The main character Pip was introduced first. We find a bit about his family. Pip’s full name is Philip Pirrip, but he was called Pip. We find out he was a orphan when he was young as he said, “I never saw my mother or father.” He had also lost five brothers but has one sister who is married to a blacksmith.
Next, after Pip, a mystery man is introduced. We find out nothing of the character except how he looked when Pip first saw him. He was dressed in grey clothes and had an iron on his leg, which showed he was a prisoner that was attached to a chain gang or ball. From the language he used we can tell he was uneducated. At first he began by threatening Pip, until he realised Pip could be a use to him, so the convict asked Pip to help him.
Pip then goes home in which he introduces Mrs Joe Gargery, his sister. Mrs Joe is introduced as harsh woman who bought Pip up by hand.
“She pounced on him and taking him by his two whiskers he knocked for a little.” This also shows she was mean and powerful.
Mr Joe is Mrs Joe’s husband, a blacksmith. He is an easy-to-get-along-with character. He can be easily bullied, (as we can see from the way he is made to drink tar-water by Mrs Joe) and is very nice to Pip.
The story “Great Expectations” was set in the same place Charles Dickens had grown up in.
The opening chapter was set in the graveyard which was a flat, wet, marshy land, which the sea can be seen from. Not much descriptive language was used to describe the graveyard.
In the first few paragraph, when Charles Dickens had introduced the main character he used a lot of emotive language to make you feel sorry for Pip. He describes the setting in which the first chapter is set in, and also a bit about the country.
After that another a character is introduced. I think he was introduced very cleverly. He did not mention outright that this character was a fugitive, a prisoner, but implied it when the character was introduced. We can also be told a lot about the character from the character’s dialogue. Dickens showed that Pip was a very respectful young man as he always called the man ‘sir’, and how the prisoner was uneducated by the use of ‘pints’ and ‘wittles’ in his dialogue.
Near the end of the first chapter Pip thinks maybe this man was just a ghost or a pirate. The way Dickens style of writing was it once again made as feel sorry for Pip.
A little passage is than written about Mrs Joe but we are told more about her from the way she acts and talks.
At the start of chapter three an atmosphere of fear was created. Dickens creates this by using a lot of descriptive language, similes and personifications for imagery, the weather, first person’s narrative empathy and supernatural things. A lot of ‘ands’ are used, along with long and short sentences for tension.
In chapter four we meet a number of other characters. Dickens uses name to tell us about the character. For example, Mr Pumblechook makes us think of a jolly, fat man who eats a lot and talks too much/
Overall Dickens style of writing is very interesting as he uses many different techniques to create many different effects.
In the first few chapters of the novel Pip is met by a mystery man in the graveyard, in which his parents and hi brothers are buried. The man threatens Pip but then uses Pip instead. Pip helps the man. After he gives the food he returns home to attend a Christmas lunch. At Christmas lunch we meet a few characters who then introduce Pip to Miss Havisham. We then meet Miss Havisham.
Finally I will like to say that as I enjoyed reading the opening chapters of “Great Expectations”, I think that the opening chapters are successful in being good opening chapters.