Great Expectations (Grades 9–1) York Notes

Prose fiction became the leading form of literature in the nineteenth century and through it Dickens explored all aspects of human behaviour and morality.

By using ‘I’, Dickens makes us believe that Pip is a living, breathing person who is able to powerfully reflect on his own life.

Dickens is famous for including humorous scenes and characters even in the darkest of stories: Trabb’s boy and Wemmick are good examples.

Dickens likes to represent accents and dialects, such as Joe Gargery’s way of saying ‘thank you’ as ‘thankee’ and Magwitch’s word ‘wittles’ (meaning food).

The ending does not give Pip and Estella a completely clear future together; some argue that this allows the reader to imagine what happens next.