by Drew Price

Created on: July 27, 2008

Charles Dickens includes several important themes in his Victorian novel Great Expectations. However, one of the more dominate themes that permeates the entire novel concerns the emotional growth many of the characters experience. Although the story focus' on Pip, and his desire to break free from his predetermined social position, and become something greater. However, during his journey, and perhaps because of his journey Pip, as well as several other characters experience emotional growth.

As the novel opens it seems Pip is in little need of any emotional growth. He is a innocent, generous, yet timid young boy despite the mistreatment he endures from his sister. However, as the story progresses he loses that innocense when he encounters Miss Havishan, a woman who dwells on the fact that she has been jilted and vows to take revenge on the entire male sex. At Mrs. Havisham's house Pip learns to be ashamed of being comon. Estella, a beautiful young girl who he immediately falls in love with reinforces Pip's shame by making fun of him and treating him like he is, indeed, not good enough. Fate intervenes and Pip does become a gentleman, and allows his new fortune to corrupt his innocense even more. He becomes an arrogant and ungrateful individual who thinks only of his possible future with Estella. After a series of tragic events including the revelation of his true benefactor, a convict he once helped in the marshes as a boy, Pip begins to see reality. He realizes that Miss Havisham does not intend to marry him to Estella, and that he has been used and decieved for quite some time. Worst of all he realizes how he has mistreated those who truly loved him - Biddy and Joe. This is where his emotional growth takes place. His suffering has led to a new beginning for him. He no longer allows his pride and arrogants to cloud his vision. He ends up helping a long time friend, Herbert with his money, and apologizes to Joe and even considers marrying Biddy and living at the forge until he finds out that Biddy and Joe are married. In other words, Pip learns that his sudden rise to fortune did not make him better than anyone, in fact, it changed him for the worse.

The cold hearted Estella also undergoes a dramtic change in the novel. Throughout the course of the novel she is portrayed as the beautiful, yet unfeeling, subject of Pip's devotion. She is trained by Mrs. Havisham to break the hearts of men, and becomes quite successful at it. She begins with Pip when they are

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