Great Expectations. Discuss how the theme of class is explored through the first part of the novel

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Ryan Bhagat 10N

Discuss how the theme of class is explored through the first part of the novel

Charles Dickens “Great Expectations” one of English literature’s most highly respected novels was first published in 1861. The novel fits into the Bildungsroman genre except that it’s not autobiographical like typical bildungsroman books as we follow Pip’s life not Dickens life. Dickens used the protagonist Pip to demonstrate the injustice received as a result of class. Social class played a major role in society and it also determined the way a person was treated and whether they had access to education or not. Dickens was born into a working class family hence so he portrayed the upper class as cold blooded people who want to inflict misery on people below them on the social hierarchy.

“Great Expectations” was set in early Victorian England during the time of the industrial revolution a time where great changes were sweeping the nation. Although social class was not entirely dependent on somebody’s circumstances at birth, the social divide between the rich and the poor was evident. As the prime minister who was put into term twice during the 1800’s Mr Benjamin Disraeli quoted to have said that “they are like two nations” and “asx if they lived on different planets” here he is talking about the difference between the rich and poor and is implying that the two different social classes do not have any contact with each other and that they only know very little about each other’s lifestyles. Throughout England the manners of the upper class is very strict and conservative and all men and women must have proper educations and be obliged to behave appropriately and stick to their own kind therefore demonstrating the huge task facing poor orphan Pip to ever become a “gentleman”. We see the difference between both classes in “Great Expectations” during Pip’s rise from a country labourer into a city gentleman because he moves from one social extreme to another having to adapt to the strict rules of the upper class.

Charles Dickens was born on 7th February 1812 and was born into a working class family. When Dickens was nine he and his family moved to London where his father built up tremendous debts and at the age of twelve Dickens dad was arrested and taken to a debtor’s prison. Dickens mother moved Dickens seven brothers and sisters into prison with their father but she arranged for the young Dickens to live alone outside the prison pasting labels. He visited the prison regularly to see his family and this time was very traumatic for the young Dickens. After this Dickens became a law clerk and during this time he noted characteristics about working class people which influenced his writing styles.   Many of the events from Dickens early life were mirrored in Great Expectations which was one of his most autobiographical novels. As Pip the protagonist lived in the marshes country working at a job he hates and considers himself too good for his surroundings this is very similar to Dickens as a young boy working in the pasting factory. Also he depicted the prisoner as a good person underneath Dickens made the prisoner like this because he experienced that all prisoners weren’t bad. Also the character of Miss Havisham had similarities with Queen Victoria who was Queen when Dickens wrote book as they were both upper class and Queen Victoria never recovered from her husband’s death whilst similarly Miss Havisham never recovered after she was jilted by her fiancé.

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Right the way through his novel Dickens explores the class system of Victorian England ranging from wretched criminals to poor peasants to the middle class and finally the very rich. The theme of social class is central to the plot and moral of the novel which is how Pip realises wealth and class is less important compared to affection and loyalty. Dickens wrote many of his novels about the poor and going to prison also surviving which depicted his life for example” Oliver!” Whose story was similar to Pip’s as he was also an orphan and went down the avenue ...

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