great expectations- themes

Question 1

love

Answer 1

love in different form, also contrasting

1. love between men and women
   - Estella and Pip (Unrequited love)
   - Biddy and Joe (positive)
2. love between friends
   - Herbert and Pip
   “Herbert, I shall always need you, because I shall always love you”
3. love between parent and child
   - Joe and Pip
   - Miss Havisham and Estella
   “What have I done! What have I done!”

Question 2

Parent and children

Answer 2

1. Joe and Pip
   - ideal relationship betweem parent and child
2. Magwitch and Estella
   - unrequited love of Magwitch
3. Estella and Miss Havisham
   - abusive and unhealthy relationship

Question 3

Class

Answer 3

Dickens suggests an idea that happiness doesn’t necessarily come from social status

1. Higher class
   - presented as miserable (Miss Havisham, Compeyson)
   - contrasting to victorian thoughts
2. Lower class
   - presented as content and happy (Joe, Pip childhood)
   - highlights that classes doesn’t matter
3. Characteristics
   - suggests through Pip that perhaps higher classes changes person’s personality

Question 4

crime and justice

Answer 4

1. Is criminals ‘made’ by environment
   - Link to victorian context; cirminals and crime very common
   - criminals made because of circumstances rather than wickedness
2. No money, no justice
   - Jaggers is lawyer
   - Molly is no sentenced due to Jaggers
   - Magwitch is sentenced
3. how criminals were viewed
   - Jaggers washing hand; differentiating him with crime
   - wemmick taking Pip to prison; sees criminals as entertainment