core of the tragedy lies the_ failure to act.

" Discuss the validity of

t hi:
9 _ "At the
th
comme nt in light of what happe ns'" e play.

~ 10. " Getrud e is both morally corrup t and willfull y blind ." How far do you agree.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
CHARLES DICKENS 1
spent in Chatha m
Charles Dickens was born in 1812 at Portsmouth . Part of Charles life was
fo r six shillings
and Lamden. At one time in 1824, Charles left school and worked in a factory
he failed to pay. This
a week. This was a result of his father's impriso nment followin g a debt
worked in a law firm,
experience had a lasting mark in the life of Charles . Later in 1827, he
debates .
then became a journalist who specialised in court reports and parliam entary

of Dickens' work
Great Expectations is one of Dickens' last novels written in 1860-61 . Some
that reveal his artistry are:

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Our Old Mutual Friend (1864- 5)
Dombey and Son (1846- 8)
David Copperfield (1849- 50)
Bleak House, Hard Times, Little Dorrit (1852 - 1857)
noted that though the
Hillis Miller in the book Charles Dickens. the world of his novels (1958)
of Charles in his life.
stories are presented as fables, they still retain the personal experience
' percept ion of
The experience of leaving school to work in a factory influenced Dickens
Estella and Magwrtch .
children. His characters are mainly orphans who are vulnerable like Pip,
The Victorian World
The presentation of_Dickens' work was influenced by the Victorian World.
was widening. It is
was filled with poverty and injustice, the gap between the rich and poor
the end receive acts of
from this background that Dickens had sympathy for the poor who in
by the Industri al
genero sity and compassion. The Victorian World was characterised
ent of people into
Revolution which led to the growth of industry, expansion of trade, movem
s and low wages under
towns or cities where people worked for long hours for meager earning
observes that Dickens
horrid cond itions. Anthon y Mortim er in Charles Dickens (1996)
revolut io n and not
believed in a change of heart, not change of a system and also in a moral
a polit ical revolut ion.

Plot. Structure and Setting

the link betwee n Pip,

Plot is complicated, its co mplexit y ce ntres on co incidence especially
Magwit ch, Miss Havisham and Est ella.

( ,
) ~~~~~~~~=~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!~~~~~~~~~
in Englis h ?age 2~s
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 247

Estella is Magwitc h's daughte r' M·iss Havisha ,

suspense, only to be shocked or tak m s adopted daughter . The reader is kept in
· en by sur · ·
Jaggers, a London Lawyer breaks th prise in dramatic twists and t urns. Note how
e news of a .
Pip into a gentlem an. The prese mysterious benefactor whose aim is to turn
nee of Com
and decides to work aga inst Pi d . peyson, the lover who betrayed Miss Havisham
Pan Magw1tch WI·th t he intension of exposing t hem. Orlick
becomes an accomp lice The• t 1·
. m erception by th
complicates t he situation . In the stru e po ice of the ship to take Magwitch abroad
I
badly wou nded is t aken • . ~g e th at ensues Compeyson drowns, Magwitch who is
prisoner, dies prison.
m

Structurally the story, ca n be divided · .

h t p to p· , d into t he following sections - t he fi rst is made of events
Miss
t a . ;n u_ th : s feparture fo r London with great expectations and the belief t hat
figure while
Havis am is e ene actor in t his stage. Pip is a frightened, timid and shadowy
in the second stage, he becomes a prou d, snobbish .
and insensitive characte r then finally, the
last stage marks the growth int 0 a mature young man who suffering has ta ught patience,
h
endurance, tolerance, kindness, humility and &,org1vene •
ss. The three stages serve to s ow
Pip's development from one stage to the other.

Thames
Great Expectations set in Kent and London. Pip's village is located between the
though
Estuary and the River Medway. There are events that help the reader to see that
events to
written in 1860 - 1861, it is set around 1810 to 1830. Note some of the gurding
England
about 1835, transpo rted convicts could be sentenced to death if they escaped back to
later
unlawfully. The transportation of convicts was later abolished in 1852, thus eight years
after the abolishment Great Expectations was written.

er with life
The three stages in the plot of the story is a journey of discovery. The first encount
of Miss
is with the sat is House, the encounter helps to contrast Pip's life with the world
y which is
Havisham . The first encoun ter triggers some attempt to escape reality into snobber
cut himself
mistaken as evidence of social standing. This is characterised by the attempt to
exposed
from Joe and Biddy. The final brings out moral lessons about the reality of life having
a journey
Pip to the criminal activities and under dealings in London. Thus Pip undergoes
through which he becomes a gentleman.

THEMES

Gentleman and Gentilit y

The Victoria n Age emphasised t he concept of being a gentlem a n.

. During
Before the Industrial Revolut ion being a gentlema n was based on inherite d land
which led
this period, gentility was by birth, but with the advent of industri al revoluti on
it became
to social mobility people could work t hemselves up the social ladder, thus
is that
pertinen t to have a re-look at the definitio n of a gentlem an. Magwitc h's belief
dly used
money and educati on can make a gentlem an. The word "gentlem an" is repeate
sake,
in the novel. At one time Pip tells Biddy that he wants to be a gentlem an for Estella's
from the
in this context gentlem an means great achieve ment which is a break away
means
confin t s to w hich he has been born and brought up. For Jaggers gentility

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 throuF(h ncquls ition of Wf'alth . Pip
be O gentlc mru1 · . .
false gentil ity is what Pip t ncs t.o S<'<'k
Acquisition of wcolth , thus Pip c.1 n bbery . This
I ,an with sno
mistak es being a gent en ce t2tL>le .
attitud e and stereo type. He
Mter hoping for being socin llY 11c pl d to co ndesce nding Th . . .
\ f ntilitY eA s ere is irony in the
''I igher spher e" and st atus.
Pip's misguided conce pt o ge .
to gentil ity is questi onable
believes thHt Joe should be lifted to al lt Is assum ed to lead , . f' f b .
. , . wea lth t ,a . a definm g ·eatur e o e1ng a
sense that the source o f Pip s . M ney Is not
I al activit ies. o f I
irnd associated with erIm n · • a gentle man because o t 1e upper~class
H rbet Pocket w 1,o is ' .
man, this is true o f e e much mone y. It Is Herbe rt who teaches
gentle '
h he does not I,av
tion he rece ived t IlOU8 ,, • a.lso spoken of by Herbe rt s fath er and
educa
d "gentleman ,s
Pip table manners. The wor . eanings and differ ent interp retatio ns .
.
• 5 with various 111
itch in both in st ance d ner" while Magw itch's gentil ity revolves
Magw II

Herbert's father speaks of the "heart " an man

nd
around wealth, riches a rnoney . t Dickens brings under scruti ny the term
. t tion of charac ers
_ Through various presen a
"gentleman".

Isolation and alienation

Miss Havisham deliberately isolates herself from life.

ls that are suggestive of the
Isolation and alienation is shown in Chapter 11 throug h symbo
that had stopp ed at twent y
isolation and alienation. These include the watch and clock
black fungu s, speckled legged
minutes to nine, the neglected garden, Dark passage,
clad in once white now yellow
spiders, presence of mice, rattling behind panels, sitting
tion from life.
wedding garment by Miss Havisham - all symbols of aliena
isolat ion, as a result of that she
Betrayal of Miss Havisham by Compeyson leads to her
and symp athy. Estella becomes
inturn isolates and alienates Estella from huma n feelings
a weapon of revenge.
Biddy as a result of snobbery.
Pip at one stage isolates and alienates himse lf from Joe and
anoth er exam ple of isolat ion, he
According to Anthony Mortim er (1996) Jaggers provid es
avoid ing respo nsibil ity shown by
rejects human involvement. The legal system is a way of
tes him from the peopl e.
the gesture of washing his hands. Jaggers' profes sion aliena
y and aband oned. Socie ty does
Magwitch finds himse lf isolated. He is pale, cold, hungr
is anoth er mean s that isolates
not offer him means out of the proble m. The prison system
hmen t.
and alienates people from society, it leads peopl e to banis

Snobbery

Hump Great :..:.:..:.i:

hry House• describes __,;_=;.: tations
Expec::..:::.:~~ .!:
as a "snob 's pro gress,, .
• ,
himse lf in. The encou nter with
Pip s snobb e~ is forced at him by situat ions he finds
. .
Estella and Miss Havisham at Satis House w h'1c h 1s a painfu l contra s betwe en his pitiful
..
's extravagance . h' .
cond1t1on to that of Estella
. impe 1s 1m to turn into a snob. Note the
. ,
follow ing Estella s despise of Pip's coarse h an d s th'ic kb oots, then he begin s to look at Satis
. h
h ouse as a super ior ouse.

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 249

Pip driven by snobbery talks of . .

condescending attitude and cont rais_mg Joe to a "higher sphere" which shows
empt with J , •.
_ Joe's visit to London also helps t 0 b . oe s pos1t1on.
ring out p 1· '
embarrassment with Joe and s P s snobbery. Pip's awkward behavior and
ome of Joe' s ac t·ions are a testimony of his snobbish
behavior.
_ Pip tries to cut ties with the forge f .
·t ·
or the idea that 1 · •
to compensate for his shortfall b . is associated with low status, he tries
s Y sending cond escen d'mg presents such as codfish .
barrel of oysters. and

- The language used by Pip is in som .

Joe of Estella as a princ d ~ cases characterised by snobbery. His talk of "raising"
, ess, an himself as a h . k . h
with the Young Pip who had illusion eroic nig t. Thus snobbery is associated
himself blinded by the desire . ary dreams full of fantasy. With blind zeal Pip finds
. , . to wm Estella, thus resulting in the snobbery.
Pip s snobbery 1s brought out to 1 ·t h. h
. s 1g est levels through the promise that hangs in the
air though the mysteriou s be f
. . ne actor. However, the return of Magwitch and the
revelation of Pip's benefactor Magwitch exposes the snobbish behavior.

Coincidence

The story is filled with coincidence. The coincidence centres mainly on Pip and Estella. The
two characters coincidentally become the centre of conflict, the battle ground, and provide
contrasts in their lives to each other. The novel opens with coincidence. Pip's encounter with
Magwitch is by chance. It is the same Magwitch who coincidentally becomes Pip's benefactor.
Pip also encounters Miss Havisham who has adopted Estella who coincidentally is the
daughter of Magwitch . Magwitch who is both Estella's father and Pip's benefactor is
coincidentally linked to Miss Havisham through Compeyson. It is also by sheer coincidence
that Miss Havisham picks on Estella, Magwitch's daughter to be a bait on her revenge mission.
Compeyson who is linked to Magwitch is by coincidence the lover who betrayed Miss
Havisham. Coincidentally Jaggers is Magwitch and Miss Havisham's lawyer. In addition
Herbert who is linked to Pip is in actual fact son to Miss Havisham's brother. Such is the
intricate link of the story. Coincidence helps to show that life is a string of events that are
intricately linked and intertwin ed. Coincidence is also used to bring out suspense in the story.
Part of the coincidence is as a result of the fact that the novel was produced as some serial
presentation that took readers step by step with growing awareness of coincidence until it is
brought as surprise later on in the story. Thus the intrigues and surprises in the story are
partly a product of coincidence.

In terms of themes, there are many themes that need to be explored, some themes that
candidates shou ld explore include revenge, marriage, crime, conflict, betraya l, education ,
love, hate, plight of women, appearance versus rea lity among other points.

Symbolism - Great Expectations is filled with symbols. The Satis house is a symbol of static
th
life, it is associated w it h pa in, sorrow and loss. The depiction and descript ion of e

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 2so

k redundance, neglect and deterioration of life. The clock and

surrounding environment ree s . f the dysfunctional nature of Miss Havisha""
ed suggestive o ,,,,
the watch both deliberately stopp h·nery which once belonged or was used as
t"10 nal of the mac I a
all emphasised by the dysfunc . . h d business of dressing, one shoe symbolical of
. I t et up or unfm1s e
brewery. The mcomp . . ees • of the we dd"mg. The once white dress, the gaunt and
incomplete or unfinished business . d f the potential that did not materialize int
. H . h m a remin er o o
ghostly figure of ~1ss avi~ a a s mbol of betrayal. It is given as a reminder of betrayal
fruition. The wedding cake is also y h" h The keeping of the cake as it is _ a
· when hope was 1g . n
and disappointment at a time Id have been the joy of fulfillment, but however the
attempt to remind the reade~ of whatfcouus and the spiders leading to the idea of rnoral
cake seems to be linked with th e ung .
.
perversion and corruption that stems ro f m Miss Havisham's hfe. Her
. attempt to keep
. life
. .in society-
stagnant has produced vice . an ger, hate , insensitivity are vices that she has instilled
in Estella.

Dickens' characters are also sym boI.1cal• Jaggers is symbolic of .the legal system
. that is
.
mechanical, . . p·1p an d Magwitch are symbols of the
cold and rigid. . inherent . potential of self
.
. through love an d sacn·f·ce
redemption 1 • Miss Havisham is symbolical of the inherent potential
· d th ro ugh the recurrent "no hea rt" and " heart of stone" expressions
to destroy emp has1ze
associated with Estella.

Thames, river also operates on a symbolical level. In the beginning of t he novel, it brings a
sense of fear and foreboding - a threat to Pip, later on it is associated with corruption and
crime because Magwitch comes from it. The river also drowns Compeyson . Th us it carries
elements of being life threatening, liberating, regenerative and tra nsform ative . Having passed
through the river, Magwitch comes back a transformed man.

The story is given as a flashback and an introspection by the Old Pip, who is now old, but now
looks back into events in the past. The story is not told as it occurs, but is to ld many years
later when Pip is able to look back and reflect on the past, comment and sometimes describe
events as they took place with a detached or distant stance.

Juxtaposition and contrast are also key pillars of the presentation. In the novel both Estella
and Pip are adopted. Estella is adopted by Miss Havisham while Pip is adopted by M agwitch.
In addition both Pip and Estella find themselves being used as baits in va rious ways. Est ella is
used as a bait to revenge against men by Miss Havisham who has been betrayed by
Compeyson while Pip is used as a bait to reve nge on Magwitch's fa ilures. At least M agwitch's
revenge mission is to produced a gentleman out of Pip while on co nt rast Miss Havisham's
action ironically destroys Este lla. In add ition co nt rast is seen when both Pip and Joe suffer at
the hands of Mrs. Joe. Estella's cruel, co ldness, inco nsiderate, blunt and condescending
attit ude provides a co ntrast with Biddy who is warm, loving, affectionate and co nsiderate .

Humour

Great Expectations is comic by nature. Issues brought out are serious issues t hat are toned
th
down through e use of humour. The novel opens with humourous presentation of

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 251
intimidation and fear in th 1.f
e I e of p·
the convict and the way h Ip. The descript·
ow the . •on of Pip b ·
presentations in the novel . convict pronoun emg turned upside down by
· Dicke , ces words a
characters and their action p· ns humour is al . re some of the humourous
s. ip's so given th h
Pumblechook humourousl snobbish behavior is fll d roug the presentation of
There is also humourous r; regards himself as the fo~ ed with b~~h humour and sympathy.
erence to th n er of Pip s fortunes (ch t 2 )
"abject hypocrite" - II · e epithets "d st ap er 8 ·
. a given through e . ete ed seedsman", "fearful imposter"
also given through other cha xaggerat1on that helps t O h '
racters such create umour. Humour is
Joe though a hard and rigid woman th as Mrs. Pocket, Mrs. Wemmick and Wopble. Mrs.
rt1e. She spea ks O f 11formal crammi ' ere are tirn es when she is on the lighthearted side of
t I
use or examp e use of words such a " . .
ng and bustin "
g . Humour is also hinted through language
" • r'' J . clad in "penitent" s,, vicariously" ·
on v1ca • _oe 1s • • - gomg to church "vicariously", thus a pun
. . 1
ia s which is sugg t· . f .
& t es 1ve o penitence, there is also constant
re,erence o Pip bemg brought b
up Y hand - a h .
hard way. Humour is associated . h umorous reminder of being brought up the
wit both exa ·
Expectations. ggeration and the use of witty language in Great

Characters

The major characters in Great E . . .

"dd M . h xpectations are Pip, Estella, Miss Havisham, Joe, Mrs. Joe
BI y, agw1tc 'Jaggers Wern . k d ,
. , mic an Herbert while the rest may be considered as minor
characters. It 1s however im rt
. _ po ant to analyse all characters whether major or minor.
C~~racter traits.should be drawn for all the characters. Anthony Mortimer (1996) makes a
critical o~servation concerning Dickens' characters that though vivid and memorable they lack
complexity and psychological depth. E.M. Forster's analysis of Dickens characters revealed
that Dickens' characters were basically flat.

Pip

Loving, affectionate - his love for Estella is steadfast. Snobbish and condescending - his
looking down upon Joe and his setup or original place of growth/ growing up after encounter
with the Satis House, imaginative and foresighted shown by attempt to educate himself and
invent a story. He is also ambitious to become a gentleman. Benevolent as shown by his
generosity of helping Herbert with his own money. There is contrast between the young
shadowy, frail, timid and frightened Pip to the old Peoplei who an~ obse_rvant, discerning and
insightful. Earlier on the young Pip's decisions are driven by pas~ion fo-r E; tefla as such they
I • ' •

become clouded and irrational. Later on the decisions are viewed from a rational and
objective view resulting in the reader winning the sympathy of the young Pip .
•

Miss Havisham

Cold, ruth less, heartless as she suffers from obsessive and maniaca l h_atred that puts her on a
revenge m ission that uses Est~lla as a ba it. She is vengeful and unforgiving. Her betrayal by

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 '.
, .'

Compeyson has to be paid for by all men. Estella becomes an Instr 11men1 lo l tH'rni•nl nil ,w, 11
who are loving and affectionate. Miss Havisham is melodr,rnrnttc 111 her .1ctlo11s and nmnn(,,
of speaking. The presentation of life that has stopped because of a sl11gle e Vf' lll of bc-tr,1ynl t>I
one person reveals Miss Havisham as egoistic, selfish and inco11sldernte . She Is lnconsldmt1t~
for both Estella and Pip. It is ironic that her adoption of Estella Is drivPn by l'hc· motlv,, t<1
destroy rather than build. In the end such a character should not be iJ llowed to llvt~, tlHI!. hrr
death is inevitable and desirable to weed society of such characters. It Is quite shocking lo
note that Miss Havisham directly confesses that she had removed Estella's hell rt ,me.I ropl t,ccd
it with ice which is stony cold.

Is naughty, capricious , condenscending, inconsiderate, cold, ruthless, heartless, Insensitiv e.

Estella is a product of Miss Havisham who brings her up in a mechanical way with the Intention
of destroying human feelings. The cold hearted nature, ruthlessness and the insensitivity of
Estella is shown through her encounter with Pip - she proves to be cold, rigid and unfeeling
as a result of the heart of stone that is a creation of Estella. She is a victim of Miss Havis ham
and also in the end a victim to Drumle's violence. Thus througho ut her life she finds herself
vulnerable. She confesses that she has been made to be what she is "I must be taken as I have
been made" (chapter 38). This is a sympathetic appeal for human consideration and feeling .
There is need for human companionship that Miss Havisham has denied and destroyed In
Estella. Estella is honest and blunt to tell Pip that she has no heart. It is her sincere truth
which however is painful to both Pip and the reader. In the end, both Pip and the reader are
betrayed by an end that leaves Estella trapped. The end to Estella's plight is not convincing to
the reader.

Magwitch

Magwitch at first appears to be violent inconsiderate, unsympa thetic, authorita tive and
domineering, but deep down he is shown to be weak, vulnerabl e and loving. At first his
appearance is depicted in some beastly or animal like bringing out cruelty, but as the story
unfolds, appearances are cast aside to reveal a gentlema n who is benevole nt, loving and
considerate. There is an element of penitence, sacrifice and redempti ve stance that gives
Magwitcfl. t)Qr11ar, ft¥!_1in~~s.~ontr~sted to Miss Havisham and Jaggers. Magwitch has shown
love for hf~ ilattl~~ Ilb- ~ltction and gratitude towards Molly and Pip. The fortune he

., \,~
has made in Austr, il ir af5~ ~- e'stimony of the potential to redeem self.
♦

•
Jaggers

He is shrewd, calculative, discerning, ruthless, exacting and taciturn. Jaggers is perceived

through his Legal office which is characterised by mechanical, rigorous drills that show no
He
human sy mpathy. He puts the letter of the law as the key issue at the expense of justice.

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is evasive - he esca pes r .
b Or espons1bility b .
sym ,cal gesture of his self ex 0 Yhis gesture of consta ntly washing of his hands - a
h. t O b · · · nerar10
1m e msens1t 1ve, unscrupul n from under dealings though ironically it proves
. ous and
extensio n of Jaggers, he is al an escapist. Wemmick seems also t o be an
. so shrewd
affectio nate and conside rate h , cold, faciturn though at home he is loving
s own b h· ,
Jaggers and Wemmi ck are a Y is relationship with the "Aged Parent". Thus both
product of th
visage in a corrupt world. h. e legal system that demands a rigid and strict
In W ICh O h
ne as to survive.

~ JANE EYRE
Charlotte Bronte
was born
Charlo tte Bronte was born in a family of six to Patrick and Maria Bronte. She
and the
in Yorksh ire in the year 1816. Her siblings were Maria, Elizabeth, Emily, Anne
falling
only brothe r Branwe ll. Charlot te experienced the pain of seeing all her siblings
and
prey to the jaws of death. By 1854, she was the only surviving child of Patrick
ion at a
Maria. Charlo tte was fortuna te enough to receive good guidance and instruct
that
boardin g school. The "Lowoo d" experience in Jane Eyre seems to draw from
then a
encoun ter. For several years from 1835, she worked as a teacher and
governe ss. Her main interest was in language. In 1854, she married Reverend
writer
Nicholls . In 1855, her life came to an end. Charlot te was a great poet and
whose work has remain ed influent ial even up to the present.

is
Saintsbury in A Short History of the English Novel shows how personal experience
part of Bronte' s story.

·tI Ch arIo tt e Bronte could never get beyond .her persona;! experience. The
It seems as
, y part of Jane Eyre is merely a half vindictiv e record of
charact er and the Iess d re am
her sufferin g as a school girl and a governess.
. h brief history of aronte's· life which will help the reader to
Thus it is essenti al to ave a "~

underst and the novel better. / . ~~,.~~ = E

. ..BD9'C. MK 1G
tRU
Jane Eyre - a novel OA1E -~~·~~~:,
•.- ---
Backgro und and setting
and intertwi ned to bring to light a st ory of a lonely
• e blen d ed
Character an d action ar b in contro l of her life. Jane Eyre reveals courage,
. h world to e . I da
.
girl who struggles in t e h atened to cut short her freedom . Faith P aye
that t re
endurance again st forces
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