"It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities, and national self-confidence for Britain." This phrase describing the Victorian time period perfectly corresponds with the theme, content and title of "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens.
Since most of the population in the Victorian time period was living an elevated lifestyle with sophistication and prosperity, every individual in the society was expected to somehow rise to the bar of standards. Pip is the same kind of character, where he lives with various personalities, various lifestyles, and various life expectations and desires. Pip was not only pressurized by expectations from the society but also from the individuals in his life. Hence the title, "Great Expectations." I believe that Dickens would have written this because he somehow could relate to Pip and the hurdles and obstacles from his own life.
Literary elements such as foil characters, Mr. Jaggery and Joe Gargery, or personification - the shadow always surrounding Estella's face, progresses the plot of the story forward along with the sense of depth in each character's life and characteristics. Life and story of each individual character is almost a story in itself.
By achieving all this, Dickens produces a work of art that is relatable for every person, no matter in what era because society, in one way or another, keeps pressurizing a person from his youth to grow up into an adult that will benefit others more than himself.
Since most of the population in the Victorian time period was living an elevated lifestyle with sophistication and prosperity, every individual in the society was expected to somehow rise to the bar of standards. Pip is the same kind of character, where he lives with various personalities, various lifestyles, and various life expectations and desires. Pip was not only pressurized by expectations from the society but also from the individuals in his life. Hence the title, "Great Expectations." I believe that Dickens would have written this because he somehow could relate to Pip and the hurdles and obstacles from his own life.
Literary elements such as foil characters, Mr. Jaggery and Joe Gargery, or personification - the shadow always surrounding Estella's face, progresses the plot of the story forward along with the sense of depth in each character's life and characteristics. Life and story of each individual character is almost a story in itself.
By achieving all this, Dickens produces a work of art that is relatable for every person, no matter in what era because society, in one way or another, keeps pressurizing a person from his youth to grow up into an adult that will benefit others more than himself.
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