Great Expectations
How does dickens engage the reader in Great Expectations? Focus on Chapter 1-8
Dickens uses an extensive variation of techniques to engage the reader. Arguably, unanswered questions are the most effective, however this essay will discuss many other techniques. The title immediately engages the reader as it instantly creates unanswered questions and sets expectations on the part of the reader.
The complex relationships between the characters draws in the reader. The reader becomes emotionally involved with the characters from Pip’s perspective due to the fact it is a first person narrative from Pip’s point of view. A third person narrative usually describes characters in a detached way whereas the first person narrative is more personal as it is the thoughts and feeling of one of the characters in this case Pip. Therefore the reader will experience vicariously Pip’s emotions and feelings as an individual himself and towards other characters. This keeps the reader interested as they empathise and also feel that they are enduring Pip’s hardships. For example when Estelle repeatedly refers to him as ‘boy’ the reader sympathises with Pip as he feels insulted, and therefore like him, the reader dislikes Estelle. The relationships of his sister and her husband are complex which is refreshing for the reader and therefore the reader finds it interesting and engaging. Although stereotypically his sister is supposed to be kind and helpful to him however she is actually the punishment bearer and the beater quote, this is supposed to be the husband’s role since he is almost a stepfather to Pip, however they have a relationship of a brother quote and they rarely have secrets. This surprises the reader as the role of husband and sister is almost reversed. The contemporary reader would find this even more strange as they strongly believed that the husband was the dominant member of the household whereas the wife took a more subservient role therefore they would be reading the story with more interest as they are interested to see how this dysfunctional family develops.
