Introduction to Great Expectations

I first read Great Expectations when I was 16 during my GCSEs almost 8 years ago! Sure enough the whole book has vanished from my memory along with everything else i had been taught about it, SO here we are again!

I decided to give the book another read to refresh myself on the story and have to admit i found it pretty difficult to get into! I studied the notes on 'Spark Notes' to help break down the story and make it easier to understand which have been extremely helpful. 

I read through notes about the themes and symbolism which generally state the moral of the story is that love, loyalty and conscience are far more important than wealth and class. Pip finds that he is no more happy being a wealthy gentleman than he was a blacksmith and has learned to see whats inside of people such as Magwitch, though Pip was initially afraid of him and hoarded guilt from helping him he learns that he is a good person and means well. 

We watched part 1 of the BBC version of Great Expectations in class together and i went home to complete the series. The text was a little off from the book but all in all i was impressed. The story was mostly kept to Charles Dickens original story but there was one character missing, Biddy. 

When reading the spark notes i discovered that there is a symmetrical theme with the characters that runs throughout the story. For example Magwitch and Compeyson, the two convicts. Biddy is Estella's opposite, the women both hold an interest for pip but they clearly both have different ways of showing this.

Gillian Anderson played Miss Havisham who i imagined to be as pale and ghostly as she appeared on the series but i was surprised with how calm and soft she seemed. I was expecting her to be much more aggressive and loud but then on the other hand she has had her heart broken and is obviously very fragile.

I went on to watch the 2012 film and being a huge Helena Bonham Carter fan i was pretty excited to see how it compared to the book and the series. It began on a great start for me and the text was on point but i was really disappointed by Mrs Joe's lack of appearance. Her character is quite important in helping to understand Joe and Pip's relationship and why they are so close but i was pleased that Biddy had been included in this version.


Though i preferred Helena Bonham Carters version of Miss Havisham i thought Gillian Anderson's gown was more typically Victorian. I decided from watching both the series and the movie remakes i definitely give higher marks to the BBC. Everything from the costume, language and scenery was kept classically Victorian an the story was kept most similar to the original story which i think is really important.