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Unit 16: Great Expectations: Characterization and Ending of the Play

endear him to the reader much more than mere incidents or descriptions that describe him to Notes
be soft hearted.
A novel with a vast range of subject and incident like that in Great Expectations has to be
written carefully, paying great attention to unity and detail. Of all Dickens’ works, this one
is generally thought to be the best. The fine tapestry of the novel is woven with vivid scenes
of London as well as misty recollections of the marshlands. The haunted stagnancy of Satis
House is an ever-present character in and of itself. In the midst of all this graphic description
and palpable action, there is also an internal transformation taking place, one in which Pip
learns to appreciate his true self and position in society. The varied texture of the novel in all
these aspects sustains and maintains the interest of the reader, highlighting the completely
balanced style of Dickens as a master craftsman.

16.3 Summary

• Some of the major themes of Great Expectations are crime, social class, empire and

ambition.
• As a bildungsroman, Great Expectations presents the growth and development of a
single character, Philip Pirrip, better known to himself and to the world as Pip.
• Estella is a supremely ironic creation, one who darkly undermines the notion of romantic
love and serves as a bitter criticism against the class system in which she is mired.
• The moral theme of Great Expectations is quite simple: affection, loyalty, and conscience
are more important than social advancement, wealth, and class.
• Dickens has shaped Great Expectations on the lines of the Bildungsroman genre, which
closely follows the inner growth of a protagonist from his childhood to middle age.

16.4 Keywords

Arrogance : having an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance.
Dignity : the state of quality of being worthy of honour.
Esteem : respect and admire.
Supplant : replace.

16.5 Review Questions

1. Several of character names are a symbolic reflection of their personality. Make a list of
them and explain the appropriatness of their names.
2. Many of the characters other than Pip have their own expectations as well. Discuss both
Herbert Pocket and Pip’s expectations. Compare and contrast.
3. Discuss the alternative endings to the novel?

Answers: Self Assessment

1. False 2. True
3. False 4. True
5. True

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