远大前程GreatExpectations.doc

Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
Setting: London, England, 1800s
Background Information:
Pip lives with his very strict, martinet older sister, Mrs. Joe, and her husband, Joe Gargery. Mrs. Joe is abusive and is the dominant force in the household, having raised Pip "by hand." Joe is a kind and caring role model for Pip, whose parents died right after his birth. Pip ventures to the churchyard to visit their graves often. This very place is where this classic tale unfolds.
Characters:
Pip (Philip Pirrip) - narrator. His ambition is to better himself socially. However, in doing this, he rejects many of his closest friends in order to achieve his goals. His devotes most of his life pursuing Estella.
Estella Havisham - adopted daughter of Miss Havisham. She was brought up on Miss Havisham's desire to get revenge on men. She is condescending despite her beauty.
Miss Havisham - an eccentric old lady who lives in seclusion with her adopted daughter, Estella. She was deserted on her wedding day, and then made it her goal in life to get revenge on men. She lives in the past, wearing her yellowing wedding dress. All the clocks in her estate are stopped on the minute she found out her fiancee left her.
Joe Gargery - Pip's brother-in-law. He's a gentle giant who is Pip's best friend and father figure. He is a hard worker and a very moral man.
Abel Magwitch - the first convict that Pip encounters in the graveyard. With Pip's help, he escapes and later repays Pip by becoming his benefactor.
Mrs. Joe - Pip's older sister. She raised Pip "by hand" using the "tickler."
Herbert Pocket - the "pale, young gentleman" who becomes a close friend of Pip's.
Mr. Jaggers - lawyer who defends Magwitch. Magwitch orders him to keep track of Pip's finances. Jaggers serves as Pip's guardian.
Plot Summary:
Pip lives with his older sister and her husband. One day, while visiting his parents' grave, Pip encounters a convict, Magwitch, who he helps escape by providing him with a file and food. Pip is hired as a playmate for Miss Havisham's adopted daughter, Estella, who he falls in love with. Pip finds out that he has a benefactor and assumes that it is Miss Havisham. He moves to the city of London with great expectations of increasing his social status. During this metamorphosis, Pip neglects his friendships with Biddy and Joe.
As time passes, Pip meets his true benefactor, Magwitch, who made a fortune after being exiled from England. Magwitch wanted to repay Pip for helping him escape earlier in the novel. Pip in return for the large fortune must keep Magwitch in hiding near a river, since he is forbidden in England. Pip learns that Estella, who he has long obsessed over, has married Bentley Drummle. Suddenly, Miss Havisham's estate goes on fire, and Pip courageously saves Miss Havisham. It is then revealed that Magwitch is Estella's father. In an attempt to flee, Magwitch is caught, but dies before his conviction. Pip falls ill, and is nursed back to health by Joe, who marries Biddy after the death of Mrs. Joe. It is also revealed that Estella is educated by suffering, and the two go off on their separate ways.
Sub-Plots:
Pip's obsession with Estella controls his life, actions, and ambitions.
Pip's rescuing of Magwitch from the river.
The instance with Molly and Jaggers. Molly is Jagger's lowly housemaid, yet she is the real mother of Estella. Magwitch is the real father.
Possible Themes:
1) Gratitude - Pip does not show gratitude towards Joe.
2) Suffering - Miss Havisham suffers from having lived her entire life in the past
3) Obsession - Pip is obsessed with Estella.
4) Prejudice - Estella resents Pip for not being refined. Pip is appalled by Magwitch's appearance and behavior.
5) Greed - Pip only wants to heighten his social and economic status.
6) Envy - Pip envies Estella's wealth and social status.
7) Loneliness - Pip often visits the graveyard where his parents are buried.
Key Issues:
Envy: Pip envies Estella for her social position and wealth. He is jealous that she takes her wealth for granted, as she lives with the money that he longs for. His "great expectation" in life is to achieve a higher standard of living, while cruel, heartless Estella was born into it. This envy of Estella's wealth stays with Pip as he grows into a man, hidden in the back of his mind.
Gratitude: Joe Gargery was Pip's greatest friend, yet Pip took him for granted. He did not show any signs of gratitude for Joe's constant friendship. Towards the end of the novel, Joe was the one who nursed Pip back to health. Ultimately, Pip realizes the trueness of his friendship with Joe, and eventually shows him the gratitude he deserves.
Prejudice: Estella immediately looked down on Pip upon seeing how coarse his hands and boots were. Because of his poor social status, she did not accept him as an equal. Rather than seeing him as a playmate (or a possible future husband), Estella saw Pip as a victim for her cruelty.
In Pip's adulthood, he was prejudiced against Magwitch for being so grimy and brutish. He was both appalled and embarrassed by the man who had given him his fortune.
Maturity of Relationships: Pip ultimately matures when he takes care of Magwitch after the accident at the river. He discovers the importance and the goodness of what Magwitch had done for him. The relationship between Magwitch and Pip grows due to the Pip's maturity. The relationship between Pip and Joe also develops once Pip realizes how valuable of a friend Joe is.
Morals and Life Applications:
Great Expectations encompasses almost every aspect of the human condition. From this novel, one learns that true friendship is worth much more than material possessions. Wealth and social status does not necessarily guarantee happiness. In life, it is sometimes necessary to sacrifice one's illusions or fantasies to discover one's own inner worth.
As displayed by the character of Miss Havisham, it is foolish to live in the past, because it is a selfish act. Not only did she harm herself, but Estella and Pip as well. In the end, Pip discovers that wealth and social position can be corrupting to a person's morality. Ulitmately, Pip realized that he had to sacrifice his great expectations in order to preserve his morality and inner worth.