Great Expectations By Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens February 7, 1812 – June 9, 1870 Dickens was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire to John Dickens, a naval pay clerk, and his wife Elizabeth Dickens. When he was five, the family moved to Chatham, Kent. When he was ten, the family relocated to Camden Town in London.

Dickens talked later in life of his extremely strong memories of childhood and his continuing photographic memory of people and events that helped bring his fiction to life. His family was moderately well-off, and he received some education at a private school but all that changed when his father, after spending too much money entertaining and retaining his social position, was imprisoned for debt.

At the age of twelve, Dickens was deemed old enough to work and began working for ten hours a day in Warren's boot-blacking factory. He spent his time pasting labels on the jars of thick polish and earned six shillings a week. With this money, he had to pay for his lodging and to help support his family while his father was working off his debt in prison.

Dickens began work as a law clerk, a junior office position with potential to become a lawyer. He did not like the law as a profession and after a short time as a court stenographer he became a journalist. In his early twenties he made a name for himself with his first novel, The Pickwick Papers. Some of his more well known novels include, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and A Christmas Carol.

Great Expectations Dickens wrote and published Great Expectations in The novel, however, looks back to an earlier time ( ). Like all of his novels, Great Expectations was published serially—meaning in weekly or monthly installments in magazines. –Each installment ends with a “cliffhanger” –Dickens would often take feedback from his audience into consideration when writing his novels. –Because Dickens was paid by the word, his novels were often VERY long and detailed! (which is why we are reading the abridged version )

Historical Background: Victorian England in the 1800s Dickens used his own personal experiences as material for his novels. –He was deeply concerned about the struggles of the poor and mistreated. –Although his novels were fictional, he used them as a way to comment on the social and political problems existing in London at the time.

During the Victorian Era, London was a very rich city. This wealth, however, was not equally distributed. –The upper class made up the smallest portion of society. They controlled most of the money and power and lived extravagant lives. –The lower class made up the largest portion of society. They worked the most difficult jobs, had very few rights, and lived in extreme poverty. Many fell into debt quickly.

People who simply could not pay their bills often went to debtors’ prison. Children of those in debtors’ prison had to work to support themselves. A child might work up to 16 hours a day. Labor in a factory or work pulling a cart earned only pennies a day. –There were no labor laws to protect children and many never finished school because they were forced to work instead.

Because many of the prisons were filled with debtors, the more dangerous criminals were often imprisoned on ships or sent to live in Australia—then a British territory. Conditions in Australia were harsh. –Only the strongest and hardest working people could make a life for themselves –Once sent to Australia, a convict was most likely exiled from England—not legally allowed to return.

Basic Plot Overview: Great Expectations is a coming of age tale about a poor orphan named Phillip “Pip” Pirrip who is given an extraordinary chance to become a gentleman. Throughout the course of the story, he is faced with many trials and tribulations that ultimately shape who he is. It is broken down into three different stages and spans the length of 30+ years

Stage One (Chapters 1-15) Pip starts off 8 years old living in the marsh lands of rural England with his sister and brother-in-law, Joe and Mrs. Joe. Although poor, he becomes aquaited with Miss Havisham and her ward Estella who are wealthy members of high society He is apprenticed as a blacksmith to Joe At the close of Stage One, he is presented with “great expectations” that will change his life

Stage Two (Chapters 16-29) As a result of his “expectations” Pip begins living in London and studying to be a gentleman. He becomes caught up with “gentlemanly pursuits” spending more and more time with Miss H. and Estella while neglecting those who care for him, like Joe. At the close of Stage Two, Pip is met by a mysterious figure with a secret that will turn his life upside down.

Stage Three (Chapters 30-44) Because of his mysterious visitor, Pip finds himself in trouble with the law He ends up losing his money, social status, and the love of his life Once again poor, he reflects on his choices and has a decision to make: Does he waste away to nothing or strive to improve himself and make amends?

Literary Elements Characterization: the personality a character displays; also, the means by which an author reveals that personality. There are two types of characterization Direct—the author tells the audience directly what the character is like. This in done by: –commenting directly about the character

Indirect—allows the audience to draw their own conclusions. This is mainly done by: –showing the character acting and speaking –giving physical descriptions of the character –revealing character’s thoughts –revealing what other characters think about the character

Thematic Elements: Ambition and Self-Improvement A "pip" is a small seed, something that starts off tiny and then grows and develops into something new Pip's name, then, is no accident, as Great Expectations is a coming of age story about his growth and development as a main character. Dickens presents the ambition to improve oneself that drives Pip along as a force capable of generating both positive and negative results.

Pip's early ambitions focus on elevating his social class He eventually comes to understand self- improvement as a more complex process involving moral and spiritual development as well Pip strives to better himself despite his circumstances and although this is admirable When do ambition and self-improvement become harmful?

Social Class Great Expectations is set near the end of Industrial Revolution, a period of dramatic technological improvement in manufacturing and commerce that, created new opportunities for people who were born into "lower" or poorer classes to gain wealth and move into a "higher" and wealthier class.

Dickens explores the class system of Victorian England, ranging from the most wretched criminals to the poor peasants of the marsh country (Pip and his family) to the very rich (Miss Havisham and Estella). The importance placed on social class is a driving force in the novel and begs the question: Are individuals who have or obtain wealth guaranteed happiness?