The Importance of Settings in Great Expectations

The Importance of Settings in Great Expectations

The purpose of setting is to provide a physical background for the

narrative and it must enhance or advance the plot. In “Great

Expectations” Dickens has varied and contrasted his settings (on

purpose), to make the changes in characters personalities more

appropriate. For example Pip goes from a poor, working class boy from

the marshes, to a socialite of the upper class who is arrogant and

proud in London. In his choice of setting Dickens has made sure that

his settings tie in with his characters social class, he has done this

with Jaggers the lawyer who lives in London, Wemmick his assistant who

lives in a quiet, small, eccentric urban house and the Gargery’s in

their forge on the marshes. By making Characters settings seem

appropriate for their class and personal storyline this makes the

novel seem somewhat realistic and possible and this must have been

very exciting to the readers of what was then a series and would have

been one reason why they might have been eager to read the next

chapter. I think Dickens intentionally made his purpose of setting

real and authentic to achieve the appeal, which would have been

generated from this.

Dickens ability to set mood, tone and atmosphere to compliment his

characters was crucial in their success, for example, Abel Magwitch

and his first appearance in the story as the ‘convict’. What better a

place to situate a convict but in a place where it is misty, foggy,

cold, damp, dark, dangerous and perilously silent? What makes it even

better is that also Dickens puts in a timid boy who has come to visit

his dead relatives, only to be ambushed by a convict. The atmosphere

created here really works and is effecti...

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powerful portrayals of his settings for example ‘the sky was just a

row of long angry lines and dense black lines intermixed’. By using

similes like ‘skylight patched like a broken head’ Dickens made

setting imaginable and so easier to imagine/relate to.

The use of setting Great Expectations is of a high standard as Dickens

has been able to create vivid world through his involvements of senses

and various writing techniques. Also Dickens was able to make his

novel realistic as he drew from many of the experiences of his life.

Dickens has provided more than a physical background for his narrative

as through is settings he has further enhanced and also deepened his

plot there for bringing his book to life, also he has used mood, tone

and atmosphere to complement his characters effectively and his choice

of locations fit in with his story.