great expectations

CharlesDickens《GREATEXPECTATION》CharlesDickens(1812-1870)HeisoneofthegreatestVictoriannovelists.LifeIn1812,hewasbornatPortsmouth,wherehisfatherwasanavypayofficeclerk.Heisthesecondofeightchildren.In1821,hisfamilymovedtoapoorquarterinLondon.ThenMr.DickenswastakentotheMarshalseaprison,London,fordebt.In1824,hewassenttoworkinablackingwarehouse.In1827,heworkedasaclerkinalawfirm,andlaterasanewspaperreporter.Attheageof18,hereadtheworksofWilliamShakespeareandotherEnglishwriterswithgreatinterest.In1830,hemethisfirstlove,MariaBeadnell.In1836,hemarriedCatherineThomsonHogarth.Theyhad10children.In1858,hedivorcedCatherineandlivedsecretlywithanactressEllenTernen.CharlesDickensdiedofastrokeonJune9,1870andhewasburiedatWestminsterAbbeyinthePoet’sCorner.HewashonoredbyQueenofEngland.WritingstyleHiswritingstyleismarkedbyaprofuselinguisticcreativity.Satire,flourishinginhisgiftforcaricatureishisforte.Hisliterarystyleisalsoamixtureoffantasyandrealism.Thecharactersinhisnovels:flatcharactersMajorworksindifferentperiodsEarlyperiodGentlesocialcriticismFantasticoptimismNovelapicarescaExaggerationHisrepresentativeworksatthattimePickwickPapers(1837)OliverTwist(1838)NicholasNickleby(1841)MiddleperiodCriticizebourgeoisandtheirmoralityGentlemoralismTheplotandstructurearemoreunifiedHumorandsatireHisrepresentativeworksatthattimeAChristmasCarol(1843)DavidCopperfield(1849-1850)HardTimes(1854)LaterperiodPoignantsocialcriticismGentlereformismandstronghumanitarianExplorationofman’sinnerconflictSymbolismHisrepresentativeworksatthattimeATaleofTwoCities(1859)GreatExpectation(1860-1861)EdwinDrood(unfinishied)GREATEXPECTATION(1860-1861)AsDickensbeganwritingGreatExpectations,heundertookhugechangesofhislife.Hehadseparatedfromhiswife,CatherineDickens,andwaskeepingsecretanaffairwithamuchyoungerwoman,EllenTernan.However,economicsituationsandtheideaofromancedictatedGreatExpectations'sdesignandimplementation.PLOT•Piplivedahumbleexistencewithherill-temperedoldersisterandJoeGargery—hersister’sstrongbutgentlehusband.MissHavishamwasanembittered（满腹怨恨的）wealthywoman,whohiredPipoccasionallytocompanyherandEstella—herbeautifulbuthaughty（傲慢的）adopteddaughter.Pipaspirestoleavebehindhissimplelifeandbeagentleman,buthestillbecametheapprenticeofJoeafterstoppingvisitMissHavisham,tohavealivelihoodasablacksmith.Later,aLondonattorney,Mr.JaggerscameandinformedPipthathewastocomeintotheGreatExpectationofahandsomepropertyandwouldbetrainedtobeagentlemanatthebehestofananonymousbenefactor.•InLondon,Piplearnedthedetailsofbeingagentlemenandwassupportedbyagenerousallowance.HefoundhimselfinthesamecirclesasEstella,whoisalsopursuedbymanyothermen.Headoptedthephysicalandculturalnormsofhisnewstatus,andtheclassattitudes.WhenJoecametovisitPip,PipwasembarrassedbyJoe’sunlearnedways,despitehisprotestationsofloveandfriendshipforJoe.•Intheend,Pipwasintroducedtohisbenefactor,andlearnedthestartlingtruths.Hisbenefactorwasthatescapedcriminal,whothreatenedhimwhenhewasachild,whileEstellawasthecriminal’sdaughter.Hecastintodoubtthevaluesheonceembracedsoeagerly,andfoundthathecouldn’tregainmanyoftheimportantthingsthathehadcastasidesocarelessly.PLOT•ThestoryisdividedintothreephasesofPip’slifeexpectations.•ⅠWhenPipwasyoung,hewantedtobecomeablacksmith(铁匠)likehisbrotherinlaw,Joe.•ⅡHismeetingwithHavishamchangedhisattitudetowardslife,andheadmiredherdecentwayoflivinglikeagentleman.HemetEstellaandfelllovewithher,buthecannotmarryherbecauseofhisinferiorstatusandhisexpectationschanged-raisehissocialstatusandtobecomeagentleman,getabettereducationandthenmarryEstella.•ⅢPiprealizedthemoneyandsocialstatusisnotthemostimportantthinginlife.Whatisimportantisloveandloyalty.Man’struevaluehasnothingtodowithhismoneyandstatus.Magwitch马格韦契JoeGargery乔·葛吉瑞Mrs.JoeGargery乔·葛吉瑞夫人Biddy毕蒂Estella艾斯黛拉MissHavisham赫薇香小姐Pip皮普Pip•Pip’stwomostimportanttraitsarehisimmature,romanticidealismandhisinnatelygoodconscience.Ontheonehand,Piphasadeepdesiretoimprovehimselfandattainanypossibleadvancement,whethereducational,moral,orsocial.HislongingtomarryEstellaandjointheupperclassesstemsfromthesameidealisticdesireashislongingtolearnreadandhisfearofbeingpunishedforbadbehavior.HoweverPip’sidealismoftenleadshimtoperceivetheworldrathernarrowlyandhistendencytooversimplifysituationsbasedonsuperficialvaluesleadshimtobehavebadlytowardthepeoplewhocareabouthim.WhenPipbecomesagentleman,forexample,heimmediatelybeginstoactashethinksagentlemanissupposedtoact,whichleadshimtotreatJoeandBiddysnobbishlyandcoldly.•Ontheotherhand,Pipisatheartaverygenerousandsympatheticyoungman,afactthatcanbewitnessedinhisnumerousactsofkindnessthroughoutthebook(helpingMagwitch,secretlybuyingHerbert’swayintobusiness,etc.)andhisessentialloveforallthosewholovehim.Pip’smainlineofdevelopmentinthenovelmaybeseenastheprocessoflearningtoplacehisinnatesenseofkindnessandconscienceabovehisimmatureidealism.NotlongaftermeetingMissHavishamandEstella,Pip’sdesireforadvancementlargelyovershadowshisbasicgoodness.•Afterreceivinghismysteriousfortune,hisidealisticwishesseemtohavebeenjustifi