This lesson will explore some of the figurative language used in Charles Dickens ‘Great Expectations’, specifically some examples of personification, hyperbole, irony, and simile. It will also examine some metaphors from the novel.
What techniques are used in Great Expectations?
“Great Expectations” Narrative Techniques
- Point of View. Dickens uses the first person point of view to help readers see life from Pip’s perspective.
- Descriptions of Setting.
- Three-Part Chronology.
- Dramatic Dialogue.
What are the themes in Great Expectations?
Themes
- Ambition and Self-Improvement. The moral theme of Great Expectations is quite simple: affection, loyalty, and conscience are more important than social advancement, wealth, and class.
- Social Class.
- Crime, Guilt, and Innocence.
- Sophistication.
- Education.
- Family.
What is the name of the narrator in Great Expectations?
Pip
Great Expectations is written in the first person point of view, with Pip acting as both the protagonist and narrator of the novel.
What is the main theme of Great Expectations?
Ambition and Self-Improvement The moral theme of Great Expectations is quite simple: affection, loyalty, and conscience are more important than social advancement, wealth, and class.
What is the tone of Great Expectations?
The tone of Great Expectations is often regretful and wistful. Pip is looking back at his behavior from a later stage of life, and he can now see that he often behaved in ways that were unintentionally judgmental and cruel.
What does the gibbet symbolize in Great Expectations?
This is why when he sees the creepy gibbet, he gets nervous. A gibbet is a place where people are hanged, so naturally a little boy would be frightened by the sight of it. The presence of the convict near it increases the effect.
