Why is Great Expectations considered a classic? Why is Great Expectations considered a classic?
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Meaningful plots and superb characters make classics. Few novels ever are designated as classics without intriguing characters, and Dickens is an absolute master at creating memorable characters. For, who has read A Tale of Two Cities ever forgets Madame Defarge, who has read or seen "A Christmas Carol" ever forgets Scrooge? And, who has read Great Expectations and does not remember the innocent child who is ridiculed for no reason--who has not experienced this same gratuitous cruelty? And, who ever forgets the eccentric Miss Havisham? How bizarre, yet understandable, is she?
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calendarEducator since 2010
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I haven't come across many other novels that are as dense and meaningful as Dickens's Great Expectations . While I've had students moan and groan at the prospect of having to read it (I think mostly because they've heard it's long and know that they'll HAVE to read it), they generally come to understand just how masterfully Dickens is able to give us insight into human interaction and the human spirit. ...
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