On any list of “must-read classics” you will find Great Expectations. Since its publication in 1861, this novel has inspired numerous adaptations, including at least 28 films and TV series and more than 11 different plays.
It has been the source material for opera, ballet, Manga, and visual arts across the world and in many languages. What is it about this story that has resonated with people all over the world, in so many cultures, for 160+ years?
Great Expectations doesn’t fit neatly into any one box. It has elements of grand tragedy, absurd humor, social commentary on class, morality, and psychology, and a large dash of mystery and psychological thriller.
Part of Charles Dickens’ magic lies in his vivid characters. He peoples the worlds of his books with archetypes: virtuous people are righteous to the point of martyrdom. Villains are hauntingly vicious. Greed, silliness, timidity, idiocy, violence, and generosity are all brought to life by Dickens’ memorable, punchy prose. Amid all of these exaggerated types are the most fascinating of Dickens’ characters: those like Pip, the protagonist of Great Expectations, who live between extremes in the beleaguered realism of moral gray. These complex characters are plagued with doubt, grapple with wants and needs, play tug-of-war with temptation, and wrestle with their conscience.
Great moral struggles are not confined to one place or people, and Dickens’ novel has universal appeal as it presents questions like:
What makes a hero?
What can/should we expect from life?
What do we deserve, and who decides?
Where does happiness come from?
What do we do with disappointment?
What does love look like?
Today we are experiencing economic uncertainty, shifts in educational and political structures, and a constant bumbling search for identity and affirmation. When things feel unsure in our world, potent questions about villainy and virtue, merit and deservedness, happiness and disappointment need a place to breathe. Stories like Great Expectations can help us to consider and process those questions.
This story will make you laugh, make you cry, make you angry, and make you examine your own dreams and expectations for life.
