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Jinni Du

Great Expectations Quotes: Characters, Relationships,
Themes, Setting, Literary Context
Characters
Miss Havisham
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‘dressed in rich material- satins, lace, silks’ (Ch 8)
 Asyndectic listing shows her material wealth, but she has a ‘broken’ heart,
which suggests wealth doesn’t lead to happiness as one would think
‘the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress, and the flowers,
and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes’ (Ch 8)
 Syndectic listing emphasises Miss H’s lack of personal care (theme of selfdestruction), which Dickens uses this case to suggest that she is both a
villain and the victim, as she is the cause of her own suffering
 Contrast between what she wants to be there- her wedding day- and
what is really there (theme of appearance and reality) emphasises selfdestruction
‘but I saw that everything within my view which ought to be white…was faded
and yellow’ (Ch 8)
 Ironic use of colour symbolism- white is used on a person who is
obsessed with revenge on men
 The symbolism of white, which connotes purity, fading into yellow
reflects a suggested deterioration from purity to impurity
‘She sat, corpse-like… the frillings and trimmings on her bridal dress looking like
earthly paper… she looked as if the admission of natural daylight would have
struck her to dust’
 Semantic field of death and decay (‘corpse-like’) and the vampiric
connotations of ‘natural light… struck her to dust’ suggests her selfdestruction
 Sunlight gives life and happiness, yet she deliberately rejects it: selfdestruction
 The juxtaposition of ‘earthly’ and the fantasy reference to vampires
emphasises the horror of her appearance
 Dickens introduces Miss Havisham in a way that highlights her villainous
appearance
‘utter loneliness’ (Ch 49)
 Pip’s older voice notices this, causing the reader to empathise with her

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‘What have I done! What have I done! What have I done!’ (Ch 49)
 Self-realisation emphasised with the repetition of these exclamationstypical of bildungsromans
 Miss H looses all of her usual linguistic sophistication and eloquence,
which is evidence of her great change of emotional state
‘dropped to her knees at my feet, with her folded hands raised to me’ (Ch 49)
 Lowers herself to a position of submission, vulnerability and gratitude
 Dickens uses this to symbolise that she’s emotionally broken and ‘not all
stone’
 We are left with the more sympathetic view of Miss H as the last scene
depicts her as both emotionally and physically fragile
Pip’s prompt forgiveness redeems the majority of her wrongdoings at the end of
the novel, although Estella’s forgiveness of her is never explicitly revealed,
leaving ambiguity about whether she was fully redeemed or not
Throughout the novel, the reader discovers that it was Compeyson is the person
who caused her to act as she does, as he broke her heart the day he jilted herMiss H is the victim of his deception (Appearance v reality)
‘I saw her running at me, shrieking with a whirl of fire blazing around her’ (Ch 49)
 Active verbs (‘running’; ‘shrieking’; ‘blazing’) vividly depicts her spiritual
cleansing, as fire was commonly associated with that
 However, it is ambiguous as fire also has negative connotations, and it
could be interpreted that being set on fire was her punishment
‘corpse-like’ (Ch 8) ‘faded spectre in the chair’ (Ch 17)
 The change from a weaker descriptive simile to a strong and vivid
metaphorical supernatural comparison gives the reader a strong image
and impression of Miss H’s deterioration (theme of self-destruction)

Pip
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‘I was a blacksmith's boy but yesterday; I am—what shall I say I am—to-day?’
 The younger Pip values what he is rather than what he does, which
Dickens uses to mock how society only values the status of people, rather
than their qualities and actions
 ‘It would have been cruel in Miss Havisham to practise on the susceptibility of a
poor boy
...
I am going to try to get the place of mistress in the new
school nearly finished here…’ (Ch 35)
 Biddy is the epitome of Dickens’ ideas of modest ambitions; her
determination (as shown through the imperative ‘I’ll tell you’) proves to
be an admirable trait
 Biddy’s burning ambition here conveys her resilient and optimistic nature
overcoming her working-class nurture
 Dickens shows admiration for those who work towards their realistic
expectations by portraying them more favourably in Biddy
 These ‘self help’ aspects were a popular concept in the 19 th Century
‘I hope I can be industrious, and patient, and teach myself while I teach others’
(Ch 35)
 Syndectic listing of Biddy’s positive ambitions shows her kind nature as
she is not only focussed on her own future, but also on helping others

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Magwitch
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‘A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied around his
head
...
Also suggests Magwitch is passive to the damage he has
endured- he is impartial as all the violent actions are being done to him,
rather than done by him- Dickens exploits the punishment of criminals
through Magwitch as it treats him brutally and makes him look even
more like a criminal

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This juxtaposition begins to give ambiguity about whether Magwitch is a
violent criminal or a vulnerable victim of the legal system and societysomething that Dickens explores throughout the novel
Shows how Magwitch has been physically influenced by his environment

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Jaggers
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‘burly man of an exceedingly dark complexion…exceedingly large head, and a
correspondingly large hand… his eyes were disagreeably sharp and suspicious’
(Ch 11)
 Dickens caricaturises the description of Jaggers- he has an ‘exceedingly
large head’ and ‘correspondingly large hand’- in order to give a satirical
and exaggerated representation of ‘shady’ lawyers (as suggested with his
‘exceedingly dark complexion’) in Victorian society
 Exaggeration of his appearance emphasised with the repetition of
‘exceedingly’ and the syndectic listing vividly describes his features
 Dickens mocks lawyers by reflecting Jagger’s personality in his
appearance: ‘disagreeably sharp and suspicious’ suggests Dickens viewed
lawyers to have a distrusting nature- Jaggers is the only lawyer in the
novel
 Emphasis of ‘large head’ suggests Jaggers’ lack of emotions as a character;
he values rationality above compassion and emotion
 The repetition of ‘large’ links to Jaggers’ arrogance, as he is so sure of his
own reputation that he never locks his own home and openly wears his
large and expensive watch-chain, and dares the criminals of London to
rob him- which they never do, such is his fearsome reputation
 ‘burly’ is indicative of his physical dominance and size, and reflects his
aggressive and intimidating approach to his profession and also suggests
the corruption of law and London life
Jaggers described to be constantly washing his hands
 He is ‘decontaminating’ himself from the people he works for and from
the actions he has done- suggests guilt
Jaggers is only interested in Drummle when he invites Pip and his ‘gang’ to dine
with him, suggesting the corruption of law as they are interested in those who
can bring them wealth, even if they are corrupt and disagreeable, like Drummle

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Pumblechook

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‘large, hard-breathing, middle aged, slow man, with a mouth like a fish, dull
staring eyes…’ (Ch 4)
 Dickens sets an impression with the asyndectic listing of these vivid
adjectives that Uncle Pumblechook is physically repulsive, stupid and
ridiculous- all of which is reflected in his character
 In this case, appearance reflects reality
 Pumblechook is made into a memorable character with this humorous
description

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Wemmick
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His ‘mechanical’ smile when at work vs his genuine love for ‘the Aged’
His character changes in different environments
‘My own Jack Of All Trades’- Wemmick does his own work and does not rely on
others
‘Walworth sentiments’ help Pip
He and M both work in the same place but he is a more empathetic person
 Dickens uses this to show how people can be differently influenced by
the same environment

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Molly
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Her desire for revenge on Magwitch’s supposed lover caused her to become a
violent murderess
Her ‘powerful wrists’ symbolise how her vengefulness turned her into a
murderer
 Dickens uses this to exploit the power of revenge

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Herbert
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‘wonderfully hopeful’ with ‘a natural incapacity to do anything secretive or mean’
 Shows Herbert’s kind nature (‘natural incapacity’) and alienates Herbert
from bad behaviour
 Contrasts with Drummle, who is ‘heavy, idle, proud, niggardly reserved…’
Herbert’s humble but admirable expectations are based on saving enough
money to invest in a business, which is presented to be an example of positive
expectations by Dickens

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Compeyson
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Theme of appearance and reality- Compeyson appears to love Miss H but in
reality he is just using her for her money

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Drummle
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‘sulky fellow’ who is ‘heavy, idle, proud, niggardly reserved and suspicious’
 The asyndectic listing of all of Drummle’s faults emphasises his bad
character
Comes from ‘rich people’
 The use of ‘people’ instead of ‘family’ or ‘parents’ shows the alienation
and the lack of familial love in Drummle’s wealthy family, suggesting
Dickens’ view that money cannot make up for love
 Drummle’s expectations is to live purely for his own comfort and pleasure
without regard for others, which contrasts greatly with Herbert
 Dickens makes it clear that, although society would view Drummle as the
gentleman and Herbert as something less because he works for a living, it
is Herbert who has the better characteristics of a gentle man

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Relationships
Pip & Joe
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‘I always treated him as a larger species of child, and as no more than my equal’
(Ch1)
 Pip & Joe are peers; Joe’s uneducated
 Joe is not the stereotypical the authoritative figure and the superior here
‘We were equals afterwards, as we had been before… but I had a new sensation
of… looking up to Joe in my heart’ (Ch 7)
 Pip’s attitude changes
 Pip has a paternal figure now; he can look up to him
 Theme of education- emotional education
‘We wouldn’t have you starved to death for it…would us, Pip?’ (Ch 5)
 Joe thinks of Pip as equal- he believes they think the same way
 Example of how Joe has a positive influence on Pip

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 Theme of education and nurture
‘Joe and I being fellow sufferers’ (Ch 2 pg 8)
 Unusual bond between the two- Pip sees Joe as support
 Would expect Pip and Mrs Joe to be closer (related by blood)
‘Ever the best of friends; ‘ant us Pip? Don’t cry old chap!’ (Ch 7)
 This is a very emotional and tender moment between Pip and Joe, and
shows Joe’s unconditional love for Pip (‘ever’)
When Joe pays off Pip’s debt, Pip becomes both financially and emotionally
indebted to Joe- he loved Pip unconditionally but Pip did not repay his love and
instead was embarrassed by him
...
Joe
...
you may be genteel’, Dickens
mocks society’s values and irrational definitions and classifications of
people into different ranks and classes

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Isolation
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Satis house and Miss H’s ‘utter loneliness’

Self-destruction
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Pip becomes more and more in debt, which is a result of his ‘lavish habits’- he is
self-destructive
 His debt is also suggested to be metaphorical, as he is shown to be
emotionally indebted to Joe and Biddy, as they are the only 2 people
who have loved him unconditionally, but he does not repay them but
instead feels embarrassed by them and rejects them
 In this way, Dickens suggests he is also emotionally self-destructive as he
is also emotionally ‘in debt’

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Revenge
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Miss H is the embodiment of how her drive for revenge turned into an obsession
that caused both self-destruction and the destruction of others (eg Estella/Pip)

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Miss H and Molly are parallel characters in the sense that they are both used as
parodies of Victorian motherhood- they show how revenge can affect those
both of high social status and low social status
Dickens is ambiguous whether he thinks it’s higher social status that decides
how you’re influenced by revenge or if it’s you’re nature- is Miss H ruining E’s
life and breaking Pip’s heart worse than Molly killing another woman?

Appearance vs Reality
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‘I thought of the beautiful Estella
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Dickens describes his upbringing to be in a poor
environment but he is morally superior to other characters in the novel who are
of high class and are considered to be ‘gentlemen’, such as Drummle
 Dickens shows that great expectations, wealth and a high social class are
not what makes a true gentleman- it is the moral worth of a person that
makes them the gentleman
Pip’s goal is to become a gentleman, but Dickens never defines what a
‘gentleman’ really is- it is a vague concept that Pip strives for, but it becomes
clear that as Pip matures, his values and definition of gentlemen turns from a
man of wealth and property to a man of morals and personal value

Corruption of Wealth
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‘My lavish habits led his [Herbert’s] easy nature into expenses he could not
afford, corrupted his simplicity of life, and disturbed his peace with anxieties and
regrets’ (Ch 34)
 Juxtaposition of ‘anxieties’, ‘corrupted’ and ‘disturbed’ with Herbert’s
good qualities of an ‘easy nature’, ‘peace’ and ‘simplicity’ shows the
destructive and corrosive impact of wealth can have on a character

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Narrator Pip shows his deep regret for badly influencing Herbert- shows
the closeness of their friendship
‘If I could have kept him away with paying money, I certainly would have paid
money’
 Although Joe has shown him so much unconditional love, Pip’s wealth
has caused him to develop such a cold and harsh approach to Joe’s love
 Dickens uses this to suggest Pip’s character is not strong enough to
overcome the corruption that comes with wealth

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Love & Hate
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Dickens depicts a ‘good’ kind of love and a ‘bad’ kind
Miss H is blinded by her love for Compeyson and then her love for E becomes an
obsession- both ‘bad’ and destructive kinds of love
Joe and Biddy love Pip unconditionally and forgive him- ‘good’ love
Pip’s ‘love’ for Estella seems questionable, as in most occasions it seems either
like a fairytale (he sees himself as ‘the Knight of romance’ who’ll ‘marry the
Princess’ [satirical]) or like an infatuation (‘she had taken such strong possession
of me’ [supernatural])
...
But Compeyson, who was born a
gentleman, is depicted to be an evil minded person who swindles Miss
Havisham of all her money with false promises of marrying her
...
Joe and Biddy’s humble expectations also give them the most
happiness- at the end of the novel, they are happily married and have a child
 ‘I began fully to know how wrecked I was, and how the ship in which I had sailed
was gone to pieces’
 Here the connection between those ships that Pip used to watch on the
marshes at home those many years ago and his current circumstances
can be seen
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little state parlour which was never uncovered at any
other time
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Some of the
windows were walled up…a courtyard in the front was barred’ (Ch 8)
 Sense of entrapment in a wealthy mansion, in gothic and worn down
environment; links wealth to loneliness and decay
 Satis House is used as a symbol of the corrosive and decaying effects of
wealth
 Shows how Miss H’s self-destructive nature is reflected on her
environment (character v environment theme)
 The ironic juxtaposition of ‘Satis House’, which implicates satisfaction,
and the ruins of the house reflects how Miss H turned a house from
somewhere prosperous to a ruin, just as its name has deteriorated from
symbolic to ironic
‘ivy creeping…up the walls’

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Symbolic of Miss H’s self-destruction, as ivy slowly destroys the
foundations it grows on, shows character’s influence on environment
 Gothic
 Present participle ‘creeping’ suggests the continuous growth of the ivy,
reflecting the continuous self-destruction of Miss H
‘What could I become with these surroundings? How could my character fail to
be influenced by them?’ (Ch 12)
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Wemmick’s Castle
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Plays with Victorian idea that a man’s home was his ‘castle’

Jaggers’ Office
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‘dismal…distorted…dreadful…deadly’ (Ch 20)
 Alliteration emphasises the gloomy and depressing atmosphere created
by the listing of these adjectives, which have very negative connotations
 Dickens manipulates the readers’ view of Jaggers with this description of
his surroundings- his office is evidence of his character influencing the
environment
‘most dismal place’
 Superlative ‘most’ indicates that the miserable atmosphere is
immediately striking
‘greasy with the marks of shoulders’
 Links Jaggers to intimidation and contamination

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Jagger’s House
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‘carved garlands…’ reminiscent and compared to a hangman’s noose
 Crime and punishment has followed Jaggers home- evidence of his
career and character influencing his surroundings
 Something seemingly symbolic of peace and pleasantries is turned into a
feared form of punishment- shows the corrosive effects of crime

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Graveyard
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‘bleak place overgrown with nettles’ (Ch 1 pg 3)

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‘overgrown’ suggests covering up of secrets and mystery- fear of the
unknown
Juxtaposition of ‘bleak’ and ‘overgrown’ suggests the vulnerability of the
people at the graveyard- they’re exposed

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Newgate Prison
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‘I beat the prison dust of my feet
...
I exhaled its air
from my lungs’
 Listing of Pip’s attempts to try and ‘decontaminate’ himself from the sins
of those in Newgate Prison by attemting to get rid of the dust, symbolic
of the contamination and corruption of crime
 It is ironic as Pip is unaware of the corruption elsewhere that surrounds
him every day- Dickens makes it clear throughout the novel that crime is
not just in prison; Miss Havisham, Molly, Drummle and Mrs Joe are all
people in the novel who commit crimes but are not caught and do not go
to prison

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Context and Literary Style
Bildungsroman
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Thearchetypal Bildungsroman (rural to urban and fortune), although ending is
variation of this concept
Orphaned and abused child finds his way in a confusing and hostile world,
written in the style of autobiographies
 Highlights the corruptions in society
shows how Pip develops as a gentleman and how his development relied heavily
on other people, such as Joe and Magwitch (theme of character v environment)
set in an earlier time period to allow Dickens to indirectly address social issues
such as class mobility and education in Great Expectations

Retrospective Narration
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Combines the rhetorical immediacy of the speaking voice with the flexibility
between different perspectives in time

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Pip’s older self narrates the situations, which allows Dickens to express feelings
and analyse situations within a wide range and remain credible- he can offer a
direct sense of moral values that a young narrator wouldn’t be able to
The older Pip refers to his mistakes and younger, naïve thoughts with irony,
which allows Dickens to shape the reader’s thoughts and perceptions with his
mature attitudes
 The older Pip and the reader share common, more mature thoughts and
feelings about each situation that the Pip in the storyline doesn’t have
and Dickens uses the ironic effects created by this to shape the reader’s
view

Sensation Novel
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Has a substantial amount of mystery, suspense, detection and violence, which
were very popular in the mid 19th century

Picaresque Novel
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The main character is doubtful
Often features the adventures of an orphan as they travel through life and meet all
different levels of society and narrowly avoids a ‘sticky’ end as he is ultimately accepted
into society



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