Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Some years ago, I read Great Expectations in an abridged form with my fourth-grader, and we watched an old film version of it.  But I had forgotten about that until I had opened my copy of Great Expectations for Fanda’s February Birthday Celebration.  The first scene came back to me again, and I remembered that I was familiar with the story.  Of course, this time I had to read it with completely different discernment.  

Social Classes

What I love about Dickens is that he fills his stories with concepts that are important and replicate human nature.  For example, he reflects on the impropriety of societal classes by demonstrating that a man can be a gentleman through his goodness and virtue, just as a man of noble birth can be a scoundrel.

Wealth

Another theme is wealth: In many cases, wealth made people absolutely miserable, including Pip, while those who made an honest living were quite content with their lives, such as Joe, Biddy, and Herbert.

Pip and Estella - Charles Green, 1897

Expectation of Love

I also like the idea of the expectation of love.  Pip had many expectations in his life, especially concerning Estella; but he did not know her at all and continued to dwell on her, even as she crudely mistreated him.  He expected her to be something he created in his mind, which she was not.  The expectation of love is a presumption of an idea without any reasonable understanding of that person.  The person, then, is only a creation, and the love is not true.

Forgiveness

Finally, a very important idea in the story is forgiveness or redemption.  One of the most likable characters is Joe, Pip’s brother-in-law, who cared for Pip as a son.  He was loyal to Pip to the end, even when Pip shunned him.  Pip’s guilty conscience allowed him to ask Joe for forgiveness.  Pip also rejected his benefactor after discovering that a criminal  provided his wealth; but he redeemed himself by caring for “his convict” and loving him as a father. 

Miss Havisham also sought Pip’s forgiveness, once she realized that her plan to avenge her own pain had only caused more pain in others.  And finally, Estella, who was burdened by her own bad relationship with someone else, learned through her suffering that she had hurt Pip.  She also sought his forgiveness. 

Pip and Miss Havisham - F.A. Fraser, 1877

My Expectations

With anticipation, I looked forward to embracing another Dickens novel; but regretfully, I admit, this is not going to be remembered as one of my favorites.  However, I still whole-heartedly appreciate Dickens’ exceptional ability to cultivate characters, although they may seem unrealistic or unbelievable.   And I especially love his earnest setting of essential qualities that make people human - that we are sometimes selfishly expectant; guilty of unkindness; need to seek forgiveness; need to be willing to forgive others; need redemption; and need to love and be loved by others.