Great Expectations - Themes

Ambition

Love

Wealth

Class and Society

Miss Havisham has no ambition whatsoever. She has stopped the clocks and done nothing more with her life.

Pip has an ambition to be a gentleman and be more than a blacksmith.

Pip loves Estella - Unrequited as Miss Havisham has taught her to not have a heart.

Pip is ambitious to find Estella in London (as he thinks Miss Havisham is the benefactor and Pip loves Estella).

Jo Gargery and Pip love one another. They have a strong bond and are good friends. Pip wants to teach Joe Gargery how to read and write.

Rules and Justice

Compison recieves a shorter sentence than Magwhich after being found guilty. This is because Compison is a gentleman and Magwhich is not. This shows inequality between different classes.

Jaggers tells Pip of a secret benefactor, who Pip believes is Miss Havisham, but is actually Magwhich

Magwhich loves Pip - Upon their first encounter, Pip reminds Magwhich of his dead daughter and feels the need to repay Pip for his kindness at the beginning of the novel. (Magwitch loves Pip through gratitude; Pip comes to love Magwitch through admiration)

Deceit

Before Magwhich dies, Pip tells him about Estella. He chooses not to tell Magwhich that he has lost his money as he knows Magwhich will be upset by this. Effectively Pip lies for the good of someone he now feels close with - an example of when deceit works for good

Redemption

When Miss Havisham dies, she confesses to Pip that she has been cruel and turned Estella into how she herself is. She asks Pip for forgiveness.

Herbert Pocket marries Clara Barley for love, and they are happy, despite the social gap between them.

Pip and Pocket have a strong friendship. They constantly help one another and Pocket saves Pip's life when he is attacked.

Pip starts off as a blacksmith, or working class, later to become a gentleman. He ends up middle class though.

Joe is a skilled craftsman and is upper working class

Jaggers is the only consistently honest character in Great Expectations.

Time

Miss Havisham has set all her clocks to the moment she was left at the altar. She has stopped time as she is still living in the moment of her marriage - she is heart broken and has lost the plot.

Money is something that Pip feels he needs and wants in order to make himself worthy of Estella. This shows that money has a negative effect on Pip.

Pip spends a lot of time, his whole life in fact, chasing Estella - a woman who cannot love him.

Magwhich returns to London when Pip is a gentleman - this demonstrates his love and care for Pip as Magwhich simply wants to see what Pip has made of his life as a gentleman

When Pip first goes to Havisham's house as a child, there is a clear contrast in class between Pip, and Estella and Miss Havisham. They make mean remarks regarding Pip's class.

Compeyson&Arthur deceived Miss Havisham by plotting to steal her money

Pip is deceived by Miss Havisham when he finds out that she is not his benefactor so he cannot marry Estella.

Pip deceived Mrs. Joe by stealing the food

Pip recognises that many of the people of 'high' social class have significant character flaws (such as Bentley Drummle), and that people from other social classes are 'better' human beings. However, some lower working class people are to be feared and distrusted.

Pip always wants to learn, and even wants to benefits others. E.g teach Joe to read and write.