Great Expectations Flashcards
What was great expectations published as?
A serial.
Why were many novels published in serial form in the nineteenth century?
Buying books was really expensive so publishers released a few chapters at a time in magazines that came out every week/month.
Why does something important happen every few pages in great expectations?
Because each instalment had to be as exciting as the last one to make people buy the next instalment- so Dickens often included cliffhangers.
Define Bildungsroman.
A story where the main character grows up and learns a lot about themselves along the way.
What features do great expectations have that make it a Bildungsroman?
Hero gradually grows from a boy into a man. He has setbacks along the way. Money is a big part of his ambitions. The ending isn't clear. The story is partly autobiographical.
Why is Great Expectations partly autobiographical?
Partly based on Dickens own life. He had to work to pay off his fathers debt and rose from poor background to be a rich man.
Define satire.
Using humour to criticise something.
Give examples of satire in great expectations.
He makes fun of people obsessed with class and climbing the social scale- pumblechook, Mrs pocket He critiques the legal system by showing how Jagger's reacts to the false witness.
What does a characters accent in great expectations show?
Their class because Dickens writes some words the way the lower class would have pronounced them.
Give examples of where Dickens writes words the way the lower class would have pronounced them.
Joe says conwict for convict, elth for health
Magwitch says Wittles not victuals.
Who tells the story of Great Expectatuons?
Pip looking back on his life as a first person narrator.
When does Pip write Great Expectations?
Some time after final meeting with Estella at Satis House, when he is wiser, more grown up.
Why doesn’t Pip give you a balanced account of his life?
Because he says what he saw and did as he remembers it so it is his opinion.
How does Pip being a first person narrator play on your emotions?
Pip describes exactly how he was feeling at the time, allows readers to relate to pip as you can imagine what he is going through so it’s easier to feel sympathy for him.
When does the story of Great Expectations start and why is this significant?
Starts some time between 1800-1820, when Dickens and his readers would have been growing up (book written in 1860s). Help readers relate to pip and imagine his life.
What are doubles in great expectations and what is their impact?
Characters that are similar to each other and comparing these characters helps Dickens to put across his message.
How are Magwitch and Miss Havisham similar?
Both adopt orphans and give them fortunes.
Both very obsessed- Ms Havisham all life trying to make estella cruel and cold.
Magwitch risks life to go back to England to see pip as a gentleman.
Why does Dickens compare ms Havisham with Magwitch?
To show how destructive it can be to follow obsessive dreams.
How are Pip and Herbert similar?
Herbert is same age as Pip.
Makes his way in city.
In love with girl he hopes to marry.
He represents Pips good side.
How are Pip and Drummle similar?
Drummle represents Pips bad side.
Has everything pip wants- class, money, Estella, titles
Selfish and snobby
Dickens hints pip has wrong dreams, these things won’t make him happy.
How are Magwitch and joe similar?
Both father figures to pip.
Poor, low class backgrounds.
Little education.
Kind to pip but he rejects them both.
By comparing Magwitch to joe, it shows how Magwitch is a good person.
Name a symbol in great expectations and how it changes.
Mist- start pip brings food to Magwitch and the mist is coming to get him, symbolises confusion and fear.
When he is travelling to London- mists rise showing his dreams have come true and he is full of hope about his new life.
End when he is walking off with Estella- happy life or it won’t be as good as he imagines.
How does Dickens use imagery in great expectations?
To describe his characters.
Ms H- surrounded by images of death showing how she has given up on life.
Estella- like a star, beautiful but inaccessible to Pip.
How does Dickens use weather and lighting?
To change the mood.
After ms joe’s funeral- joe works with a glow of health and strength on his face. Suggests life will be full of hope without Mrs joe.
