Author Bio and Introduction

Charles John Huffam Dickens, one of the greatest Victorian writers, was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. His most famous works include David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities. Admired by people from various walks of life, Dickens enjoyed popularity and success throughout his lifetime. He was widely known in literary circles both as a writer and a critic. A wonderfully observant writer, Dickens greatly influenced how future generations viewed the times he lived in. A man of critical, journalistic, literary and other artistic talents, Dickens was well received by his contemporaries such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said, “I am afraid he has too much talent for his genius….” Before his demise in June 1870, Dickens was engaged in reading tours and had begun work on a new, unfinished novel.

Having experienced financial hardships as a child, Dickens was aware of class conflicts, which is an important theme across his novels. His writings are greatly influenced by his own life, and this is often reflected in the settings, symbols, and themes he chose for his novels. Dickens’ writings, starting from The Pickwick Papers, were episodic and serialized, giving him an opportunity to modify his stories based on readers’ responses to the episodes. Great Expectations also has an alternate ending, wherein Pip and Estella do not unite. This version remained unpublished for a long time since Dickens did not want to disappoint readers who wanted a pleasant ending for the two characters.

Great Expectations is a bildungsroman, a genre that focuses on the protagonists’ growth and transformation over time. The novel explores Pip’s psychological and moral growth, and also presents a moving account of his trials and tribulations. Some critics have highlighted the novel’s gothic elements, which are mostly reflected in sections that deal with Pip’s fears. Great Expectations is also a realistic satire.