1. What significance does the novel’s title, Great Expectations, have for the story? In
what ways does Pip have “great expectations”?
2. For much of Great Expectations, Pip seems to believe in a stark division between
good and evil, and he tends to classify people and situations as belonging to one
extreme or the other: for instance, despite their respective complexities, he believes
that Estella is good and the convict is evil. Yet, both socially and morally, Pip himself
is often caught between extremes; his own situation rarely matches up to his moral vision. What is the role of moral extremes in this novel? What does it mean to be
ambiguous or caught between extremes?
For much of Great Expectations, Pip seems to believe in a stark division between
good and evil, and he tends to classify people and situations as belonging to one
extreme or the other: for instance, despite their respective complexities, he believes
that Estella is good and the convict is evil. Yet, both socially and morally, Pip himself
is often caught between extremes; his own situation rarely matches up to his moral
vision. What is the role of moral extremes in this novel? What does it mean to be
ambiguous or caught between extremes?
his great expectation to raise his status and improve himself. Pip expects himself to become a gentleman. In doing so, he hopes to be wealthy,
scholarly, mannerly, and deserving of Estella's love and admiration.
In another sense, others place great expectations upon Pip. Magwitch sponsors Pip's
education in London because he expects Pip to learn to be a better gentleman than
Compeyson who was born a gentleman. Likewise, Joe has great expectations for Pip
because he tries to raise him to be hard working and kind. Biddy, at first, expects Pip
to be able to do great things with his intelligence, until she sees him begin influenced
by Miss Havisham and Estella.
Other characters in the book have expectations for Pip, but not necessarily "great" or
"good" ones for the innocent protagonist.
1. Pip: In Ch18, Jaggers announces,
`I am instructed to communicate to him,' said Mr Jaggers, throwing his finger at me
sideways, `that he will come into a handsome property. Further, that it is the desire
of the present possessor of that property, that he be immediately removed from his
present sphere of life and from this place, and be brought up as a gentleman -- in a
word, as a young fellow of great expectations.' Pip mistakenly believes that it is Miss Havisham who has decided to transform him
into a gentleman so that he will be able to marry Estella (Ch. 38). This is the source
of all of Pip's problems and when he realises who his real benefactor is in Ch.39 he is
too stunned to react:
I could not have spoken one word, though it had been to save my life. I stood, with
a hand on the chair-back and a hand on my breast, where I seemed to be
suffocating -- I stood so, looking wildly at him, until I grasped at the chair, when the
room began to surge and turn.
The title of Dickens' novel "Great Expectations" is so obviously ironic. Pip's so called
'expectations' are exposed as being so empty and futile when he realizes that its a
convict who has been providing for him so that he could pass off superficially as a
'gentleman' and that he has actually been infatuated all these years with a murderess' [Molly] daughter!
This was Dickens' original purpose in writing the novel. In a letter to his official
biographer John Forster in October 1860 Dickens remarks about the "tragi-comic
conception" of the novel. We are able to readily sympathize with Pip's 'expectations'
not being fulfilled because all of us have high hopes and 'great expectations' which
are often never fulfilled. To underscore this general feeling and theme of 'unfulfillment of great expectations'
other characters in the novel also have 'great expectations' which are not fulfilled:
1. Miss Havisham has 'great expectations' of marrying Compeyson which are not
fulfilled. In her bitterness in Ch. 11 she tells Pip who visits her on her birthday that
she 'expects' to die on her birthday and hopes that by doing so an eternal curse will
be laid upon Compeyson:
`When the ruin is complete,' said she, with a ghastly look, `and when they lay me dead, in my bride's dress on the bride's table -- which shall be done, and which will
be the finished curse upon him -- so much the better if it is done on this day!'
But these "expectations" of hers are also not fulfilled (Chs. 49, 54).
2. All the relations of Miss Havisham have "great expectations" of receiving a lot of
money after her death which as 'expected' are not fulfilled (Ch.57).
3. Similarly in Ch.9 soon after Pip has returned from his first visit to Miss Havisham's
house, his sister and Pumblechook have their own 'expectations,' which are never
fulfilled:
while they sat debating what results would come to me from Miss Havisham's
acquaintance and favour. They had no doubt that Miss Havisham would `do
something' for me; their doubts related to the form that something would take. My sister stood out for `property.' Mr Pumblechook was in favour of a handsome
premium for binding me apprentice to some genteel trade -- say, the corn and seed
trade, for instance. Joe fell into the deepest disgrace with both, for offering the
bright suggestion that I might only be presented with one of the dogs who had
fought for the veal-cutlets. `If a fool's head can't express better opinions than that,'
said my sister, `and you have got any work to do, you had better go and do it.' So
he went.
3) Many of the characters other than Pip have their own expectations as
well. Discuss both Herbert Pocket and Pip's expectatons. Compare and
contrast.
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Comments from readers:
Herbert's expectations are different to Pips in that he does not raise his expectations,
like Pip does. He wants simple things, like for Clara to marry him; a good life; no
complications or distractions.
How about the irony of the title?
Who expects what in Great Expectations? Are the expectations really "great"?
Pip is the main character that has expectations in this novel. After he meets Miss
Havisham and Estella, he becomes discontented with his station in life. Estella describes his hands as "rough," and her learning and beauty intimidates him. He
realizes, for the first time, that there could be other things out there in the world,
and he aspires to them. He is embarassed by his lowly station. He develops
expectations in regards to his life; he wants to rise above his circumstances and
become a gentleman. The expectations refer to both money, and his station in
life. They are tied together, hand-in-hand. His expectations are also tied to Estella
herself--he feels that if he can rise to her expectations of what a gentleman should
be, then he can have her love. He expects to be with her, to marry her, and to love her. He expects to earn her love in return through raising his own station in life. Pip
