Symbolic References in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

For example in Chapter Three, the heavy mist that Pip walks through in the marshes to give Magwitch the food and file (Dickens, 15) symbolises danger and uncertainty. In this passage, the metaphor of the landscape is used by Dickens when Pip is comparing his perspective with the ‘windy marsh view’ (107), drawing connections with how ‘low’ (107), ‘flat’ (107), and ‘dark’ (107) both are. Dickens specifically uses these words to create an image of a hopeless barren land, thus creating a connection between that and Pip’s future. Dickens uses this mix of metaphor and imagery to symbolise how at that point in his life Pip was deeply depressed about his life prospects and ultimately, ashamed of his apprenticeship to Joe and the future he saw with him. Furthermore, Dickens goes on to show Pip’s shame at being apprenticed to Joe by writing that Pip is ‘haunted by the fear’ (108) that Estella would come and see him doing the ‘coarsest’ (108) part of his work. Here Dickens has made a direct reference to the first instance in which Pip becomes aware, and ashamed, of his class, ‘And what coarse hands he has!’ (59), emphasising the embarrassment Pip feels towards his

A symbol is anything that stands for, or represents, something else. Many everyday objects we see symbolize or stand for something deeper; our wedding rings represent love and commitment, teams like the Sharks or Giants are named after animals and mythical creatures that symbolize strength, power, and stability. Similarly, in literature, symbols are used to give an object, character, or situation a deeper and more significant meaning. In literature, symbols can be ambiguous and difficult to understand because the same symbol can have different meanings; therefore, it is very important to know when and where to use symbolism in a story. For example, the color red can mean love, anger or danger depending on the context of the text.

The names of the characters in the story Great Expectations symbolize who they are and how they act. In Great Expectations there is a great deal of symbolism throughout the book as there is in life. There are symbols of isolation, manipulation, and wanting to be something else. These are all seen in the book through the characters of Estella, Abel Magwitch, Miss Havisham, Pip, and Biddy.

Dickens establishes moods in Book II with his use of metaphors, figurative language, and imagery. Darnay's acquittal in Chapter 3 is a symbol for resurrection in the novel. His conviction is almost inevitable before the appearance of Mr. Carton. Nevertheless, Mr. Darnay’s resurrection adversely affects the crowd. Dickens personifies the onlookers to “blueflies”, mentioning their buzz after any piece of evidence in Darnay's distaste is revealed.

death. He also warns him that he too wears a chain larger than his and

“‘Take nothing on looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.’” (339) Do not make judgements based on appearances, because appearance is not all there is. Here Pip, the main protagonist of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, misses the important message that his guardian is trying to convey to him, and will only come to learn his lesson at the end of the story. Pip is the recipient of a great fortune from an anonymous benefactor and is left to wonder who this mysterious person is throughout the novel. He has an idea as to who his benefactor may be, but as he is sworn to secrecy, he cannot discuss the idea with his fellow acquaintances and is left to his own thoughts and assumptions. This later on leads him to create many ideas as to what his life will turn out to be, and only leads him to his own suffering. Pip’s suffering throughout the novel is a result of his self deception and falling victim to his love for a particular, cold-hearted lady, but ultimately learns through his suffering the value of one’s actions and character.

2. Briefly describe the convict. What evidence is there that the convict has "human" qualities and is not merely a criminal? The convict is a fearful man all in coarse gray, with a great iron on his leg, no hat, with

“It was when I stood before her, avoiding her eyes, that I took note of the surrounding objects in detail, and saw that her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine” (Dickens 60). There is no doubt that Miss Havisham in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations embodies the idea of solitude and its impact on a person. However, if one closely analyzes the deeper characteristics of this figure, they might find that Miss Havisham encompasses more than just the impact of isolation. The outlandish characteristics of this significant persona display the darker aspects of life and teach that it is better to move on from these low points than to become trapped within them. After reading Dickens’s Great Expectations, it is evident that Miss Havisham teaches the dangers of ignorance and the impact of this theme not only on oneself, but others.

Miss Havisham is a significantly wealthy, elderly woman who forms few social bonds, likely due to her poor ethics and peculiar life. Ever since being left at the altar by con man, Compeyson, Miss Havisham has been determined to not live a minute past that moment. She wears her wedding

A literary allusion is a “brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance” (Allusion). Dickens used allusion to describe and emphasize facts about many of the characters, as well as their actions or circumstances, to present facts, and to “impose his fictional world upon the reader” (Larson 18). Through the use of allusion, the reader is able to view “Dickens’ fictional world in an eternal order of value” and to “judge characters and read plots as moral designs” (Larson 18). In Hard Times, Dickens’ use of allusion conveys the concerns of choosing to indoctrinate their children in the utilitarian idea of fact through their education while choosing to neglect and avoid

“And as to the condition on which you hold your advancement in life—namely, that you are not to inquire or discuss to whom you owe it—you may be very sure that it will never be encroached upon, or even approached by me, or by any one belonging to me.” (Dickens, 177). This excerpt foretells the main theme of the novel, Pip’s journey of self-improvement.

The beginning of the video started off by introducing a man named John Dickens, who worked at a naval pay office on the docks of Portsmouth, and lived in a small house at 387 Mile End Terrace. His wife was Elizabeth Barrow who he met at his office, and who he also had a kid with named, Charles Dickens. But within 7 months of Charles being born everything seemed to go wrong for them, from running into financial problems to being forced to move to several different locations, until they settled in a house up the hill from the docks of Chatham, London. This is where Charles had his happiest memories of his childhood.

Great Expectations’ main character, Phillip Pirrip- generally known as Pip- had a rough upbringing as a child. His sister, Mrs. Joe had “brought him up by hand”, after their parents and five brothers had all been laid to rest many years ago. Another character, Herbert Pocket experienced a bizarre childhood, though in a different manner. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations develops through the novel following Pip, a young “common boy” who grew up in the countryside. As he matured so did his love for a girl of higher class, Estella. However, being a common boy, Pip was not good enough for his Estella, thus once he was given an opportunity to become a gentleman in London he seized it without much hesitation. Charles Dickens’ had his own

Ambiguity draws across anyone; when they are seeking a coherent meaning in their life. The fabric that weaves together existence can be baffling when one seeks to analyze it. The search for self, as well as knowing and trusting one’s self is echoed through out literature in humanity; it could be haunting and cause great trepidation, to hold on to a vision that could alter their judgement, as well can cause a fierce storm in the supreme realm that is objective truth. Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is a coming to age story of a young man named Pip, seeking to establish stability, as well find meaning in his life through love and self identification. The purpose of this assignment is to propose that Pip was personally reflecting upon

The literary criticism “Patterns of Communication in Great Expectations” is an effective literary criticism, it proves there is evidently more communication between characters in the novel than most critics let onto. Ruth M. Vande Kieft, who is the author of this piece, suggests that the majority of the characters in Dickens novels have a substantial amount of communication among themselves. But, the dialogue in the novel depicted is not what we typically observe in the majority Victorian novels. Vande Kieft uses evidence in her writing from Dorothy Van Ghent, who suggests there is little interaction and the majority of the main characters attempts fail when they do try and communicate amongst each other. This article is effective in showing examples of certain patterns between the many characters in the novel. The article was also effective because it showed a different way of looking at communication in the way writers aim for when writing stories. This literary criticism was an interesting because it made me think about other novels that I have read and how Vande Kieft would have depicted them. In Great Expectations, we saw a different pattern in how characters communicate. Most family communication patterns are usually easy to follow. Although this novel was easy to read, I understand where critics state the contrary. I valued this work because of the examples stated throughout, and I will analyze some of the examples stated in my paper.