 Historical Significance of Great Expectations: It is said that in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, there is some type of symbolism to illustrate how the people of the different social classes in England lived back then. In the early Victorian England times, which was the time period of Great Expectations, the social class was important as ever, and it staged a heavy battle between the wealthy and the poor. Great Expectations stars a young boy named Pip, who is rapidly changing between social classes. He begins in his youth wishing to have high-class training as a gentleman to win the heart of his lover, Estella. He is then sent off to London by a secret benefactor to receive a chance to rise in his social status. Pip's character progresses throughout the novel only to learn that being a gentleman (the wealthy social class) is not the matter of importance at all; it is the heart of a man that defines his true worth. In the early Victorian England time period, much of the English viewed the entirety of other people solely based on their financial status. This is so because the Industrial Revolution was at its rise during this time, and the possession of money was gratefully respected. Literary Significance of Great Expectations: Great Expectations is a classic novel written by the infamous Charles Dickens. It has won countless awards and has often been called Dickens' greatest novel. This was his 13th work and it was quite successful. It was first published in his weekly journal All the Year Round. It was also published in English and American versions. Today, it is published all over the world It is often said that Great Expectations was written as an autobigraphy in disguise, for Dickens faced many similar problems to those of the main character, Pip. He has written autobiographies before, however this was a more indirect way of writing it. In 1946, British director David Lean turned Great Expectations into a movie. Such tremendous novel was bound to become a modern movie soon after, and in 1998 it hit Hollywood. Director Alfonso Cuarón made this drama/romance a box office hit. Some of the stars from this film were Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert De Niro. As a movie, it was nominated for an ALMA award for outstanding direction, but did not win. Also, Great Expectations was turned into a TV movie. Clearly, this novel has been published in almost every format possible, everywhere from magazines and books to movies and TV shows. No matter what the format, this story is a classic. Its many awards and nominations have made this Dickens' most popular book. |