River Thames

River Thames (tehmz) is a river in southern England that runs through London to the North Sea. Several places that figure in the novel stand along the river. Some eight miles to the west of London lies Richmond, on the river’s south bank, a stylish town in Surrey. After her “finishing school,” Estella comes to live here in Mrs. Brandley’s house on Richmond Green, to be introduced into fashionable London society, to continue to break men’s hearts. It is thus an extension of Satis House as a locus for Miss Havisham’s revenge.

Hammersmith

Hammersmith is a town on the northern bank of the Thames, west of London. There the Pockets have a small riverside house, in which Pip is tutored together with Bentley Drummle and Startopp.

The Temple

The Temple is a central London district in which Pip and Herbert take rooms overlooking the river. Although this place symbolizes the pretentiousness of Pip’s life of expectations, it also marks the point where he enables Magwitch to escape, thereby bringing his false expectations to an end.

Chinks Basin

Chinks Basin is a district in London, downriver from the Temple, in the dock area below London Bridge, where Magwitch is secreted at the home of the father of Clara, Herbert’s girlfriend, at Mill Pond Bank.

Marshes

The marshes are a region along the lower reaches of the River Thames in which Pip grows up. The region is featured ambiguously as a place of childhood innocence and adult menace. Here Pip’s life is threatened by Magwitch and then Orlick; however, it is also where the warmth of Joe Gargery’s forge lies. Dickens seems to collapse notions of innocence, safety, and corruption at the same time he extends motifs of imprisonment and entrapment in the symbolic Hulks, dismasted naval ships used as floating prisons near the marshes. Ironically, the Thames reaches from the pretensions of Estella Havisham in the west to the sordid reality of her paternal origin in the east. The novel refocuses these two places by seeing the river’s flow, not as time, but as inevitable moral process. Estella and Pip’s frequent coach journeys from one end of this space to the other are like the shuttle of a web, broken only by the last thwarted journey downriver of Magwitch, where full revelation of the moral failures of the past is made.

Satis House

Satis House is the decaying mansion home of Miss Havisham, standing along the edge of an unnamed town next to the marshes. Within its grounds once stood a brewery, which was the source of Miss Havisham’s inherited wealth. While satis is the Latin word for “enough,” within this novel the name represents the opposite: unfulfilled desire and expectation. Within the Satis House, Estella is raised to use her charms to entrap men. In the end, everyone in the house is entrapped, and Miss Havisham is burned to death purgatorially. Finally, the contents are auctioned off and the house sold as scrap, again symbolically signifying the end of all the unreal expectations of Pip and Estella.

London

London is Great Britain’s capital city, a different version of which Dickens presents in each of his novels. In Great Expectations, the reality of London is particularly symbolized by Newgate Prison, a notorious institution in which violent prisoners were kept along with those awaiting execution. Dickens made a close study of prison conditions, perhaps because of his own parents’ imprisonment for debt. Here, the nearness of Jaggers’s chambers in Little Britain to the prison symbolizes how near criminality is to the sinister order of the law as practiced by so-called respectable practitioners such as Jaggers.

Jaggers himself lives in Soho, a mile to the west of Newgate; his clerk, Wemmick, lives in Walworth. In the early nineteenth century this was a disorganized northern suburb of London. His small wooden house is built like a miniature castle, with a moat and drawbridge round it, symbolizing his attempts to cut himself off from the sordid legal activities he is engaged in. His aging father lives with him, and they celebrate Sunday, their day off, by raising the Union Jack on a flagstaff.

Another site of pretentiousness is Pip’s own dining club, the Finches of the Grove, which meets at Covent Garden, an area of central London famous for its great flower and vegetable market, as well as London’s main opera house. Thus, low-life and fashionable society share the same space, though pretending not to, just as Jaggers’s office is situated near Smithfield, the London meat market.

Barnard’s Inn

Barnard’s Inn is an apartment block to which Pip is assigned when he first comes to London to live up to his expectations of a fortune, and which he shares with his friend Herbert Pocket. Confusingly, the term inn in London has a legal significance, often being the place where a group of lawyers may have or may have had their offices (or chambers). Barnard’s Inn, though not presently being used by lawyers, does lie in the legal district round Holborn Hill. Pip’s first impression of it is its dinginess, rottenness, and dilapidation, again symbolizing the quality of life he is destined to live there. Later on, he and Herbert move to the Temple, another inn.

The narrative begins in England during the early nineteenth century. Initially, the story is set in the Chaptham district, where Dickens spent his childhood. The orphan Pip works as a blacksmith's apprentice in a village situated in the marshlands. One afternoon, Pip encounters a terrifying ordeal when an escaped convict compels him to bring food and a file for his leg irons. The convict is apprehended the following day.

Not long after this incident, Pip is summoned by the elderly Miss Havisham to visit her crumbling mansion, a Gothic edifice shrouded in mystery and surrounded by tall walls. She asks Pip to entertain her and her adopted daughter. However, Miss Havisham's true intention is far more sinister: she aims for Estella to break Pip's heart. The dilapidated mansion symbolizes death, decay, and the inner emptiness of its residents, altering Pip's life irrevocably.

A few months later, Pip receives a substantial sum of money from an anonymous benefactor for his education in London, where he is expected to become an English gentleman of "great expectations." London then becomes the main setting, vividly depicted by Dickens with its myriad shops, winding streets, constant traffic and movement, Gothic cathedrals, crowded slums, and the dreadful Newgate Prison. In this vast city, Pip transforms into a haughty English gentleman. It is also in London that Pip encounters the convict once more, leading to consequential events for both.

Dickens excels in plot development, character portrayal, humor, setting, and atmosphere. The combination of these components in Great Expectations elevates the novel to a high level of narrative art. The author creates a vivid, three-dimensional depiction of Pip, skillfully utilizing his words, gestures, thoughts, appearance, and actions to uncover his intricate personality. Pip experiences four distinct phases of physical and moral growth. Initially, he is a young child, sharing his feelings and experiences in a rich, genuine depiction of childhood; then he becomes an adolescent; next, a young man; and ultimately, an adult with a mature understanding of himself and society. Dickens also portrays Estella with considerable depth. She is not the typical sentimental heroine of romance. Although eventually softened by hardship, she remains proudly aloof and indifferent to Pip's affection for much of the story. Dickens also provides a fine portrayal of Joe Gargery, the village blacksmith. However, the depiction of Miss Havisham is less successful. She is too bizarre and eccentric, too extreme and unusual to be believable, with her tattered satin bridal dress, decaying wedding cake, and stopped clocks. Similar to Miss Havisham, some of Dickens's minor characters verge on caricature.

One of Dickens's most flawlessly plotted novels, Great Expectations stands alongside David Copperfield as a masterpiece. The narrative is dramatic rather than episodic, with a clear causal connection linking most events. Dickens skillfully manipulates the plot to foster character development. Pip undergoes a transformation from an initially appealing sensitive orphan boy to an unappealing London gentleman, and finally, to an attractive figure again when he returns with a humbled spirit to his friends. However, the novel's structure is not without flaws, primarily because Dickens wrote it under pressure to publish in monthly installments. This serial publication had several impacts on the artistry of Great Expectations as well as on Dickens's other works. To meet deadlines, he had to write quickly, with little time for planning and almost no chance for revision. Since each installment needed to end on a high note, the plots often consist of a series of climaxes rather than a single dramatic climax at the peak of the story's rising action. Although this flaw is not prominent in Great Expectations, the public demand for a happy ending undermined Dickens's artistic intent. To appease readers, Dickens revised the original ending where Pip and Estella remain apart. Equally significant flaws include a few coincidences that render the plot contrived. For instance, it stretches the readers' belief when the convict Pip aids in the marshes is revealed to be Estella's father, and when Compeyson, the convict's worst enemy, turns out to be the very man who deserted Miss Havisham.

Great Expectations maintains a captivating atmosphere of suspense. The novel's most unforgettable beginning features a haunting scene where the orphaned Pip, alone in the cemetery, kneels and weeps over his parents' graves, only to be terrified by a figure emerging from the mist. This figure is the escaped convict Magwitch. From this point forward, a dark note of criminality touches every major character. The overarching mood of the novel is one of mystery, tension, and thrilling suspense.

Part of the poetic essence of Dickens's work lies in its liveliness and its emotionally charged atmosphere. However, Dickens also understood the importance of comic relief, delighting readers with numerous humorous touches. Among the most entertaining characters are the flirtatious Wemmick, the eccentric and grotesque Old Bill Barley, and the self-righteous, hypocritical Mr. Pumblechook. Even Joe Gargery and Mr. Jaggers participate in memorably comedic scenes.

Point of View

The narrator of Dickens' Great Expectations is an adult Pip, recounting the story in his own voice and from his own memories. What stands out about this narration is its ability to vividly recall the minute details of a young boy's fear and distress, as well as the distinct voices and dialects of other characters—from Magwitch and Orlick's rough country speech to the deaf Aged Parent's loud repetitions and Jaggers' mechanically predictable comments. However, some details seem to be omitted. Pip speaks very little about the physical punishment from Mrs. Joe but elaborates extensively on his fear of it, using an adult's vocabulary and concepts in these reflections. The initial scene with young Pip in the cemetery describes the tombstones as looking like "lozenges," soothing the throat of the mature narrator. This approach allows the adult Pip to not only recount events but also provide deeper insights than he could have as a child. The story progresses chronologically from Pip's earliest memories to his most recent experiences. While some critics support Dickens' revised ending, Pip's character development is most convincing to modern readers if he separates from Estella, realizing that he could never have found happiness with her due to her inheritance of Miss Havisham's man-hating legacy.

Bildungsroman

In Great Expectations, Pip must navigate his personal issues and distinguish reality from his childhood fantasies. Realistically, he can only achieve this through trial and error, learning from his missteps. His education is the first step, revealing that being a gentleman involves more than just acquiring wealth. Although Pip reads many esteemed books, his most crucial lessons come from analyzing real people and events in his society, not from the books themselves (which he never quotes). Among Pip's London acquaintances, Drummle is wealthier than Herbert Pocket or Startop, but Drummle lacks redeeming qualities and does not value his friends. Pip learns that valuing friends is the most important lesson in life. As he matures, Pip realizes that Miss Havisham was never his benevolent benefactor as he once believed. Despite this, he manages to save her life and help her rediscover a fragment of her soul before she passes away. By assisting someone who seems better off than himself, Pip finds honor in his humble name. Ironically, the criminal Magwitch had insisted that Pip retain his boyhood name "Pip" instead of "Phillip" as a condition of his allowance. Pip learns that maturity requires taking responsibility for one's actions, a lesson he must embrace by the novel's end. He admits to feeling ashamed of his rural upbringing and friends at times. Pip also acknowledges that while he once enjoyed the royal treatment from Uncle Pumblechook and Tragg in town, he now sees it as false honor. True nobility lies in his homecoming, reminiscent of the biblical prodigal son's return. Pip confesses to Joe and Biddy that his pride had previously prevented him from appreciating their unwavering love, a realization he comes to with his newfound wisdom.

Comic Relief

With so many serious matters to consider and constant dangers looming, Pip finds great relief in escaping to Wemmick's miniature castle. This quaint retreat, complete with a tiny moat and cannon, offers a haven where all good things seem possible again, shielding him from the evils of the outside world. One of the most charming aspects of this place is Wemmick's father, known as the Aged Parent. Affectionately portrayed as good-natured, deaf, dependent, and weakened by age, the old man poses no threat to Pip or anyone else. Instead, he requires the care and protection of those with power, namely Wemmick and Pip. Wemmick's dedication to his elderly father strikes Pip as particularly admirable, especially in a society that often preys on the vulnerable. This fragility adds to the enchantment of Wemmick's home. Despite its proximity to the harsh city life of London, it feels like an entirely different world—a sentiment Wemmick frequently impresses upon Pip. He warns Pip never to mention this sanctuary to Jaggers or anyone outside of this unique and delightfully secure environment. Pip's loyalty to Wemmick's trust and friendship is rewarded by being allowed to cook for and watch over the Aged Parent, as well as being honored as Wemmick's sole wedding guest who is not a family member. Pip soon becomes as fiercely protective of this sanctuary as Wemmick, a place where evil is kept at bay.

Setting

The contrasts between the city, the town, and the countryside are the most evident transitions in Pip's journey. Although each place harbors its own dangers, they also possess elements of goodness. The difference lies in the transparency of the marsh inhabitants' intentions. Orlick exemplifies a soulless man, a fact Pip recognizes early on. It comes as no surprise when Orlick is revealed as Mrs. Joe's brutal assailant. His willingness to kill Pip underscores his inability to distinguish between those deserving of his vengeance and those who do not. He attacks anyone who obstructs his path.

In the town, Tragg's boy turns Pip into the laughingstock of those more fortunate, displaying a sense of humor and worldly knowledge that Orlick lacks. Nevertheless, Orlick believes he holds power over others, regardless of their better circumstances, and seeks to prove it. Meanwhile, in London's grimy streets, those who know Jaggers both fear and respect him. They see him as an educated man with the social authority to assist them. Impersonal like the surrounding buildings, Jaggers is trusted to the extent that if he cannot save someone, they believe no one could. This kind of blind faith is absent in the village—where even Tragg's boy mocks Pip—or on the marshes, where brute strength often means survival.

Among the three, the city is the least likely to acknowledge individuality. Pip illustrates this by noting the overall filth and decay upon his arrival. While one might hide in the marshes or the countryside, the city has too many eyes to keep any person or deed concealed for long. Even Pip must retreat to the suburbs (Wemmick's home) for a while to avoid prying eyes.

Isolation and Solitude

Underneath Dickens' primary theme of valuing wealth lies an exploration of the fate of the outsider. At least four prominent orphans—Mrs. Joe, Magwitch, Estella, and Pip—experience profound loneliness, though each one responds differently. Pip's story begins with him as a child standing alone in a bleak cemetery at his family's grave site, so isolated that he imagines his mother as the "wife of the above," interpreting it as a clue to her heavenly address. Pip often faces threats of death, from his sister and later from the convict Magwitch. Even Orlick, the local troublemaker, attempts to kill Pip when he is an adult. Joe Gargery is Pip's sole friend in the marshes, and even after Pip is introduced to city life, genuine friends are scarce compared to the many who are indifferent or hostile. Conversely, Estella's peculiar upbringing under the influence of Miss Havisham, an old woman with a twisted mind, teaches her to spurn all affection and friendships. Estella treats Pip like a toy, not as an equal or a friend, reflecting Miss Havisham's intentions. Magwitch reveals to Pip that his own nightmarish childhood on London's streets was so harsh he cannot even recall how he learned his name, leading him to a life of crime. Mrs. Joe is another antisocial figure. Living among rough, working-class men in the marshes, she has no friends except Joe and no female companions. As Pip's guardian and Joe's wife, her rudeness, antagonism, and violence alienate those who might otherwise care for her. Although she shares the same loss of their family with Pip, her way of dealing with loneliness is vastly different from Pip's attempts to get along with others and avoid trouble. Mrs. Joe creates most of the problems in her life and disrupts the lives of those at the forge. In addition to these obvious loners, Jaggers stands apart as well. As a lawyer, he upholds the law to an inhuman extent, never letting down his guard as if he fears being sued for any lapse or emotional reaction. No matter how openly Pip offers friendship, Jaggers remains distant and instead admires the wealthy but malevolent Bentley Drummle for his ability to get what he wants. Though Pip has more friends than the other alienated characters, he is still strangely hesitant to leave London to reunite with Joe and Biddy or to accept Herbert Pocket's job offer. Only after Pip's expectations are dashed and he has no other options does he realize how fortunate he is to have two good friends who love him for who he is, regardless of his social status. By embracing this, Pip is the one character who moves from alienation and loneliness to a socially active life enriched by genuine love and friendship. Although this hard-won wisdom was not part of his original "expectations," Pip discovers that it is a far greater wealth than any inheritance from a benefactor.

Identity: The Quest for Self-Discovery

As a child, Pip is undersized for his age and both physically and emotionally fragile. An orphan residing with his sister in near destitution, he fantasizes about immense riches. Each day, he learns how to evade his sister's abuse. He endures the insults from Mrs. Joe, Uncle Pumblechook, Mr. Wopsle, Estella, and Miss Havisham's relatives. When Miss Havisham first commands him to play a game under her watchful eye, Pip is petrified and realizes he is too unhappy to engage in any play. Later, he eagerly anticipates escaping this life to the city, where he hopes to forge a new identity as a gentleman. From his first day in London, he is addressed as "Mr. Pip" and treated with respect. However, he soon discovers that his newfound esteem is based solely on unearned money, which he frivolously spends on expensive clothes, apartment decorations, and a servant boy he dubs "The Avenger." Pip's quest for vengeance seems directed at the poverty he was born into. Yet, when Joe visits London, Pip feels ashamed and embarrassed by Joe's humble speech and rural attire, even though Joe now calls him "Sir." Pip is similarly mortified by Magwitch. Despite learning that the convict is responsible for his rise in status and generous allowance, Pip is reluctant to associate with him because Magwitch does not fit into his new identity. The fact that Magwitch risked his life to return to England to see Pip does not sway Pip's decision to rid himself of the old man as quickly as possible. Pip frequently returns to the village to visit Miss Havisham and Estella, relishing the respectful treatment from the shopkeeper Trabb and Trabb's boy, who once mocked him. However, he neither visits Joe at the humble forge nor sends any communication to him. Eventually, Pip feels ashamed of this and apologizes to both Magwitch and Joe. He also forgives Miss Havisham for her past cruelty with a kiss on her deathbed. This transformation occurs only after Pip endures greater suffering and pangs of conscience than he ever experienced as a frail boy on the marsh. Miss Havisham also redeems herself by granting Pip's request for money to establish Herbert Pocket in business and by seeking Pip's forgiveness before she dies. Once cruel, she ends her life in the agony of realizing she wasted it on hatred and vengeance, too late to enjoy her change of heart. Pip adds this to his lessons on earning respect and finding peace in his life. Another positive example comes from Wemmick, who cherishes his elderly father and shares the care of the Aged Parent with Pip, even as Pip avoids contact with Magwitch. Nonetheless, Pip tenderly attends to Magwitch in his final days, just as Wemmick cares for his father and as lovingly as Joe nurses Pip back from near death. When Pip finally returns to the marsh to propose to Biddy and thank Joe, he discovers they are already married. Pip asks for Joe's forgiveness before joining Herbert Pocket, Jr. to earn his own way in the world and repay Joe for covering some of his debts. Ultimately, Pip takes control of his future, cherishing the love of his family and friends, realizing they are his most valuable wealth. Having experienced life as a pauper, a member of the leisure class, and finally a middle-class worker, Pip finds true contentment and self-worth.

Victim and Victimization

In the relentless quest for power, Jaggers believes that only the ruthless prevail. However, he has yet to understand that true strength lies in staying true to one's convictions, a lesson Pip eventually learns. Despite dealing with both victims and victimizers daily, Jaggers is less informed than Pip, who experiences victimization firsthand. Mrs. Joe Gargery takes pride in having raised Pip "by hand," implying she did so without help and adhered to the belief that sparing the rod spoils the child. Pip, however, has endured many encounters with "The Tickler," his sister's cane. Ironically, Mrs. Joe, who lives by the cane, meets a violent end through a beating. Similarly, other victimizers face victimization before their final moments of repentance. Magwitch, once a street thug in London, is pursued by his former accomplice. His harsh upbringing taught him to survive at all costs, but he risks everything to return to England to witness Pip's success and settle his score with the villainous Compeyson. Likewise, Molly, once a gypsy and criminal, is "tamed" by Jaggers and now lives bound to his household. She no longer roams or breaks the law but remains a powerless victim, unaware of her daughter's fate except that the child has been adopted into a wealthy family that can provide what she cannot. Pip fears Drummle will harm Estella, but it is she who endures a loveless marriage to outlive her cruel husband. As a victim of Miss Havisham's cold demeanor, Estella transitions from being abused to becoming an abuser herself, mistreating both Pip and Miss Havisham before becoming the mistreated wife of Drummle. In the original ending, Estella potentially becomes a better mother to her daughter than either her own mother or Miss Havisham were to her. Even in the revised ending, she breaks the cycle of abuse by reconciling with Pip as his equal. A minor character, Trabb's boy, mocks Pip and his first fine suit. This is his only way of retaliating against someone more fortunate, as he was humiliated when his employer instructed him to be polite to the new young master Pip. Trabb's boy is both a victim of societal class distinctions and a victimizer of the upper class in the only manner available to him. Through his unnoticed and thus unpunishable rudeness to Pip, he defends himself and strikes back at a social class he can never join. Pip himself must come to terms with his own actions, realizing he has mistreated others by deeming them inferior. He acknowledges breaking Joe's heart by leaving the forge and by staying out of touch for eleven years. He also hurts Biddy by telling her he could never love her, only to return later intending to propose after losing all his money, only to find her married to Joe. This final lesson teaches Pip that power is unrelated to happiness and that one can only be a victim by allowing it. Trabb's boy is not Pip's sole example. Jaggers, too, is feared by those who oppose him, yet Pip doubts Jaggers finds much joy at the end of his day. For all these characters, the fleeting pleasure of power as a victimizer proves to be short-lived and ultimately unsatisfying.

Guilt and Innocence

Against the backdrop of legal proceedings, Pip discovers that guilt and innocence are far more intricate than he initially believed. Helping a convict escape weighs heavily on his young conscience, making him certain that higher powers will eventually punish him. When they do, the consequences are not as Pip imagined; he must first confront his own conscience outside the confines of the English courts. The underlying theme throughout the characters' actions and outcomes is that the guilty are punished by a power greater than any king's. Everyone who acts unjustly in the novel is either made to suffer and repent or to die without forgiveness. Similarly, those few who have nothing to regret are sought for mercy.

Pip expects an apology from Mrs. Joe, but her cruelty is avenged by her pitiful and helpless final days. The same applies to Miss Havisham, who dies powerless, alone, and begging for Pip's forgiveness. Pip, who owes Joe his life and feels immense guilt for the times he wished not to know Joe, has often mistreated their friendship. He pays for his negligence by suffering, nearly dying, and falling from great wealth back into poverty. His early innocence is the state to which he must return for forgiveness, akin to a prodigal son remembering a simple truth.

Estella is too late to reconcile with Miss Havisham but eventually treats Pip as an equal in both endings of the novel. She, too, learns the truth about power. Although the law is harsh to Magwitch, he accepts it. The fairness of this is left for the reader to decide, as Magwitch had few opportunities in life other than being a convict. His redeeming quality is that he is Pip's own convict, and in turn, Magwitch saves Pip's humility by revealing that it is a criminal, not a lady, providing the money for Pip's grand expectations of joining the upper class. Magwitch earned that money through hard work as a sheep rancher in Australia, not through criminal activities. He could have easily spent the money on himself instead of Pip. These truths save Pip from a worthless, lazy, and arrogant life like Drummle's.

Less obvious are those who never learn what Pip discovers. Uncle Pumblechook and Miss Havisham's relatives will continue to curse others' luck and their own lack of fortune. Jaggers, guilty of not listening to his heart, will spend his days guarding his words and emotions. While hopelessly self-involved characters like Drummle and Compeyson are doomed to die without acknowledging their guilt, others such as Magwitch, Molly, and Estella will be forgiven for misdeeds that are justifiable or beyond their control.

Narrated through Pip's voice, the story illustrates the immense power of forgiveness, showing that mercy towards others leads to one's own forgiveness. The legal system that Pip once feared has little to do with true justice; only by admitting his own guilt can he find happiness. As Pip reflects on himself by recalling Herbert Pocket, Jr., "I was one day enlightened by the reflection, that perhaps the inaptitude had never been in him at all, but had been in me." Or as Estella says to Pip upon meeting him again, "I am greatly changed. I wonder you know me."

Ambition

Pip epitomizes Victorian ambition, striving to transcend his humble beginnings and join the elite. However, his quest for perpetual self-improvement, though ambitious, complicates his journey to wealth. Initially, “improvement” is a broad concept Pip believes can enhance every facet of his life; he wants to think that all progress is beneficial. As he gains worldly wisdom, Pip understands that personal advancement impacts others, often negatively or destructively.

At the start of Great Expectations, Pip yearns for a higher social status to become worthy of Estella, whom he deeply loves. Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook fuel his dreams of becoming a gentleman, making him believe this goal is attainable. Dickens uses Pip’s ascent into the gentlemanly world to critique the class system of his time, highlighting the capricious nature of the “upper crust” and its desires. Upon achieving gentleman status, Pip discovers that this lifestyle is neither more satisfying nor more moral than his previous one.

To achieve gentlemanly status, Pip must pursue education, which becomes another ambition on his path to adulthood. Pip diligently learns to read at Mr. Wopsle's aunt's school and during his lessons with Matthew Pocket. Ultimately, characters like Joe, Biddy, and Magwitch demonstrate that social and educational improvement are only minor aspects of becoming a truly “improved” person. Pip realizes he cannot abandon his final ambition to meet the superficial standards of the British upper class.

From the novel’s onset, Pip is harsh on himself when he behaves immorally; his ambition to be a moral and considerate person is a recurring theme. He feels guilty about his treatment of Joe and Biddy and learns from Miss Havisham and Estella that disregarding others' feelings leads to emptiness and coldness. Pip’s aspiration to be a better person, surpassing the “gentlemen” around him, helps him grasp the bigger picture and move closer to the happiness he seeks.

Dickens’ view on ambition is clear—ambition devoid of a moral foundation is perilous. He implies that society is deteriorating as superficial desires replace empathy and concern for others. For Dickens, Pip is a genuine individual, far more so than the wealthy who disregard the beggars and “little people” outside their protected worlds. By seeing the broader perspective, Pip becomes not only a part of the world but a valuable, contributing member of it.

Class Stratification

Dickens offers a comprehensive view of Victorian England's class system, ranging from the most contemptible criminals (like Magwitch) to the impoverished peasants of the marshlands (such as Joe and Biddy), to the middle class (represented by Pumblechook), and finally to the very wealthy (like Miss Havisham). The theme of social class is pivotal to the novel's storyline and ties into the broader theme that encompasses all the themes discussed here—Pip's understanding that wealth and social status are less significant than love, reliability, and self-respect. Pip arrives at this realization when he finally grasps that social rank has no bearing on a person's character. Estella’s succumbing to her own sorrow and the nobility of Magwitch reveal to him the extremes of the class system and the flaws in the assumptions prevalent in English society.

Dickens’ exploration of class, which recurs in many of his novels, was quite a contentious topic in Victorian-era England, where social standing dictated the course of one’s entire life. Perhaps the most crucial aspect to remember about the novel's depiction of social class is that Dickens portrays the “movers and shakers” as merely those fortunate enough to have inherited wealth, but who are morally deficient. Conversely, characters who strive to climb the social ladder through hard work are depicted as more enlightened. The message in Great Expectations specifically is that the belief that people of higher social class are inherently more deserving of their success is as much a fiction as the novel itself.

Crime and Responsibility

Dickens delves into the nature of crime in his world by revealing the guilt and innocence of the characters involved, as well as those who are victims. The imagery of crime—the handcuffs Joe fixes, recurring images of bars, the gallows of a London prison, and even Miss Havisham’s house, which serves as a sort of prison for Estella and later Pip—sets the stage for the narrative. It appears that everyone is either guilty of something or a victim of someone else's cruelty. A man we might assume to be an upstanding citizen—Jaggers, a lawyer who knows the law and its consequences—is actually a heartless criminal. The crime imagery also symbolizes Pip's struggle to reconcile the conflict between his strong conscience—his heart, his sense of morality—and the institutions of Victorian justice, which often fail to achieve their stated objectives. Just as social class is a superficial, meaningless measure of an individual's worth, the institutions of England’s criminal justice system (police, courts, jails, and even societal attitudes toward crime and punishment) are a superficial gauge of morality. Pip discovers that he must learn to look beyond these superficial measures and trust in his conscience, which persistently admonishes him when he wrongs another person.

Throughout the novel, Pip's conscience evolves as he reflects on the repercussions of his past and present actions. Early in the story, Magwitch frightens Pip simply because he is a convict, leading Pip to feel guilty for assisting him out of fear of the authorities. By the novel's conclusion, Pip comes to understand and respect Magwitch's inherent dignity and worth, viewing him as more than just a fugitive. Pip aids Magwitch in evading capture, ultimately realizing that true character is defined by internal virtues rather than societal status. By trusting his conscience and looking beyond the conventional notions of crime, guilt, and innocence, Pip learns that a person's character is shaped by their moral integrity rather than their standing in a flawed society.

Parenthood/Childhood

Charles Dickens is not known for writing uplifting children's stories; his novels frequently depict children suffering from illness, poverty, or abuse at the hands of adults. This is often a combination of all these hardships. In Great Expectations, the parent/child—or surrogate parent/child—relationships are skewed, driven by the unrealistic perceptions adults have of the world and the children they care for.

Magwitch serves as a "Father figure" to Pip from behind the scenes, bequeathing a fortune to help Pip become the gentleman that Magwitch himself could never be. All of Pip's "role models"—Magwitch, Joe, and even Jaggers to some extent—are flawed, either too weak to assert themselves or too damaged to lead normal, content lives. They seem to live vicariously through Pip's efforts to build a better life, perhaps hoping to share in his eventual success. However, each attempt to "parent" Pip causes additional harm, pushing him dangerously close to becoming like Estella with her cold and calculating demeanor. Ultimately, it is Pip's own sense of fairness and defiance of authority that allows him to surpass his "fathers" and forge his own path.

Pip and Estella are similar in how they are "parented"; the distinction lies in how they react to this "parenting." Dickens reveals early in the novel that Miss Havisham raises Estella with the intent to break men's hearts as retribution for her own heartbreak caused by Mr. Compeyson. Tragically, she succeeds: Estella becomes so damaged, so hollow, so devoid of life or love that she merely goes through the motions. Although she could never love Pip in a conventional sense, deep within her, beyond his reach, she loves him too much to wreck his life. She accepts her loveless existence to shield herself from others' emotions, thereby protecting them from her own damaging influence. Like Miss Havisham, who seeks forgiveness on her deathbed, Estella will spend her life attempting to atone for the pain she has caused and to prevent further harm to anyone but herself.

Dickens' critique of Victorian-era parenting is evident in Great Expectations, even if subtly; during a time when child labor is still prevalent and children are often abandoned to orphanages due to parental neglect or financial incapability, Pip and Estella illustrate the potential outcomes for children both during their upbringing and in their adult lives. In both scenarios, the absence of a stable, positive parental figure prevents the children from discerning right from wrong. As they learn "the hard way," they inflict significant harm on themselves and each other.