Elements of the Bildungsroman, mystery, and love story in Great Expectations by Yakir Forman

Bildungsroman Development from childhood to adulthood Often, protagonist is an orphan who seeks to find his own identity since he has no parents to define it “I never saw my father or my mother” (p. 1) “…that the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip” (p. 2)

Bildungsroman One part of the protagonist’s development is his education Education is one of the first things stressed by Mr. Jaggers as important for Pip’s becoming a gentleman: “‘It is considered that you must be better educated, in accordance with your altered position, and that you will be alive to the importance and necessity of at once entering on that advantage’” (p. 147)

Bildungsroman The protagonist often has a desire to leave his provincial life and become his “own man” in a large city In Pip’s case, the provincial life is symbolized by the apprenticeship to blacksmithing, the family job, and the large city is London “…I have felt for a time as if a thick curtain had fallen … to shut me out from anything save dull endurance any more. Never has that curtain dropped so heavy and blank as when my way in life stretched out straight before me through the newly-entered road of apprenticeship to Joe” (p. 113) “…and the world lay spread before me” (p. 169)

Bildungsroman The protagonist usually experiences a series of epiphanies where he continues uncovering his place in life “My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things…” (p. 1) “Miss Havisham’s intentions towards me, all a mere dream; Estella not designed for me … those were the first smarts I had” (p. 344)

Bildungsroman A near-death experience often encourages the final stage of the protagonist’s maturation Limekiln incident: “‘You’re dead.’ I felt that I had come to the brink of my grave.” (p. 453) Illness: “‘If you take me from here, I think I shall die by the way.’” (p. 492) Finally, maturation is complete “‘Tell me of my ingratitude.’” (p. 493)

Mystery A mystery novel centers around a mystery being revealed. In Great Expectations, there are two mysteries: Who is Pip’s benefactor? What is Estella’s lineage?

Mystery Detective Red Herrings Pip – “What purpose I had in view when I was hot on tracing out and proving Estella’s parentage, I cannot say” (p. 434) Red Herrings “I always supposed it was Miss Havisham” (p. 355) “‘Miss Estella—that’s her niece, I think’” (p. 70)

Mystery Clues for both the reader and the detective A convict with Joe’s file gives Pip two pounds “Him and Compeyson had been in a bad thing with a rich lady some years afore” (p. 368) “What was it that was borne in upon my mind when she stood still and looked attentively at me?” (p. 251) “The young women presented herself before Provis for one moment, and swore that she would destroy the child” (p. 431)

Love Story Protagonist falls in love Pip falls in love with Estella and remains in love throughout the novel “I think I would have gone through a great deal to kiss her cheek” (p. 97) “I must give one chapter to Estella. It is not much to give to the theme that so long filled my heart” (p. 319)

Love Story Obstacles to love “pondering…that I was a common labouring-boy; that my hands were coarse; that my boots were thick…and generally that I was in a low-lived bad way” (p. 67) “She had admirers without end. No doubt my jealousy made an admirer of every one who went near her, but there were more than enough of them without that.” (p. 321) “‘I don’t care for what you say at all’” (p. 384) “‘Have you any idea yet of Estella’s views on the adoration question?’…‘She is thousands of miles away from me’” (p. 262)

Love Story Other characters Drummle (Estella’s other love interest) “I felt we could not go a word further without introducing Estella’s name, which I could not endure to hear him utter” (p. 378) Biddy (Pip’s other love interest) “She was not beautiful—she was common, and could not be like Estella—but she was pleasant and wholesome and sweet-tempered.” (p. 132) “‘And now, dear Biddy, if you can tell me that you will go through the world with me, you will surely make it a better world for me, and me a better man for it” (p. 503)

Love Story Other characters Herbert (Pip’s friend who tries to detach him from Estella) “‘Not being bound to her, can you not detach yourself from her?’” (p. 264) “Happy ending” allows principal lovers to be together “I took her hand in mine…I saw no shadow of another parting from her.” (p. 516)