Henry's Blog Post 5

Perceptions and Expectations

~Blog Post #5~

Topic J

May 15, 2015

by Henry Sledz

Throughout the novel, the characters all develop certain expectations that are then subverted by the real world, hence the title, Great Expectations. Some characters develop expectations for others, mostly for Pip, and are then let down or surprised by what really happens.

The expectations characters develop shape the way they behave and interact more than any other factors. The upper-class in general expects lower-class people like Joe to be unintelligent and crude, while Joe proves to be one of the kindest people in the story. Pip’s influences expect great things from him, Jaggers and Mr. Pocket expect him to become a successful high society young man while Magwitch and Joe expect him to be a good young man. Pip has his own expectations about his future. He expected that Miss Havisham was his benefactor, planning for him to marry Estella, but that was, “all a mere dream.” His real benefactor was the common criminal Magwitch. Pip’s hopes are crushed by this revelation, he had too high expectations and he was inevitably disappointed by Magwitch. Expectations play a clear role in the interactions in the novel and they shape the relationships between these characters.

In Great Expectations, the characters’ expectations are constantly subverted and crushed. The reader also develops expectations for the novel and Dickens manages to subvert those as well. The title also is somewhat self-referential as Dickens turns the story on its head, keeping the reader interested and on their feet as their own expectations are constantly changing.