Great Expectations - The More Effective Ending? Charles Dickens Great Expectations has two contradicting endings, one of which is more conventional and the other more realistic.

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The More Effective Ending of Great Expectations

The arousal of emotions through the use of pathos is usually what allows for a writer to give significance to his or her novel. An event or situation that captivates the reader is usually presented or displayed within the final chapter or ending of any novel. Charles Dickens' Great Expectations has two contradicting endings, one of which is more conventional and the other more realistic. The more conventional and up-to-date ending that Dickens was forced to write in order to please the novelist Edward Lytton, who criticised his original ending, provides Pip with a happy ending and leaves the readers with the idea and hope that Pip and Estella might eventually build a loving relationship. The original ending, on the other hand, shows to be more sympathetic towards Pip as his hope of winning Estella's heart is destroyed after learning that she has married a country doctor in Shropshire. While the second ending might sound more pleasing to read, the original ending is what gives the true value and meaning of Dickens' Great Expectations.

In support of the hypothesis, the ending Dickens originally wrote is more true to the