LITERATURE REPORT ON GREAT EXPECTATIONS

MAIN CHARACTERS

Philip Pirrip, nicknamed Pip, is an orphan. Pip is destined to be trained as a

blacksmith, a lowly but skilled and honest trade, but strives to rise above his

class after meeting Estella Havisham.

Joe Gargery is Pip's brother-in-law, and his first father figure. A Blacksmith

who is the only person Pip can be honest with.

Mrs. Joe Gargery, Pip's hot-tempered adult sister, who brings him up by hand

after the death of their parents, but complains constantly of the burden Pip, is

to her. She ends her life handicapped after an attack

Miss Havisham, wealthy spinster who takes Pip on as a companion, and

whom Pip suspects is his benefactor. Miss Havisham does not discourage this

as it fits into her own spiteful plans. She later apologizes to him. He accepts her

apology and she gets badly burned when her dress gets on fire from a spark

from the fireplace. Pip saves her, but she later dies from her injuries.

Estella Havisham is Miss Havisham's adopted daughter, whom Pip pursues

romantically throughout the novel. Since her ability to love has been ruined by

Miss Havisham, she is unable to return Pip's passion. She warns Pip of this

repeatedly, but he is unwilling or unable to believe her.

The Convict, an escapee from a prison ship, whom Pip treats kindly, and who

turns out to be his benefactor, at which time his real name is revealed to be

Abel Magwitch, but who is also known as Provis and Mr. Campbell in parts of
the story to protect his identity. Pip also covers him as his uncle in order that no

one recognizes him as a convict sent to Australia years before.

Compeyson (surname) is another convict, and enemy to Magwitch. A

professional swindler, he had been Miss Havisham's intended husband, who

was in league with Arthur to defraud Miss Havisham of her fortune. He pursues

Abel Magwitch when he learns that he is in London and eventually dies.

"Dolge" Orlick is a journeyman blacksmith at Joe Gargery's forge. His

resentments cause him to take actions which threaten his desires in life, but for

which he blames others. He ends up in a fistfight with Joe over Mrs. Joe's

taunting and is easily beaten. This set in motion an escalating chain of events

that lead him to secretly injure Mrs. Joe grievously and eventually make an

attempt on Pip's life.

Bentley Drummle is a coarse unintelligent young man whose only saving

graces are that he is to succeed to a title and his family is wealthy. Pip meets

him at Mr. Pocket's house, as Drummle is also to be trained in gentlemanly

skills. Drummle is hostile to Pip and everyone. He is a rival to Pip for Estella's

attentions and marries her even though we learn in the story that he mistreats

her.

THEMES

Life’s expectations

Throughout the novel, we notice that it is not only Pip the one who tries to

climb up the social ladder, win Estella’s heart or become a gentleman but we

also find Miss Havisham expectations and plans for her life even though they’re

not central to the novel, and the Benefactor’s and Estella’s expectations. Life
does not always turn out to be what one wants but that’s what every human

being tries to work for.

Suffering

We learn about suffering from different characters. We see that in the same line

of reasoning of the main theme, life can be hard at times. This is what explains

Miss Havisham, Pip, Pip’s Benefactor and even Estella’s hardships. What we can

observe in here is that no matter how hard life can get, people’s reaction in the

face of adversity is what will be remembered at the end.

Gratitude

The escapee is the first one from whom we learn gratitude even though it is

only at his heart. Pip shows gratitude to Miss Havisham and his benefactor in

different stages of the plot. From him we learn the lesson that being thankful

doesn’t always mean to be openly repaying but that it is a matter of attitude. In

the same way the Havishams show a measure of thankfulness in later parts of

the work.

PLOT

Very properly, Great Expectations holds true to its name as it is mainly based

on Pip’s expectations and those of the people surrounding him. I consider the

turning point that drives the story on to be when Pip is hired by Miss

Havisham and meets Estella. From that point onward, we can see that Pip can

no longer be content with his life but starts to covet her love and the social

status that presumably it will require. Then, after meeting the lawyer who tells

him his expectations are not far off from reality, the drama then is set and

fired.
After a series of events that lead to Pip learning new manners and struggling

with what he considered right in his past life, we come to the climax point

when he realizes who his benefactor is. Not only does he know the true name

but the story ever since that day down the marshes. Now he’s faced with the

fix, should he keep money now that he has turned his face to many things from

his former life?

During the account we also follow different sub-plots. For instance, we learn of

the attack of Pip’s sister and we follow it until the day it is found to be Orlick.

We read about the details of Miss Havisham’s misfortune, a terrible stratagem

to get the maid’s money. Straight close to the end of the novel, we also realize

who indeed Magwitch is and about him being a convict and being Estella’s father. I think

that this entire sideline accounts amount to the understanding of the novel and how

different people address the yearning to achieve their expectations in life if they are vile or

immoral rather than permissible.

POINT OF VIEW

The book is presented in a type of semi-autobiographical tone as we learn

about Pip’s life since his early years up to adulthood. It has a very natural tone

that of one person talking to another who is his confident and who feel s

certainly understood and appreciated. It turns from being a little nostalgic to

very analytic and reasonable.

I consider that the novel is a very catchy one because it keeps you in the want

for more. First, because you don’t expect many of the details you are given and

then because you can think of what you’d do in the same situation.
CHARACTER

Every character in Great Expectations is well developed if we take into account

that they are seen from Pip’s perspective rather than that of an omniscient

individual. In spite of this, though, we can easily understand them through Pip’s

words because he doesn’t let his feelings mingle in the account so as to

interfere or blur the events.

If we were to qualify the different people that intervene in Great Expectations,

we had to mention their strong will and determination. We see that in Miss

Havisham’s endeavors to rear Estella her way and in Pip’s desire to get well-off

so to gain Estella’s heart and respect, to name a few. We also notice

thankfulness and noble hearts in the drama, too. From Magwitch to Joe we see

different examples of people who can sincerely see the good in others even

though not always being able to show it. We come to good terms with Estella

because although she has wronged Pip in many ways, she subtly shows her

repentance. Even Miss Havishamrealizes the evil she caused and begs for

forgiveness. Well, but we cannot let the negative baggage in the personae slip

away; for example, it would be naïve not to notice that in a moment each

individual is drawn by selfishness at least a bit. It caused silent discontent in

ones but hatred and grudge in others. Here we are reminded of what it actually

occurs in everyday life.

SETTING

The whole story covers some years that are undoubtedly set to the early 19th

century Great Britain.

There are different places in which the story takes place; some are real and

others fictional. First, we are set in Rochester, Kent and the surrounding
countryside which is Pip's childhood home. Here most of the first events

happen and include some buildings like the forge, Satis House, The Blue

Boar, Finches of the Groves.

Then we can consider London and environs, the places where he learns how to

be a chevalier, to assume self-consciousness and learns many of the things

that would mark his life. These places are also the primary location of the

events of Pip's adult life.

Talking about the setting as an element of the action, we can come to

understand that its main function besides that of placement is the

enhancement of the fact that Pip’s new position requires a change in his

manners. Once that is taken out, the setting doesn’t play a transcending role in

the novel.

STYLE

In Great Expectations we find a vivid and witty work. It captures many of the

things that other books of the time because it is the product of first-hand

experience as most of the late novels of Dickens. He is very generous to let his

feelings show. We find for example that he loved London and presented even

the ugliest of details under a light that makes the reader sense that subjacent

feeling.

Here in this novel, we find a semi-biographical style with a smart tone, a

reading that flows with time and with no regressions: we grow with the

character and face the events as they develop. It is a little humorous to find

that many of the thoughts we read are those of a grown-up. All these details

make the reading of this book a pleasant experience once one gets the gist and

track of the work.

THEMES/PURPOSE/CRITIQUE

The novel Great Expectations sources its appealing not only from the witty

language it contains but for all the genuine human feelings that its main

themes address. It is and will be relevant as long as there exist people with

dreams, illusions, hopes… and expectatives.