Historical Overview of “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens
TITLE: Great Expectations
AUTHOR: Charles Dickens
TYPE OF WORK: novel
TIME AND PLACE WRITTEN: 1860-1861, London
DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: Published serially in England from December 1860 to August 1861;
published in book form in England and America in 1861.
SETTINGS: Kent and London, England
PROTAGONIST: Pip
ANTAGONISTS: Magwitch, Mrs. Joe, Miss Havisham, Estella, Orlick, Bentley Drummle, and Compeyson.
PLOT: Philip Pirrip, nicknamed Pip, an orphan and the protagonist and narrator of Great Expectations. In
his childhood, Pip dreamed of becoming a blacksmith like his kind brother-in-law, Joe Gargery. At Satis
House, about age 8, he meets Estella, a contact which destroys his peace of mind.
POINT OF VIEW: 1st person
THEME:
Ambition and the desire for self-improvement (social, economic, educational, and moral) are some of
them. This is about the strong desire to do or achieve something. Guilt, criminality, and innocence are
bad deeds will come back to haunt you; family is the most important wealth; and true love is classless.