Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (Book Analysis): Detailed Summary, Analysis and Reading Guide

By Bright Summaries

Unlock the more straightforward side of Great Expectations with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, considered by many to be the English novelist’s greatest masterpiece. It tells the story of the orphan Philip Pirrip, known as Pip, who aspires to become a gentleman after meeting the eccentric spinster Miss Havisham and her beautiful but cruel adopted daughter Estella. His dreams seem to be coming true when a mysterious benefactor gives him the opportunity to move to London and join the aristocracy, but he is shocked to discover the source of his newfound wealth. Charles Dickens is widely considered to be the most significant English novelist of the Victorian era, and many of his colourful, vividly crafted characters continue to captivate the public imagination even today. His best-known works include Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol.

Find out everything you need to know about Great Expectations in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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• Language: English
• Publisher: BrightSummaries.com
• Release date: Jun 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9782808002028

Book preview

BRITISH NOVELIST

Born in Portsmouth in 1812.

Died in Kent in 1870.

Notable works:

Oliver Twist (1837-1839), novel

A Christmas Carol (1843), novella

David Copperfield (1849-1850), novel

A Tale of Two Cities (1859), novel

Charles Dickens is widely considered to be the most significant English novelist of the Victorian era, and stands out in particular for his vividly constructed, memorable characters. He garnered recognition during his lifetime for his 15 novels and hundreds of short stories and articles, and served as editor of the weekly magazine Household Words for 20 years. He also delivered lectures and campaigned for children’s rights, wider access to education and other social reforms.

His parents were John Dickens, a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, and Elizabeth Dickens. When he was still a child, his father was forced into the Marshalsea debtors’ prison in London, and the young Charles had to leave school and work in a factory, which influenced his later writing. His novels, novellas and short stories reflect the rapid industrialisation that was taking place in Britain at this time, feature unique, three-dimensional characters from a range of social classes, and combine an exceptionally creative use of language, irony and realism. While he was admired by writers including Leo Tolstoy (Russian writer, 1828-1910), George Orwell