Charles Dickens’ Great ExpectationsIntroduction:
‘Great Expectations’ was one of Dickens’ best-known novels and waswritten in 1860. ‘Great Expectations’ is a Bildungsroman and followsthe progression of Pip from child to adult; from humble blacksmith togentleman; from innocence to experience; from rags to riches and onhis journey, Pip meets a range of interesting characters, from thecomical Wemmick, to the cruel Estella. This novel reflects parts ofVictorian times, with class divide, child labour and improving one’sfortunes.
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Dickens wrote to entertain the public and the public got a say in howthe novel progressed due to the fact that Dickens wrote in monthlyinstalments in a magazine called ‘Household Words’. Dickens even hadto re-write the final chapter so that the public was satisfied.Therefore Dickens needed to make his characters striking and memorableso that they were remembered later in the book.
This novel also reflects Dickens’ own life experiences. Dickens waspoor as a child and throughout his life, he worked his way up andbecame rich and this is reflected in the story with Pip going from apoor, lower class boy to a rich, upper class gentleman.
In this essay I am going to explore how Dickens made his keycharacters striking and memorable by using different methods.
Section 1- Magwitch===================
Dickens wrote ‘Great Expectations’ in the first person perspective ofPip. By doing this Dickens used a method by which he can creatememorable and striking characters because the way that Pip reacts tothe characters and the way they treat Pip makes us remember them. Atthe beginning of the book in chapter 1, Pip meets Magwitch, an escapedconvict who threatens P…
…ds striking and memorable through use of physicaldescription, setting and speech. The way that the characters interactwith Pip is also important.
Dickens makes Magwitch striking and memorable because of the way he isintroduced through speech and the way he makes Pip and us feel.
Miss Havisham is made particularly memorable to the reader, as she isso bizarre- receiving Pip initially in her dressing room and livingher life in a time warp.
Wemmick is perhaps the character most people can relate to- he ismiddle class and lives two separate lives. His individualism, hisappearance and choice of home make him striking and memorable.
The character who makes the biggest impression on me is Mr Wemmickbecause I think that his house and his actions are very bizarre and Ibelieve he is a funny character and I think he is the character I canrelate to.
