PLOT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

Charles Dickens is said to have explored a new ground in his novel,

Great Expectations. The theme of self-knowledge explored in the
novel expresses in part Dickens own search for a sense of self. May
readers and historians have suggested that Pip has a touch of
Dickens in him, making the fictional book feel almost
autobiographical.

Structurally, the novel is a narration by a mature and retrospective

Pip. It is divided into three distinct stages, each labeled as a
specific stage of Pips expectations. In chronological fashion, these
chapters trace Pips progress from industrious obscurity as a child
through willful idleness as an adolescent and young adult, to a
resigned and modest acceptance of his true place in society. This is
an obvious variation on the picaresque theme and carries with it
many of the significant overtones of earlier picaresque novels.

The first stage introduces all the major characters and sets the plot
in motion. Pips situation is developed fully, including the first seeds
of his desire to be uncommon. It leads to the revelation by Mr.
Jaggers, the lawyer, that Pip is to inherit a huge fortune and
become a gentleman. It is something Pip considers as miraculous,
though mysterious, as his patrons identity is not to be revealed for
the time being. Mr. Jaggers only imparts to him that his benefactor
has great expectations from him and so with the support of his
anonymous provider, Pips expectations of himself also rise, and the
action shifts to London.

The second stage of Pips expectations, therefore, has a change of

setting. In this section, Pips development into a gentleman is
explored. It describes the spendthrift and idle way Pip squanders
wealth and what kind of person he has become. On the surface of
things, Pip believes that he is living up to his great expectations. He
also expects to have Estellas hand in marriage. But this stage of his
expectations is brutally shattered when Magwitch discloses his
identity to Pip.

The third stage of Pips expectations explores the complete collapse

of Pips great expectations, which are replaced by a more mature
sense of life and respectability. This section primarily constitutes his
transformation, which has been at the heart of the novel. Such a
pattern of growth, development and re-education reflects the
Bildungsroman tradition of Great Expectations.
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The novel, though divided into these three stages, is further divided
into episodic chapters due to the publication of the novel serially.
Each chapter must necessarily have a complete movement as well
as some sort of trigger that will induce the reader to buy the
magazine the following week in order to see what will happen next.

THEMES - THEME ANALYSIS

Pips great expectations are a dramatized exploration of human
growth and the pressures that distort the potential of an ordinary
individual, especially in the process of growing up. Pip is a simple
blacksmiths boy who aspires to cross social boundaries when he
realizes his own upbringing is common; however, he has no means
to change. Mysteriously, he is given the means, but wealth only
brings with it idleness. He learns that happiness in life can be
achieved only by hard work and that great expectations not
grounded in reality can only lead to tragedy and heartache.

Part of this theme is an exploration of the dignity of labor. Pip

initially feels ashamed to associate himself with Joe but later
realizes that hard work brings honor to a man. As for honor, Pip
realizes the importance of traits like loyalty and kindness, and
eventually understands that no amount of money can make up for
the lack of those traits. Supplementary to this theme is the sharp
juxtaposition of appearance and reality, as well as the traditional
notion that pride comes before a fall. Pip learns valuable lessons
from his misguided assumptions. And his pride causes him to do
things he is later ashamed of. A final thematic consideration is the
belief that goodness is always able to supplant evil, even in
characters like Miss Havisham. Mrs. Joe, Magwitch, Estella, and Pip
are further examples of characters whose inherent goodness is
apparent despite their wrongdoings.

Essentially, it is a novel about contentment and humility, as well as

honor. The thematic notion of great expectations touches on every
aspect of common emotions like pride, ambition, envy, greed, and
arrogance. The lesson Pip learns is that one should never presume
he is better than another. As Joe tells him, it is far better to be
uncommon on the inside than the outside. A persons possessions
do not matter as much as a persons actions.

AUTHOR'S STYLE
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. In many respects, it
contains themes and emotions directly related to the authors
experience. However, the fictional nature of the story allows Pip to
relate incidents and events that are similar to sensitive spots in
Dickens own life without becoming too deeply involved in the
narration himself. For instance, the description of Pips childhood
has some affinity with Dickens own life. Also, Estella seems directly
inspired from Maria Beadwell, a lady whom Dickens loved; Beadwell
snubbed him coldly because of his low social status.

Great Expectations boasts a carefully designed structure in three

emergent stages. The simplicity of childhood memories in stage one
is reflected in the generally direct narrative style. In contrast, the
texture of stage three is much more complex, because as the action
accelerates, substantial information about the histories of Magwitch,
Compeyson, Miss Havisham and Estella are revealed.

Great Expectations is a rich text illustrative of Dickens gift for

realistic and dramatic speech. The author carefully studied the
mannerisms of people and reported them in the depictions of his
characters. Joe is a good example. The speech patterns he uses
characterize him well and endear him to the reader much more than
mere incidents or descriptions that describe him to 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.