Great Expectations as Social Commentary Essay - 2177 Words

Great Expectations as Social Commentary During the nineteenth century, British society was dominated and ruled by a tightly woven system of class distinctions. Social relations and acceptance were based upon position. Charles Dickens utilizes Great Expectations as a commentary on the system of class and each persons place within it. In the character of Pip, Dickens demonstrates the working class obsession to overthrow their limitations and re-invent new lives. Dickens also uses Pip and various other characters to show that escape from ones origins is never possible, and attempting to do so only creates confusion and suffering. Ultimately Dickens shows that trying to overthrow ones social rank is never possible;†¦show more content†¦Dickens heroes . . . have never experienced this perfect security. Each becomes aware of himself as isolated from all that is out-side of himself. (251) As an orphan, Pip must search for and define his own condition. The beginning of the novel is therefore the starting point of Pips quest to find his place in life. As the narrator of his own story he tells us of his need to become someone else, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip (23; ch. 1). By re-naming himself, Pip is also trying to overthrow his limitations. The means by which he can do this arrives with the presence of Magwitch. Magwitch, a convict, appears like a ghost rising up from the grave. He seizes Pip, threatens to kill him, holds him upside down, and forces Pip to steal food and a file for him. Pip returns home to procure the items that Magwitch has demanded. Feeling compassion for Magwitch, who he last saw clasping himself, as if to hold himself together (27; ch. 1) from the cold; Pip also steals a bottle of brandy. The following morning he returns and gives them to Magwitch. The convict is forever grateful to Pip for bringing him the items. Years later, he becomes the silent benefactor of Pip, giving his boy the chance to become a gentleman. The graveyard scene is an important moment in the novel. While heldShow MoreRelatedEssay on Dickens Social Commentary in Great Expectations1882 Words   |  8 PagesDickens Social Commentary in Great Expectations  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Charles Dickens Great Expectations stands as one of the most highly revered works in all of English literature. The novels perennial appeal lies in its penetrating depictions of character, rich panoramas of social milieu, and implicit crusades against social evils.1 Dickens used the growth of his characters in Great Expectations, particularly Pip, in relation to others to write about social reform, and most effectively illustratedRead MoreBook Review- One Crazy Summer870 Words   |  4 Pages but to do in a way that is comfortable for readers in this age group. 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