Introduction

So this semester we have the exciting prospect of studying the Great Expectations! Whilst reading the text, the book initially felt like it went on rather a lot… But after a while the story began to really unfold. Also watching the BBC film helped to piece together any confusion and really brought the characters to life. My understanding then further increased after taking some time looking through sparknotes online.

I’ve gained varied impressions on the characters throughout the book/film. My thoughts on Pip didn’t differ at all throughout. He remained warm hearted and humble. His down to earth mentality and kindness made me instantly warm to him. He is always wanting to improve himself and become a better person socially and morally, which I found quite adorable.

My thoughts on Estella and Miss Havisham were definitely mixed throughout the book. At first I felt a very cold towards the both of them. Miss Havisham seems a very fragile state of a woman who is lost in her heartbroken past. She lives in a world of sorrow and sadness which reflects in her insanity and appearance. In the BBC film and TV series she is ghostly looking and deathly. As we develop through the book, I felt my sympathy grow for her as we discover the reason for her heartbreak and instability. It also becomes apparent that she is an independent woman, something that is very unusual for this period. She makes her own decisions, which has led her to isolate herself and engross herself in an unusual and disconnected world.

With Estella, I felt her mannerisms were at first very rude towards Pip. She was patronising, rude and verbally abusive to him for no apparent reason. But what I did notice, from both the TV series and film, was her immaculate appearance. She looks pure and virginal. In the TV series she is wearing lace; symbolic for purity and innocence. This image is all deceiving as she takes advantage of her beauty to capture men’s hearts and destroy them. Initially I thought this was hideously cruel, but I grew in understanding that Miss Havisham raised poor Estella to think this way, “love is death”, in attempt to get revenge on the male sex for her own heartbreak. Also, being a similar age to Estella, I found it easy to relate to her character and I began to feel a warmth to her.

In general, the atmosphere of the book is dark and threatening throughout. There is a strong sense of unwelcome and the scenery appears very gothic and deathly. In contrast to this atmosphere, Pip is the warmth and hope in the book which brings light to the desperate and isolated setting.