How Charles Dickens Portrays Class in Great Expectations

The novel, "Great Expectations" is deemed to be one of the greatest

English classic novels of the literary heritage. Charles Dickens, the

author of Great Expectations is thought to be one of history's finest

writers and has contributed to English literature in many ways. 'Great

Expectations' is Dickens' thirteenth novel and is based loosely on his

own experiences. He did this with many of his novels, including his

partly auto-biographical piece, "David Copperfield" (with Dickens's

own negligent mother and father being closely depicted in his

character, David's parents).

"All the Year Round" was a magazine that Charles Dickens had founded.

In late 1860, the sales of the magazine were dropping, and so Dickens

began publishing "Great Expectations" in the magazine in December to

increase sales.

"Great Expectations" displays many of Dickens's ideas and views which

were the results of experiences in his life. Dickens's family was

never well off and in fact, John Dickens, Charles Dickens's father,

was sent to Marshalsea Debtors Prison when Charles Dickens was only

twelve. As was the tradition in those days, Charles Dickens was sent,

along with the rest of his family to work in a factory to help repay

his father's debt. This changed the way he viewed poverty and this

view is displayed in "Great Expectations".

The story evolves around the life of Philip Pirrip, known as Pip, who

is the protagonist and the narrator. We meet him as a young boy who

one day encounters an escaping convict and helps him. He then grows up

to have 'great expectations' as an unknown benefactor provides him

with the luxuries of a gentleman's life, of which Pip has dreamt,

since meeting the beautiful and apparently upper-class Estell...

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...e with each other and that no form of

prejudice against money and background would exist. This is a

difficult goal to obtain, as it is part of human nature to have

prejudice in some form, though some may argue that it is taught. I

think that some prejudice is natural, though most is actually taught.

A person may believe that they are superior to another because of

wealth, and it is difficult to change the beliefs of a person. Even if

the Prime Ministers abolished the term 'class', the actual behaviour

would still exist because the money is still there.

I do agree with Dickens's message on class, as I feel that class is

not an important feature in life. I think we should not be separated

by something as petty as class, but even though many may share my

views, there will always be those who believe in superiority and that

alone can divide us into classes.