Analysis of chapters 1-8 in Great Expectation by Charles Dickens

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“Great Expectations”

In “Great Expectations”, Charles Dickens has surely created one of the most memorable novels of the Victorian era. It is still regarded as a success and it read by many admirers worldwide. The novel is based around Pip, an orphan who has been raised by his elder sister Mrs Joe. Pip narrates his story as he grows into a man of fortune following an anonymous inheritance. Throughout his novel, Dickens displays his skills as a creator of setting, atmosphere and character.

In the first chapter, the use of first person shows that we have been put in Pip’s prospect so that we can feel the emotions he is feeling during his growing up from a child to a man. “I pleaded in terror” is effective as it gives you a firsthand account to the drama so we are brought closer to the character.  

When we read the first chapter, we are given clues that a ten-year-old is not narrating this novel. This is evident by the words used like “most vivid and broad impression”, “my first infant tongue” and “raw afternoon”. The words used by Pip are rather expressive and sophisticated which can suggest that Pip is now narrating as an adult instead of a child. Pip is recollecting and revisiting his past and narrating the events that have occurred in Pip's childhood up to his adulthood.

The description of the churchyard is vivid and intensely detailed. It is described as a “dark flat wilderness beyond” which suggests the place is like a wasteland and a dump land. Pip is aged only ten and is visiting a graveyard on a dull windy day. This can have a traumatic effect on his mental health.

The line “low leaden line” shows a use of alliteration which emphasizes the grim description of the setting of the churchyard. The word “leaden” can also suggest that the dullness of lead has been smudged across the churchyard which gives its dull complexion. In the churchyard, the landscape from a distance can be seen as a line which has been smudged to give it its industrial looking colour. Furthermore, the line “distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea” describes the impending danger. This is because there are always the natural elements and species that can sense danger before humans can. However, in this case the wind rushing suggests that there is danger that is on its way. The word “savage” is a word associated with violence and brutality which suggests that something terrible is on the “horizon”.

This is also followed by Pip feeling afraid of the atmosphere around him. He begins to cry alone in the churchyard. “Shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip” shows that the atmosphere was too much for Pip to cope. When you get shivers, it is usually connected with the sense of something going to happen or something you are feeling.

Dickens creates a tense build-up of descriptive language which leads up to the inevitable danger, Magwitch. The arrival of Magwitch, who is an escaped prisoner from the Penal System, continues the tense and anxious drama.

Magwitch who rises "among the graves at the side of the church porch" frightens Pip who hears Magwitch's voice as terror. When Magwitch arises among the graves it gives the impression to Pip that someone has awoken from the dead. This scares Pip.

Magwitch is described as a "fearful man" who's in "broken shoes" and is wearing "an old rag tied around his head". This suggests that Magwitch is in a filthy state and is desperate to gain a secure escape from the police.

All writers who introduce and create characters in their story do it for a certain reason. In this case Magwitch is a key character at the beginning and at the end of the story. When Magwitch is described, he is described as a “fearful man”. Writers also create characters in a way they want you to see them. In this case, Dickens creates Magwitch as “fearful”. Dickens wants the reader to hate Magwitch as much as possible but brings Magwitch back into the story line as a changed man which changes the readers’ thoughts out Magwitch.

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When Magwitch is being described by Dickens, he is described as a list with a never-ending feel. Dickens uses the words "a man" several times followed by the word "and" which shows that he is listing the details about Magwitch. This is an example of repetition which joins many other techniques used by Dickens.

The words ".............. teeth chattered in his head" shows a use of onomatopoeia. This is effective in portraying Magwitch to the reader as cold. Also when these words are read aloud it can feel as the reader can hear the chattering. The noise of ...

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