Great Expectations Context

Regency Period

The time period of 1811-1820 marked by snobbishness and class barriers in England.

Social Mobility

The ability to move between social classes, depicted in Great Expectations through Pip's advancement.

Bildungsroman

A genre portraying psychological growth from youth to adulthood, seen in Great Expectations.

Gothic Genre

A genre prominent in Victorian literature, with Magwitch embodying gothic elements in the novel.

Integrity

Displaying honesty and moral principles, important in Victorian society as depicted in Great Expectations.

Social Class

A system distinguishing individuals based on wealth, lineage, and behavior, central to the narrative of Great Expectations.

Victorian Values

Ideals of respectability, etiquette, and social codes prevalent during the Victorian era.

Gentleman

A term referring to individuals displaying integrity and respectability, explored in Great Expectations.

Social Codes

Strict rules governing behavior and conduct in Victorian society, influencing characters' actions in the novel.

Self-Improvement

Theme of personal growth and development, crucial in Dickens's portrayal of characters in Great Expectations.

Constant context points

1. Bildungsroman:Estella develops and changes in a similar way to Pip.

2. Rise of Romantic novel 

3. Dicken’s experience of crime, family broken, desire social reform, belief in second chances,

4. What is a gentleman : commentary on social class: Pip grows to realise that Magwitch, as 

5. Harshness of the upper class, e.g. Miss Havisham and Drummle’s cruel behaviour towards Estella.Dickens sees the valuing of money and status over all else as a primary drive in society, which is dominated by the mercantile middle class. Joe,  is a true gentleman even though he lacks the wealth and social status: conscience and morality being more important than wealth and class.

6. Dickens’ interest in the criminal justice system and the plight of prisoners in 19th Century England:criminals may not be not inherently bad, but victims of circumstance. Pip struggles with Magwitch being a criminal to the extent he can’t accept his money. Dickens own father imprisoned. Dickens uses Magwitch to comment on the link between poverty and crime and to highlight the humanity of criminals.

7. Great Expectations was originally published as a serial, e.g. devices such as ‘clicked in the man’s throat again’ would remind readers of who the characters were. 

8. FROM AQA: • ideas about growing up, learning, changing values vs eternal qualities

Constant structure points

1. DOUBLING: 

   FORGIVENESS Contrasts and parallels in pairings eg Miss Havisham’s explicit request to Pip to forgive her and the parallel moment in which Pip asks Joe to forgive him; 

   Joe as a character readily able to forgive in contrast to the bitter Miss Havisham; 

   REVENGE: Miss Havisham’s life is destroyed by revenge and she ruins the lives of Estella and Pip in her quest for it. Similarly Magwitch’s desire for revenge over Compeyson

2. NARRATIVE Seen from PIPS PERSPECTIVE : all characters coloured 

3. ALWAYS pip’s journey and lessons he learns: three stages of the novel: Pip’s childhood, his time inLondon with his new found wealth and finally his realisation that loyalty and personal worth is more important than money or status

   HAVE TWO MOMENTS FOR EVERY THEME

   ALWAYS LOOK FOR HOW CHARACTERS CHANGE