Great Expectations

Written By:
Charles Dicken
Setting:
Cantt and London
Period:
Early 19 Century and Mid 19 Century
Characters:
Pip
Mrs.Joe Gargery
Mr.Joe Gargery
Prisoner(Abel Magwitch)
Prisoner(Compeyson)
Miss Havisham
Pip’s Uncle (Mr.Pumblechook)
Estella
Orlick
Biddy
Lawyer (Mr.Jaggers)
Mathew Pocket
Mathew’s son(Herbert Pocket)
Bentley Drummle
Maids (Molly)
A classic novel, written by Charles Dicken in the early or mid-19th
Century. It is a first-person narrative, a story told by Pip.
The story revolves around the boy, Pip, and his many expectations.
Pip is a poor orphan boy who lives with his short-tempered sister and
his husband. One night he helped a prisoner by getting food for him
and a tool to cut his derbies. The prisoner thanks him a lot and in return
for this he pays all the expenses for Pip’s studies, he was happy in
having this opportunity because he also wanted to study and make
himself independent so that he can marry Estella, a beautiful young girl
whom he loved a lot from when he started working for Miss. Havisham,
an old lady who adopted Estella as her daughter. Pip started hating
being a poor bad boy as Estella thought of him as a poor blacksmith
and that’s why doesn’t like him. So, he was so happy at getting this
opportunity and start building Expectations that he will become
successful and marry Estella, his friend Biddy loves him, but she also
knew that he loves Estella, but she was still always supportive of him.
After starting his studies his habits quite changed, he was not wise in
spending money and was merged in loans during his time in London
Estella married someone else and his sister also died he was changed
and didn’t show any stress or like he is concerned with anyone. After
his sister’s death, he learned that the prison was the one paying all his
expenses and that Estella was the daughter of the prisoner and lawyer’s
maid, which means that Estella was not also a rich girl.
So, he left London and came back and decided to marry Biddy, but she
married his brother-in-law Joe hence all his expectations started
scattering and, in the end, he was left with nothing, he expected many
things, but the reality got something else. His for studying and
becoming a rich person and marrying Estella then marrying Biddy were
all to an end he was left with nothing and nothing to lose, so he decided
to move abroad and work as a merchant with his friend, Herbert Pocket.
After 11 years of living and working abroad, he came back and saw
Estella who was now totally changed and free of conceits and hatred,
her husband had died and now she has no one with her, so he asked him
whether has loved her or not and that story got a happy ending here that
they met finally but the writer says:
“What is the use of flowers……. when spring is over”
As a result, this book discusses a variety of topics, including how to be
more kind and how to be harsher until one gets beyond a particularly
trying time in their life. I wholeheartedly concur with the author's
viewpoint and the central thesis of this book, which is that while man
expects great things, reality often disappoints him. I believe that most
of the time, like with Pip, we fall short of our expectations. It is
emotional and discusses how we place more value on people who
withhold from us than on those who do.
Time also plays a significant role in all our concerns. Estella didn't
regard Pip for his affection for her simply because he was a poor
blacksmith, which was also for Estella's own benefit. When we don't
receive what is proper for us at the correct time, we may lose many
significant and respectable people from our life. Pip loses Biddy while
she is ready to wed Estella. We need to value those who look out for
us.
Estella has returned, and Pip is also happy. However, the writer's final
words suggest that Pip is happy but now he is not feeling any love for
her. She has returned when she has nothing, and she now believes that
Pip was a good person whom she should not have seen for money,
status, etc.