Great Expectations Atmosphere and Suspense

Great expectations by Charles dickens was written in 1860-1861. The opening chapter of great expectations is extremely important as it tells of each character from Pips perspective (also telling the readers just how naпve, young and innocent Pip is amidst this gloomy dwelling), for example Pip says “…my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones“ this tells us that Pip is a blank canvas ready to be painted on and every little thing will shape and effect his understanding and in a way perseverance of the world around him and those of which he must share it with. If you see a grave stone with a stern, worn and capital font you could picture a strict business figure. You see a small petit stone with calligraphic engraving you may picture a young girl .

All introductions have to lure and imbed that figurative hook and not let them go unless they don’t want there book to be read past the blurb. Introduction’s must be unpredictable, spontaneous and infinitely exciting to deliver curiosity to the reader. If they are told something intriguing will they not want to read on? they’ll want to know more and more until no more can be known of the subject or tale before them. This is the key to a perfect introduction.

The opening chapter takes place in an isolated, dark and damp area 20 miles from the sea. Misfortune is always expressed within the works of Dickens as it says “that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the church yard” churches should be a beacon of hope especially in such technologically deprived times such as the mid 1800’s. If I child sees the church as repellent and there is not many other things that world can offer then it makes the place seam pretty dire and Pip being there only makes him seam just as dull. Repellent referring to physical as well as emotional, nettles are infamous for their sting so we don’t go by them and we usually give them a wide berth so in a sense the nettles are driving people from the church. Showing what little else the surrounding area has to offer is seen in the cattle “…scattered cattle feeding”. There’s no herd (unity) so all the cows are trying to survive on their own just as Pip is doing.

The opening chapter is full of suspense especially during the tense moments Magwitch collars Pip. Another reference I am going to make is to the characters names. Magwitch has the word Witch in it so this would give the illusion of an evil figure. Pips name says it all doesn’t it. Pip squeak, tiny and inferior. The conversatio0n between the two is a rapid flurry of small words. If you are hungry and you’re fed the smallest amounts. Is that not torture to your gut as you savour the taste? In the same way the dialogue keeps the viewer reading on by giving them minute doses a bite or a word at a time. There are no more than about 6 syllables per phrase for example “quick” and ”Pip. Pip, sir”.

Charles Dickens wrote about misfortune in his stories. He shows and tells of injustice between the rich and the poor. The rich do as they please but only do so because money allows them to they’re oblivious that the poor have to work to live and not for spare dough (something that is a mould. Moulds and sees what our money turns into). Charles Dickens often uses the narration style of using characters to recollect events past allowing or more like forcing the reader to progress at the same mental pace of the character narrating; in this case Pip. This also creates the atmosphere by not telling you what’s there but by telling you what Pip sees there (media censorship in its infancy, and what do infants do with time? They grow). It could be a bright sunny day but Pip could feel tired and that’s all you’d be told as it’s Pip narrating. The text was written in 1860-1861which can be seen by the slang and terminology used. For one the insults used by Magwitch are those such as dog etc. Nowadays the choice of language is far more vulgar. This was probably a strong piece of vocabulary back then because Magwitch is on the run for murder so he’s going to be desperate and is going to make sure the boy has his attention