Out of all the great authors that have ever lived and made their mark in literary history, one of the most prolific may have been Charles Dickens. While he was not as prolific as some authors, many of his works are incredibly well-known: A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, and A Tale of Two Cities, to mention a few. And what may be his most renowned work is the story of Pip, the young English gentleman: Great Expectations.
The lengthy novel begins with a young Philip "Pip" Pirrip, sitting next to the tombstone shared by almost his entire family in the cemetery near the village church. Pip is an orphan who lives with his sister, his only surviving family member. Pip, Joe (Pip's brother-in-law, the blacksmith), and Mrs. Joe (Pip's sister) all live together in a small house. Theirs is not a happy life; the small household is plagued by poverty.
Charles Dickens wastes no time in getting to the action of the novel. On the second page, Pip meets the mysterious escaped convict in the cemetery who threatens to kill Pip is he does not bring the convict food. The next day, Christmas, Pip takes a plethora of food for the convict and watches while the latter gobbles it up greedily.
Dickens's original portrayal of Pip is that of a gullible, fearful young child. Because the story is told through the eyes and voice of Pip, Dickens could characterize Pip to make one feel like he actually was a good friend of the boy.
Somewhere around Pip's teenage years, he is introduced to the old spinster Miss Havisham and the young, beautiful Estella, Miss Havisham's adoptive daughter. The stinginess, pessimism, and woe of Miss Havisham and the elitism, pride, and cruelty of Estella act as true foils to Pip's innocent blitheness.
Great Expectations goes on to summarize the rest of Pip's life: his relationships, fortunes, misfortunes, and demeanor. Dickens wrote very well through the voice of Pip. As Pip matured in age and disposition, the writing style grew more and more solemn. Great Expectations is truly a classic for the world, and proves the writing prowess of Charles Dickens.
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Expectations-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486415864/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237436590&sr=8-3
Grade: 8.5
The lengthy novel begins with a young Philip "Pip" Pirrip, sitting next to the tombstone shared by almost his entire family in the cemetery near the village church. Pip is an orphan who lives with his sister, his only surviving family member. Pip, Joe (Pip's brother-in-law, the blacksmith), and Mrs. Joe (Pip's sister) all live together in a small house. Theirs is not a happy life; the small household is plagued by poverty.
Charles Dickens wastes no time in getting to the action of the novel. On the second page, Pip meets the mysterious escaped convict in the cemetery who threatens to kill Pip is he does not bring the convict food. The next day, Christmas, Pip takes a plethora of food for the convict and watches while the latter gobbles it up greedily.
Dickens's original portrayal of Pip is that of a gullible, fearful young child. Because the story is told through the eyes and voice of Pip, Dickens could characterize Pip to make one feel like he actually was a good friend of the boy.
Somewhere around Pip's teenage years, he is introduced to the old spinster Miss Havisham and the young, beautiful Estella, Miss Havisham's adoptive daughter. The stinginess, pessimism, and woe of Miss Havisham and the elitism, pride, and cruelty of Estella act as true foils to Pip's innocent blitheness.
Great Expectations goes on to summarize the rest of Pip's life: his relationships, fortunes, misfortunes, and demeanor. Dickens wrote very well through the voice of Pip. As Pip matured in age and disposition, the writing style grew more and more solemn. Great Expectations is truly a classic for the world, and proves the writing prowess of Charles Dickens.
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Expectations-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486415864/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237436590&sr=8-3
Grade: 8.5
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