Love, Isolation, and Redemption in Great Expectations

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Love, Isolation, and Redemption in Great Expectations

The major themes of Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations to be discussed in order of importance, are "Love" in the context of human relationships, "Isolation" and finally "Redemption".

The loneliness isolation brings can be redeemed by the loving association of our fellow man, in two ways. "Had grown diseased, as all minds do and must and will that reverse the appointed order of their maker" (author’s last name and pg. #). In isolation, the greatest sin we commit against others and ourselves is to shun human companionship, as Miss Haversham did. After her betrayal in love, she hardened her heart towards her fellow man. By hardening her heart and suppressing her naturally affectionate nature, she committed a crime against herself.

Miss Haversham's love for Compeyson was one of a compassionate kind, which blinded her to his true nature. Herbert remarked, "too haughty and too much in love to be advised by anyone" (author’s last name and pg. #). At Compeysons’ desertion, her anger and sorrow became extreme and she threw herself and the Satis House into perpetual mourning and created a monument to her broken heart; she shut the world out and herself from the world. Her only concession was adoption of Estella. Miss Haversham had ulterior motives in adopting Estella, which was not a loving action on her part, but a calculated maneuver to turn the child into a haughty heartless instrument of revenge against men. Estella was encouraged to practice her disdain on Pip and to break his heart.

Paradoxically, Miss Havershams greatest sin was against herself. By hardening her heart she lost her generous, affectionate nature and becomes withered emot...

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... He endures hardship and triumphantly emerges a mature, thoughtful person.

The themes of Love, Isolation and Redemption are the structure the other themes hang on. The loneliness of isolation is the beginning. Love is the backbone of the novel, the thing that binds the others together; redemption is its conclusion. There has to be love or the characters would not be able to interact, if there were only isolation each character's tale would be a separate piece of work. All good novels have a moral to relate and involve love and redemption.

NOTES:

tHE SENTENCES IN CAPITAL LETTERS CAN BE MADE INTO AN INTRODUCTION.

THE WHOLE PAPER CONTAINS EXCELLENT IDEAS, BUT THEY ARE RAMBLED.

IN THE INTRODUCTION TRY TO SAY THE MAIN POINTS. THEN, WRITE ONE PARAGRAPH FOR EACH POINT. THEN FINALLY WRITE A CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH.

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