Great Expectations
Charles Dickens was on of the most successful 19th century novelists. From being born in 1812 and dying in 1870, he wrote such novels as 'A Christmas Carol', 'Oliver Twist' and 'Great Expectations'. Many critics throughout his life have praised his mastery of prose and his characters throughout his novels. During the 1840 a Dickens went over to America with his wife, during his time there him supporter the abolition of slavery. Throughout his life, and his novels, he addresses social issues in the world. As we see in 'Great Expectations;' there is a hint of his time in America, with issues of crime and punishment.
In this piece of coursework I will be studying how Dickens engages and sustains the interest of the reader in the 1st and 39th chapter of the novel.
It starts in paragraph 1 where pip the protagonist is sitting and mourning his parents' death, at a dark overgrown graveyard during the night. Pip is a very small child and compared to the environment in which he is, is described to be tiny and weak, because of his 'smallness' we/reader feel sympathy for Pip. As Pip is mourning at the Gravestones, and escaped convict who is as cold as stone. Our first impressions of the convict are that he is a strong, powerful character. He suddenly makes pip feel scared and threatens him, "Keep still, you little devil, or ill cut your throat". He suddenly takes control of the situation and this shows the size and power difference between him and Pip. The difference in size is ironic, as Pips name refers to a small stone. Dickens uses his creativity and gives the reader an image of what the convict looks like; "A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied around his head. A man who had been soaked in water , and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars, who limped and shivered, and glared and growled, whose teeth chatted in his head as he seized me by his chin". This powerful, vivid description makes a sudden impact into the readers mind. We get the impressions that he had been on the run for a long time and that he had been through a lot of pain. The broken shows tell us that he has been running for a long time, and the great iron on his leg shows how heavy and tiring it was carrying it around with him. The convict seems very mysterious and 'lost'. The convict plays on pips childhood fears, and makes him feel scared and vulnerable. He tells pip that if he doesn't do as he says that another convict will come after when he is safe asleep at home.
Charles Dickens was on of the most successful 19th century novelists. From being born in 1812 and dying in 1870, he wrote such novels as 'A Christmas Carol', 'Oliver Twist' and 'Great Expectations'. Many critics throughout his life have praised his mastery of prose and his characters throughout his novels. During the 1840 a Dickens went over to America with his wife, during his time there him supporter the abolition of slavery. Throughout his life, and his novels, he addresses social issues in the world. As we see in 'Great Expectations;' there is a hint of his time in America, with issues of crime and punishment.
In this piece of coursework I will be studying how Dickens engages and sustains the interest of the reader in the 1st and 39th chapter of the novel.
It starts in paragraph 1 where pip the protagonist is sitting and mourning his parents' death, at a dark overgrown graveyard during the night. Pip is a very small child and compared to the environment in which he is, is described to be tiny and weak, because of his 'smallness' we/reader feel sympathy for Pip. As Pip is mourning at the Gravestones, and escaped convict who is as cold as stone. Our first impressions of the convict are that he is a strong, powerful character. He suddenly makes pip feel scared and threatens him, "Keep still, you little devil, or ill cut your throat". He suddenly takes control of the situation and this shows the size and power difference between him and Pip. The difference in size is ironic, as Pips name refers to a small stone. Dickens uses his creativity and gives the reader an image of what the convict looks like; "A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied around his head. A man who had been soaked in water , and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars, who limped and shivered, and glared and growled, whose teeth chatted in his head as he seized me by his chin". This powerful, vivid description makes a sudden impact into the readers mind. We get the impressions that he had been on the run for a long time and that he had been through a lot of pain. The broken shows tell us that he has been running for a long time, and the great iron on his leg shows how heavy and tiring it was carrying it around with him. The convict seems very mysterious and 'lost'. The convict plays on pips childhood fears, and makes him feel scared and vulnerable. He tells pip that if he doesn't do as he says that another convict will come after when he is safe asleep at home.
