Universal Themes In Great Expectations

    In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens explores the perception that the value of a man increases with his attainment of material wealth. Dickens probes the truth of such a system of values through Pip's quest for material gain. This quest is the literal pursuit of a better suit of clothing but is conducted without regard for the kind of man wearing the suit. Thus Dickens poses the question: does it profit a man to gain the world at the risk of losing his soul. It is clear, we see, in Great Expectations, that the answer to Dickens's question is no.

Charles Dickens’ aptly titled novel Great Expectations focuses on the journey of the stories chief protagonist, Pip, to fulfill the expectations of his life that have been set for him by external forces. The fusing of the seemingly unattainable aspects of high society and upper class, coupled with Pip’s insatiable desire to reach such status, drives him to realize these expectations that have been prescribed for him. The encompassing desire that he feels stems from his experiences with Mrs. Havisham and the unbridled passion that he feels for Estella. Pip realizes that due to the society-imposed caste system that he is trapped in, he will never be able to acquire

How can an individual dazzled by social class and wealth realize that their materialistic world is not as important as love and loyalty to others? In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens presents the reader with Philip Pirrip, also known as Pip, a working class boy born in the marshy outskirts of London, England. Orphaned at the age of two, Pip is adopted by his sister, who is his only surviving relative, and Joe Gargery, his town 's blacksmith. When the wealthiest woman in the area, Miss Havisham, asks Pip to entertain her at her house, he meets Estella, the girl of his dreams and Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter. Both Miss Havisham and Estella show him that he is only “coarse and common” (107). In his shame, Pip is determined to climb the social ranks in 19th-century England in order to be good enough to marry Estella. Through Pip’s journey in Great Expectations, Dickens suggests that the ambition to improve one’s social status can prove extraneous compared to their character, if one humbly allows that love and loyalty to outweigh materialism.

Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations chronicles Pip’s struggle to improve his status in English society. He is originally taught that his happiness directly correlates to the amount of wealth he accumulates. Two characters he encounters—Joe Gargery and Miss Havisham—help him realize that this notion is an unfortunate misconception, and their experiences show Pip that he not live his life by such norms.

Charles Dickens uses his own opinions to develop the larger-than-life characters in Great Expectations. The novel is written from the point of view of the protagonist, Pip. Pip guides the reader through his life, describing the different stages from childhood to manhood. Many judgments are made regarding the other characters, and Pip's views of them are constantly changing according to his place in the social hierarchy. For instance, Pip feels total admiration that, later, turns to total shame for the man who raised him, Joe Gargery. The primary theme in this novel questions whether being in a higher social and economic class helps a person to achieve true happiness. This idea is shown through Pip's innocence at the forge, visits

“Sometimes we expect more from others because we would be willing to do that for them.” This quote summarizes Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. In this book, Pip, the protagonist faces rejection at every turn with the death of his parents, and his low class in society. But soon, his entire world begins to change. He meets a rich girl, who he falls in love with, and begins to dream of rising beyond what his social class will allow.

Charles Dickens, author of Great Expectations, provides a perfect example of the hope of class mobility. The novel portrays very diverse and varied social classes which spread from a diligent, hardworking peasant (Joe) to a good-natured middle class man (Mr. Wemmick) to a rich, beautiful young girl (Estella). Pip, in particular, elevates in the social pyramid from a common boy to a gentleman with great expectations. With his rise in society, he also alters his attitude, from being a caring child to an apathetic gentleman. During this process, Pip learns how he should act and how to become a real gentleman. Social mobility and wealth, furthermore, carves a disposition and how a character is looked upon.

The novel, “Great Expectations,” by Charles Dickens is a story renowned for it’s vivid descriptive qualities and unexpected plot twists. When Dickens was writing the novel, his view on society was very dark. Dickens felt that money makes people generally more harsh and cruel, while the lower class is more kind .This is shown in Great Expectations with the kindness of Joe, the changes Pip underwent, and the cruelty of Drummle.

The classic novel, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens portrays a wide array of themes and morals as it follows the coming of age life story of Philip Pirrip, otherwise known as Pip. Considered one of the greatest English authors of the Victorian era, Dickens title of his thirteenth novel not only raises the expectations of his audience, but also lives up to their great expectations with the unexpected events in Pip’s unusual yet thrilling life. His life story can be summed up as a chase for a one-sided love and a wealthier society, and an escape from his squalor in the marsh village in which he grew up. Due to his desires, Pip formulates multiple expectations of the world, many being rather impractical in terms of how society is depicted

In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens satirizes the upper class’s view of the lower class and how easily it could change by showing how Pip is treated during and after he receives his wealth and status of a gentleman.

Wealth and its privileges are held in high light for some, but for many others, love and friendship is of greater value. Throughout the classic Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, the links between wealth and happiness are illustrated through a number of characters from largely different backgrounds. Pip was raised by Joe Gargery and his wife, leading an early life of simplicity, and after a benefactor sends him to become a “gentleman” and learn the finer ways of life, Pip is thrown into the world of materialistic wealth and good manners. Dickens reveals through character development that money is merely an item just as wealth is a concept; while neither can buy happiness, both are temptations that have the ability to trap and lure people away from their true selves.

Spiritual journeys dramatically alter the course of one’s life and lead to newly found self-discovery. Pip, the main character in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, a small boy living in a tiny, impoverished town receives money from a mysterious benefactor where he will become a gentleman. On his excessively arrogant course to becoming a gentleman he believes his benefactor is Miss Havisham and is sure that he is going to court the beautiful, yet manipulating, Estella. Upon receiving the news that his actual benefactor is Magwitch, an escaped convict, he encounters an epiphany that he has been living off a convict’s money and is not going to marry Estella. He then realizes that social standing and money does not help as much as he thought it would and begins go back to his old ways of treating everyone equally. Pip comes to understanding that he, and the upper class, is not morally above the rest of society. Pip experiences a vacillating journey with spiritual highs and lows, such as when he gives back his time when writing letters, rather than his money, a materialistic item. Because of this journey, Pip comes to an understanding that materialistic articles cannot be a substitute for spiritual relationships.

“My dream was out; my wild fancy was surpassed by sober reality; Miss Havisham was going to make my fortune on a grand scale” (Dickens 146). Charles Dickens, author of the novel Great Expectations, illustrates a scene in which Pip, the young protagonist, ponders about the things he will be able to do with the fortune he just received. His unrealistic expectations soon lead him astray and cause him to make mistakes he never would have otherwise. With Pip’s regretful actions in pursuit of receiving riches from his secret benefactor, Joe’s value of friendship over fortune, and Biddy’s wisdom despite her poverty, Charles Dickens shows that material wealth does not improve one’s morals.

In 1861, Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations, which depicted the trying and troubling life of a young orphan named Pip. During his lifetime, he experienced several difficult events and met an eclectic group of people. Along the way, Pip’s character developed, experiencing quite a few ups and downs. Like with many other characters in the novel, society and class dictated his worldview. The book dealt with common themes such as wealth, love, and society. However, heavy emphasis was placed on corruption, specifically through money. Within the novel, the lives of Compeyson, Miss Havisham, and Pip showed just how much wealth can corrupt even the purest of heart.

In Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations, Pip Pirrip, the narrator and protagonist of the story, allows his new wealth to affect his judgement of other characters by feeling superior towards those who have less than him and being jealous of those with a greater fortune. First of all, Pip, upon seeing his brother-in-law Joe for dinner at his apartment, is embarrassed by Joe’s bad manners and causes him to leave the house because of his unkindly attitude. Pip’s poor treatment towards Joe shows that he does not accept his former status of the lower class, and his current position in the aristocratic life has caused him to turn his back on those he loves. The new wealth he has accumulated causes the view of his once fatherly figure to be disarrayed.