Home > Great Expectations Summary & Study Guide > Great Expectations Group > Question and Answer

Question:

Answers:

1. 
   ms-mcgregor Teacher
   High School - 12th Grade

   Actually, Dickens wrote two endings to his novel. The first ending has Pip and Estella part forever because that is probably the most natural ending for the novel. This novel is called a "bildungsroman" or a novel about change and growing up. During the last third of the novel, Pip matures enormously. He learns the true value of friendship and the fleeting happiness of wealth. As part of that, he needs to give up his childish dependence on Estella, who represents all the Pip has learned to leave behind. So, it is only natural that the two would part at the end of the book. However, the public did not particularly like that ending, so Dickens wrote a second ending which implies that they stayed together. This type of ending appeals to our romantic notions, but does not really carry out the theme of the novel. Pip needed to learn that money was not everything and that one could be a gentleman whether he had money or ,as in Joe's case, not.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/expectations/

   http://www.enotes.com/expectations/character-analysis

   http://www.enotes.com/expectations/part-3-chapter-58-59-s...

   Rate answer:

   • Flag as inappropriate

   Posted by ms-mcgregor on Monday December 22, 2008 at 6:12 PM