1. Great Expectations By Charles Dickens (1812-1870)
Written and published in 1861
( 19th Century) which was in between the Romantic and Victorian literary periods
Story is divided into three phases of Pip’s, the main character, life expectations.

2. 1st phase of Pip’s life
Pip’s first stage starts when he is an orphan living with his sister and her husband. He aspires to be a gentlemen in order to attain the love of Estella, a protagonist/antagonist in his life.

3. 2nd and 3rd phases of Pip’s life
Pip travels to London to become a gentlemen, but soon finds that not staying true to “who you are” is trouble.
Lastly, Pip changes and is not the person who he once was in life. He is a “stranger” in his own body.

4. Themes/Motifs
Self-worth: Knowing what you deserve and what you are made of- this is important to everyone because all people are unique and bring something worthwhile to the world.
Gratitude and suffering: Here, the reader learns about what it means to appreciate what you have and also suffer at the same time.

5. Themes cont’
Social climbing: This is the most important theme of the novel because all the characters want a different lot in life, some are willing to crush others to attain it, while others will not.

6. Romantic and Victorian influences
Romantic influences: The novel is emotional and does have that “ happy ending” feel to it.
Victorian influences: The places in the novel are dark and people explore their cruel nature. The ending can also be seen as “tragic.”

7. Summary
Add a summary activity at the end of the introduction notes. Write the prompt on the left-hand side and then on the right-hand side answer write the following questions:
Do you believe that people change with money? Why do you believe that? Can that change be positive, negative, or both?