Great Expectations by Charles Dickens : Critical analysis

 

Great Expectations (1861) by Charles Dickens is one of the most celebrated works of Victorian literature, which remarkably examines the social scenario and human relationships. The novel chronicles the life of Pip, an orphan, from his childhood to adulthood, as he navigates through his "great expectations" and the consequent disillusionments that shape his growth. Dickens, renowned for his critique of social structures, addresses themes of class inequality, moral growth, and human suffering in the context of modern age.

One of the most striking aspects of the novel  is its exploration of social class and the attempt to accumulate wealth. Dickens critiques the Victorian class system, where birth and social standing heavily influence a person’s opportunities and respect. Pip’s desire to rise from a humble blacksmith's apprentice to a gentleman reflects the pervasive class aspirations of the time.

As a child, Pip is acutely aware of his social status, especially when he is invited to Satis House by Miss Havisham. He encounters with Estella, a girl raised to be a "lady," heighten his sense of inferiority.

Marxist critics would argue that Pip’s great expectations are driven by the capitalist ideology of upward mobility. Pip's expectations rest on the belief that acquiring wealth will bring him happiness, self-worth, and the approval of others—particularly Estella.

Dickens’ portrayal of the working-class characters, such as Joe Gargery, contrasts with the morally bankrupt upper class. Joe is depicted as honest, hardworking, and kind, a model of the virtues Dickens associates with the lower classes. Pip’s rejection of Joe when he becomes a gentleman represents the dangers of adopting the upper-class values of pride and superficiality. As Pip reflects in his later years, "I had deserted Joe for a proud life of lies and pretence" , realizing that true nobility comes from personal integrity, not social rank.


The figure of Miss Havisham can be analyzed through a psychoanalytic perspective, particularly as a symbol of unhealed trauma and arrested development. Miss Havisham’s life is frozen in time after being jilted by Arthur, and she manipulates Estella and Pip as proxies in her unresolved desire for revenge. Her decaying house, her wedding dress, and the rotting cake are all symbolic of her inability to move beyond the trauma of her betrayal, that constitutes a gothic atmosphere and  reflects her inner ruin.

Pip’s eventual reconciliation with his guilt occurs through his experiences with Magwitch. Initially horrified to learn that his wealth came from a convict, Pip later recognizes Magwitch’s humanity and is redeemed by his efforts to help him escape. This shift marks Pip’s psychological growth, where he accepts his guilt and forgives himself .

The novel presents a range of female characters, but most are defined by their relationships with men and their position within a patriarchal society.

Estella, as the novel’s most prominent female character, is both a victim and a manipulator. Raised by Miss Havisham to exact revenge on men, she is denied the opportunity to develop her own identity. Estella’s beauty and coldness serve as a weapon, but she is also emotionally stunted by Miss Havisham’s influence. Her statement, "I am what you have made me" , is a poignant critique of how women can be shaped and manipulated by other forces. In this sense, Estella can be seen as a tragic figure, caught in a web of control that limits her freedom.

Miss Havisham herself is an enigmatic figure. On the one hand, she is a powerful woman, controlling her own wealth and asserts her self and Individality. On the other hand, she is trapped by her own obsessive desire for vengeance, which defines her life. Her fixation on her betrayal by Compeyson reflects the limited roles available to women in Victorian society.  Her madness and bitterness can be seen as a response to the oppressive gender roles that denied her agency outside of marriage.

Biddy, by contrast, represents a more positive and typical feminine character. She is nurturing, intelligent, and grounded, serving as a moral counterpoint to Estella. Dickens portrays Biddy as the ideal woman,  with her domestic role, values of kindness and humility. However, feminist critics might argue that Biddy’s role is limited by Victorian ideals of womanhood, where her potential is confined to marriage and care giving.

The most notable symbol is Satis House, which represents decay, stagnation, and the destructive nature of one character. It acts as a powerful objective correlative in the novel, which in fact represents the life of Miss Havisham.

Once a grand mansion, it is now a place where time has stopped, much like Miss Havisham’s emotional state. The house’s dilapidated condition mirrors the ruined lives of its inhabitants, especially Miss Havisham, who remains frozen in her moment of trauma.
........................................................................

John Ruskin, a major Victorian critic, admired Dickens for his ability to highlight the social inequalities of Victorian society. Ruskin praised Great Expectations for its exploration of class struggles, especially through the character of Joe Gargery, whom Ruskin saw as an emblem of working-class virtue.

"The true wealth of England lies not in her accumulated gold but in the souls of her virtuous working men. Joe Gargery, in his humility and honesty, reflects the strength of our nation. Dickens, in his portrayal of Joe, captures the nobility of the poor and the folly of aspiring beyond one's station."

Ruskin praised Great Expectations as a social novel that critiqued the illusion of wealth and status, aligning with his own views on the moral degradation brought about by industrial capitalism.

J. Hillis Miller, a major figure in deconstructionist literary theory, examined Great Expectations as a novel that challenges traditional ideas of identity and narrative stability. Miller argued that Dickens constructs a world where identity is fluid and contingent, particularly in relation to Pip’s shifting sense of self.

Miller observes Great Expectations as a work of existential uncertainty, in which characters are trapped in a world where they can never fully understand themselves or the forces shaping their lives.

E. M. Forster-  "Great Expectations is a novel of exquisite emotional subtlety and narrative construction. Dickens weaves together the gothic horror of Miss Havisham’s decaying world with the emotional depth of Pip’s personal journey. It is this balance between the grotesque and the humane that makes the novel one of Dickens’ greatest achievements."