How does Dickens create characters that are both memorable and striking?

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How does Dickens create characters that are both memorable and striking?

        The novel “Great Expectations” was written in 1861 by the respected author: Charles Dickens. The story follows the life of a boy called Pip, and this essay I am going to analyse 3 characters from the novel: Pip, Magwitch and Ms Havisham.  I am going to analyse the techniques Dickens has used to make the characters both striking and memorable.

        The novel is written in 1st Person retrospective. It is written as an older, educated Pip recounting his life as a young, working class and uneducated Pip. This helps make Pip memorable because we accompany him through the story. The narrative style helps us, the reader, to establish a more personal bond with Pip, and allows us to empathise with him. The advantages of writing in this style are that we can fully learn about Pip’s experiences and emotions and we can see things from his viewpoint. However, the disadvantages of writing in this style are that we are not able to learn of the events occurring beyond Pip knowledge and we are unable to know of any of the other characters’ experiences and emotions towards Pip or the events in the story.

        Dickens reveals a lot about Pip’s childhood life from the surroundings we first meet him in. We find Pip in a churchyard, which is overgrown with “nettles”. This reveals to the reader that just as the churchyard is uncared for, Pip is neglected and unloved. His “bleak” surroundings represent his isolated and empty childhood and he is threatened by the “savage lair” that he accepts as his home.  Pip’s acceptance of the dismal circumstances in his life makes him mature and this creates sympathy for him from the readers.

        Dickens leaves the image of Pip for the readers to self generate, but chooses to describe Pip from his name and personality. From the name ‘Pip’ we automatically visualise something small and delicate. However, we also attach the word ‘pip’ to an annoyance; a pip from a fruit that we remove. Therefore, solely from his name, Dickens reveals an accurate impression of Pip. Pip is a small child and he is regarded as an annoyance and a hindrance from the few people in his life. A pip is also something small that flourishes into a tree and this is also representative of Pip, as we later learn that he becomes a rich and leads a luxurious life as an adult. This helps make Pip memorable because we accompany him throughout the story and our initial impressions of him change as he ascends up through the different levels of his life.

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        Dickens use of Pip’s personality to describe him, increases the emotional attachment we have towards him. Pip maintains his polite and respectful personality in what ever situation we see him in and no matter what he feels towards the situation. Despite his fear of Magwitch he refers to him as “Sir and despite his fear of Ms. Havisham he refers to her a “Ma’am”. There is also a moment when Pip’s courageousness is most evident. Pip hallucinates and sees Ms. Havisham hanging from the ceiling, and despite the dread of what he has just witnessed and despite Ms Havisham’s constant ...

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