On the Theme of Great Expectations
Abstract:美食节活动策划方案 Great Expectations is a novel written by Charles Dickens. This essay aims to explore the theme of this novel. The theme of social class is central to the plot and to the ultimate moral theme of the book—Pip’s realization that wealth and class are less important than affection, loyalty, and inner worth.
Key Words排骨怎样炖好吃: Ambition. Self-improvement. Affection. Loyalty. Conscience.
Introduction: Pip, the novel’s protagonist, lives in the country and does a job he dislikes. He considers himlf too good for his surroundings. And later he experiences material success in at a very early age. The moral theme of Great expectations is simple: affection, loyalty and conscience are more important than wealth and social stature.
Dickens establishes the theme and explores ideas of ambition and lf-improvement. The ideas become both the thematic center of the novel and the psychological impetus that encourages Pip’s development. Pip is an idealist. When he conceives of something tha
可行性研究报告t is better than what he already has, he immediately desires to obtain the improvement. When he es Satis Hou, he longs to be a wealthy gentleman. When he thinks of his moral shortcomings, he longs to be good.
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家乡的河As a character, Pip’s two most important traits are his immature, romantic idealism and his innately good conscience. Pip has a deep desire to improve himlf and attain any possible advancement, whether educational, moral, or social. Pip’s desire for lf-improvement is the main source of the novel’s title: becau he believes in the possibility of advancement in life. He has “Great Expectations” about his future.
Ambition and lf-improvement are embodied in Great Expectations in three forms—moral, social and educational. The motivate Pip’s best and his worst behavior throughout the novel.生活要有仪式感
First, Pip desires moral lf-improvement. He is extremely strict with himlf when he acts immorally and this powerful guilt motivates him to act better in the future. W hen he leaves for , for instance, he tortures himlf about having behaved so ruthless toward Joe 这就是我们
and Biddy.
Second, Pip desires social lf-improvement. A s soon as he falls in love with Estella, he longs to become a member of her social class. He is encouraged by Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook and entertains fantasies of becoming a gentleman. The working out of the fantasies forms the basic plot of the novel. It provides Dickens the opportunity to gently satirize the class system of his era and its capricious nature. Pip’s life as a gentleman is no more satisfying and no more moral than his previous life as a blacksmith’s apprentice.
Third, Pip desires educational improvement. This desire is deeply connected to his social ambition and longing to marry Estella: a full education is a requirement of being a gentleman. As long as he is an ignorant country boy, he has no hope of social advancement. Pip understands this fact as a child, when he learns to read at Mr. Wopsle’s aunt’s school, and as a young man, when he takes lessons from Matthew Pocket.
Conclusion: Through the examples of Joe, Biddy and Magwitch, Pip learns that social and educational improvement are irrelevant to one’s real worth and that conscience and affection are valued above erudition and social stature.
