Slide 1

Great Expectations PhotoAlbum

ReplayIntro

Click on abutton to see moreStrategies and Supports for Reading

321In 1861 Charles Dickens gave the world a story Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called

My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called

It has been read by millions, young and old, and retold by countless directors of the stage and screen.Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called

Dickens tale has been repeatedly analyzed by literary critics, and it is rarely absent from the canon of literature taught in high school.Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called

But are these the reasons you should read Great Expectations, or any book for that matter?Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Absolutely not.Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Chapter 1My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or moreexplicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called

Many things have changed in the world since the time of Charles Dickens.Some things have not.

Industrialization and urbanization choked London with pollution.

An immense gap separated a small, wealthy class of citizens from the impoverished masses. Social status typically dictatedLiving conditions,employment,education,& legal protection

Crime and debt pressed Englands prisons beyond capacity. With no room left to house inmates they began deporting law breakers to the recently-established colony in Australia. Dickens own father was sent to Marshalsea Debtors prison.

Like today, relationships between parents and children were often strained or nonexistent. Young people of the lower classes were eager for something more.What are we willing to sacrifice in order to succeed? FamilyValuesLove

Although Great Expectations is a jewel of Victorian literature, its messages are not confined to any particular age. Because readers bring their own experiences, opinions, and values to the table - what this book means will depend on... you!

Characters and CharacterizationA fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.(Click to advance slide)Traits and description inform the reader about who the characters are, their backgrounds, and the acts of which they might be capable. Charles Dickens invested a lot of thought and print to fuel his readers impressions. (Click the mouse to move on)"Hold your noise!" cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves at the side of the church porch. "Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!(Click again)This dialogue alone is enough to get our attention. The terror amplifies when we read on and learn of this mans appearance.(Click once more)

AlternateRepresentationsProject Gutenberg provides a free eText version of this novel. This text is compatible with various assisted reading programs.Great Expectations has been adapted for various film productions. These retellings are recommended only as a supplement to the text (Click on the link below to learn more about the 1946 version).In addition , audio recordings of the novel can typically be found within your local library district.

(click picture)(click picture)Return to Tableof ContentsPeople and Places of Great Expectations

Click to advance slideRiver ThamesTempleDistrictBarnards InnPeople and Places of Great ExpectationsReturn to Tableof Contents

From left to right: Newgate Prison, Satis House, Rochester(click to enlarge)