GE Post 1

Great Expectations Post 1

Response 1 – 25 July 09

 The novel Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, is the most sensationally mundane text that I have ever forced myself to read. I did not particularly enjoy reading it, predominantly because I did not like his use of too complicated techniques and language. However I’ll admit to enjoying the complex and immoral characters. Arguably they were the only source of interest in the entire novel. The underlying problem is that it focuses too much on the tedious events and sights of everyday life, while blithely skipping over all the exciting bits. It promises tension, danger and excitement but all the novel amounts to are ghostly words on the page which fail to provide any real degree of action or tragedy. Every time the novel begins to emerge from its mundane trappings to enrapture and engage the reader, the effect is dashed by the perplexing and pompous use of language. I found it exceptionally difficult to grasp a lot of what was being said on the first reading and had to stop myself periodically, just to be sure that I understood what was going on. In addition to slowing me down, this fragmented approach to reading really prevented me from properly enjoying the novel. I also presume that as a result of my inability to understand a lot of what was being said, I missed out on the genius that has caused so many people to label the novel a classic.

 However despite all the negatives that I have listed, not everything I have to say about Great Expectations is bad. There were many instances where the novel ran smoothly and using a mixture of intrigue and hopeful expectations transported me, the reader, into nineteenth century England and introduced me to a strange but captivating new world. I was very fascinated by how people interacted with one another, their values, what they considered morally correct and what they deemed disrespectful and unlawful, also I was horrified by the difficulties and hardships that they had to endure on a daily basis. I guarantee you I don’t envy them at all for their unfortunate positions. Having enough to eat was a point of aspiration for most families and more often than not they didn’t have sufficient means to feed their families. Cleanliness was seen as a luxury not as a necessity, as were clean clothes that fitted, or shoes. Life was harsh, diseases were rife and children died young. Those who survived found means of coping and learnt to live on. Because medical science wouldn’t appear until centuries later, people were full of superstitions which bred fanaticism and fear. So anything out of the ordinary was shunned or, in line with radical religious beliefs, openly opposed. All so people could feel better about their own insecurities. Unfortunately the pronounced fear of the time inspired plenty of irrational outbursts of violence and uncontrollable mania.

 Another point of instability and deprivation was the shear gap between the social classes. The wealth of the gentility when compared with that belonging to the peasants was so shocking that by today’s standards people’s sense of humanity and justice would not have allowed such atrocious acts of greed and selfishness to happen. The lower classes were downtrodden and oppressed. While the upper classes seemed to ignore their plight and waste vast amounts of wealth on feasts and banquets and fancy clothing, the poor starved and died from cold related sicknesses that could easily have been prevented.

 Therefore despite the long list of negative things I have to say about Great Expectations, my outrage and sensitivity to the issues of the time gives me the strength to force myself to ignore the mountains of crap, discard all the tedium and see through to the underlying social commentary which maintains its significance in the present day.