Great Expectations - page 1
Keywords: Great Expectations how does dickens create memorable characters?
By Jamie on 25/05/2009
Level: GCSE Key Stage 4 (Years 10-11)
Page Number: 1 of 5 pages: 1 2 3 4 5
How does Dickens create memorable characters?
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth on 7th February 1812, he had a poor start to life when his Father was imprisoned, but it was this stage of his life that inspired him to write novels such as Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. Despite living around 150 years ago, Dickens is still regarded as one of the best novelists of all time. One of the ways he does this is by creating memorable characters.
One of the the techniques used by Dickens to create memorable characters is his interesting choice of narrative, Dickens tells the story in first person retrospective this is very interesting as it is rarely used by authors. Through this technique the readers sympathise with Pip but also it allows us to hear two opinions: that of the younger Pip and that of the older, more educated, Pip. You can see what the younger Pip felt and saw at the time, but also what the older Pip now feels as he looks back upon his actions. On many occasions Pips opinion has changed as he got older, for example the younger Pip seems horrified at the sight of Magwitch, but when the older Pip gives his opinion he refers to him as a 'friend'. At times the older Pip mocks and scorns his younger self, thinking that he was naïve. As a young boy Pip would have been in the lower class but as he grew older he became educated and became a gentleman, this would make him in the upper class. I think that the older Pip mocking the younger one represents the relationship between the different classes at the time as the lower classes were considered to be not as clever or important as the upper classes. I think Pip is quite sensitive, I know this because when he was in the graveyard he switches to third person, maybe that moment was too emotional and he doesn't want to experience it again. You can also interpret that of how much Pip has changed, that he can actually refer to younger self as if he were someone else.
Characters are very important in Great Expectations and there is one thing that binds the four main characters: Pip, Magwitch, Estella and Miss Havisham have all had life changing experiences for the worse. Pip has lost most of his family with exception
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