Introduction

The author of the book

Charles Dickens

(1812-1870)

The English novelist, Charles Dickens, couldn’t receive an appropriate school education in his childhood, because he was born to a poor family. He began to work at a factory at the age of 12. In the early 19th century, capitalism began to flourish, but there were dark sides. Child labor thrived and the working classes suffered from great poverty. With an insight born from his own bitter experiences with social injustice, Charles Dickens began to write short stories.

Dickens’ novels are highly recognized for vivid descriptions of the daily life of working-class people and their joys and sorrows, drawing on his own experiences. Dickens also takes on social injustice and contradictions through his brave and humorous portrayal.

Dickens’ best-known works include Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. On June 9th, 1870, Charles Dickens died. His death was mourned by the entire world.

Although Dickens was often criticized for being too sentimental and melodramatic, the reason that Dickens is held in high regard as a great English novelist along with Shakespeare is that Dickens created characters who, given humanity and humor, exhibit the resilience and vitality of true human beings.

Great Expectations is about a low born young man, Pip. His desire for social improvement takes him to a city, where he becomes a gentleman after a lawyer appears one day with news that he inherited a large fortune. However, social advancement and wealth become superficial standards of value that Pip learns to look beyond. He finds that it is not Miss Havisham who he assumed to be his secret benefactor, but an escaped convict whom he helped briefly. Also he discovers that Estella, who he fell in love with, and imagines as belonging to the upper class is the daughter of the convict and maid.

After many years of wandering, when Pip finally returns home, he realizes the true inner worth of human beings and the ideals of a gentleman, through the examples of Magwitch, the convict, and Joe, his poor uncle.

Great Expectations is considered by many to be Dickens’ finest novel because of its tightly structured plot.