel sympathetic towards Pip. How does he

make us feel this way?

In this assignment, I will analyse, discuss and comment on the

techniques Charles Dickens (Dickens) uses as a writer to gain sympathy

for the main character Pip. I will look closely at setting, language,

characterisation, the opening and closing of the extract. I will also

quote ideas and phrases from the text to help me analyse and explain.

Pip, the main character, is a lonely orphaned child. He lives with his

sister and her husband the blacksmith. We know that Pip’s family is

poor because they live of a blacksmith wages, not very much. The novel

is set in the Victorian era where social status played a major role in

daily life; we see this in the novel. Pip’s sister brought him up by

‘hand’ and finds he is a burden on her. Dickens chose to make the main

character, Pip, lonely and poor to gain our sympathy.

This novel is written in the voice first person, as if it were Pip

telling the story. Dickens wrote this novel from Pip’s point of view.

Pip is telling us the story when he is much older, as if he were

thinking back to when he was a child. The fact that Dickens chose to

make Pip, the main character, the narrator instead of another

character creates a bond between Pip and us, the readers.

In this extract Pip is sent by Mr Pumblechook, a distant relative, to

see Miss Havisham (Havisham). Mr Pumblechook is not of higher class,

but mingles well with them. Mr Pumblechook believes Havisham will

take to Pip like she took to Estella, which would secure Pip’s future.

Although another reason is that Pips sister finds he is a burden on

her and wouldn’t mind getting rid of him. Pip is warned to behave, as

Havisham is of higher social class and his sister doesn’t want him to

ruin his chances.

When Pip enters Havisham’s house we have hope for Pip that Havisham

will take to him like she did to Estella. Havisham, as she is of

higher, lives in a more lavish house than Pip. Dickens uses the

setting to gain sympathy and to keep us interested.

Pip enters a large room, he very observant. For example he mentions,

‘pretty large room, well lighted with wax candles.’ The description

creates a mental image in our minds of where he is, immediately we