"Showing convincingly how characters develop and
so achieve a sense of identity is an essential way in which novelists and poets
engage fully with their readers"
Authors often use varying
techniques to engage fully with their readers. Charles Dickens, the author of
Great Expectations, has been analysed to create a sense of identity through demonstrating
how characters develop. This technique has been argued to be one of the
essential ways in which Dickens engages with the reader fully, as it explores a
much untouched area of society for his era- upward social mobility. However,
when digesting this novel, it is unambiguous to see that Dickens utilises other
methods in which to fashion a sense of identity to engage the readers, rather
than showing development; two such approaches being symbolism and setting.
To embark
upon this exploration, we first need to analyse the limited ways in which
Dickens uses development to create a sense of identity thus, engaging the
reader. A pinnacle aspect of identity development
in which Dickens explores is social mobility. This rare progress in the nineteenth
century is one of the key elements in which the book revolves around, and
commences when Jaggers states “that he be immediately removed from his resent
sphere of life and from this place, and be brought up as a gentleman.” (Ch. 18,
Pg. 117) However, the beginning of the character Pips’ development of identity can
be gleaned to be tainted with negative connotations. The quote stated prior is
quite impersonal, and uses the legal dialect of the character Jaggers to
describe this otherwise joyous and exhilarating transition in Pip’s life. Due
to this, Dickens may very well be leaking his opinions upon his contextual
society through this scenario. Mirrored in his novel, Dickens, like Pip, was a
poor boy who rose to success and through the social classes, to eventually
obtaining a high status. By describing Pip’s identity development into higher
standings in such a way, could suggest that Dickens was not content with his
new life. From being raised as poor, and to be catapulted into fame and fortune
as a result of his writing, Dickens may have found this transition difficult to
contend with, and may have been met by adversity from members of the upper
class. Alternatively, Dickens could be representing his opinion on the class
system as a whole. The author could be implying that to band people as rich or
poor is to consume ones identity, and that identity can only be achieved
through materialism, not personality.
Contextual
readers in the nineteenth century may have been fully engaged with this novel
when reading it. As described before, by developing Pip’s social standing and
creating a new sense of identity for him, Dickens explores a much isolated
topic within his society. Readers then may have been shocked at such a concept:
that a poor boy could infiltrate their lives of money and luxury. Today, contrastingly,
readers may not be as engaged with this concept, but rather relate to it easier. The invisible barrier of class has become more penetrable
over time; therefore readers may be able to relate to Dickens’ characters more,
than during his era. As a result, by showing how characters develop and achieve
a sense of identity, readers may become fully engaged within the novel.
Although
the development of characters can be a powerful way to achieve a sense of
identity, this is not the only essential way in which Dickens engages the
reader fully. Rather, Dickens’ use of landscape and setting can achieve similar
or even better results. Many novelists use setting to covey a certain message to
the reader. Dickens uses this technique in such a way that the characters
identity is portrayed through their surroundings; therefore, engaging the
reader. Dickens describes Pip’s home to be “marsh country, down by the river,
within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea.” (Ch. 1, Pg. 3) There are
a lot of connotations associated with this use of setting which can reveal
deeper depths to Pip’s identity. Not only does it give immediate impressions of
an underprivileged existence, the use of the river and the sea gives certain fluidity
and movement associations with Pip. Dickens may be suggesting here Pip’s need
for change, as the tide changes; combined with Pip’s confinement, like the
water flowing within the rivers course. As a result, a sense of identity is
created, without the need to show development.
This use
of setting has many personal connections with Dickens. Dickens, as a child, was
moved to Kent with his family. For Pip’s home and further locations in the
novel, Dickens draws upon personal experience to fuel his location choice. By
doing so, Dickens may be showing his fondness for these landscapes, as they
played an important part in his life. On the other hand, Dickens continues to
describe Pip’s location as a “bleak place overgrown with nettles” (Ch. 1, Pg.
3) this may indeed draw opposed inferences upon Dickens’ opinion of his
childhood home. By depicting the setting as “bleak” with “nettles” does provide
negative connotations; implying that Dickens may not have reminisced his
childhood with fond memories.
This
novel has often been related to having aspects of the gothic nature. A typical
gothic genre includes landscapes and settings that are far away. By using
setting to achieve a sense of identity may engage readers as Dickens uses
local, familiar locations in his novel, rather than exotic, ostentatious ones-
as in line with the typical gothic genre. Both contextual and modern day
readers may experience a sense of familiarity within Great Expectations, due to
this choice of setting, making it increasingly easier to become engaged with
the novel. If Dickens selected a more outlandish setting, readers may not have
been able to engage fully with the book; even more so for nineteenth century
readers, as travel abroad was not as accessible as it is today. Therefore, as a
result of Dickens using setting to achieve a sense of identity will engage the
readers fully within the novel.
The last
exploration into Great Expectations takes the form of symbolism. This method is
often a favourite of Dickens, and appears throughout the novel. Dickens uses
symbolism in such a way, that like setting, it can achieve a more profound
sense of identity while engaging the readers fully. Time and Miss Havisham are
often related heavily, exposing certain elements regarding identity. When
Dickens writes Pip’s first encounter with Miss Havisham at Satis house, he
notices that “her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock
in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine” (Ch. 8, Pg. 49) This
symbolism of frozen time can demonstrate certain characteristics of Miss
Havisham’s identity. A certain air of self-created, timeless pain emits from this
imagery. Dickens’ symbolism here may be highlighting Miss Havisham’s prerequisite
for self-torture, as she decided to freeze time at the moment her fiancé left
her. Ideas of a self-created purgatory exude from this symbolism also; as if
Miss Havisham is destined to remain in her timeless state until her revenge has
been accomplished. Thus, this symbolism may reflect upon her identity, as her
need for pain and continuous torture.
Such
ideas could be imitated from Dickens’ past. Like Miss Havisham stuck in her
timeless hell, Dickens’ father was sent to prison for his collation of debt.
His father, much like Miss Havisham, created his own ‘unhappy ending’ by not
paying his debts. It could be inferred that Dickens is suggesting that people
create their own bad outcomes, and inflict pain upon themselves, rather than being
products of other people’s actions.
Using
symbolism to achieve as sense of identity can engage the readers fully, as they
become more involved within the novel. A tone of mystery can be created when
introducing symbolism to the reader, as they attempt to interpret its meaning;
as a result, the reader becomes actively involved within the novel.
Showing
convincingly how characters develop and so achieve a sense of identity can be
an essential way in which novelists and poets engage fully with their readers.
The use of social mobility to highlight development is quite effective in
creating identity and engaging the readers. However, Dickens does use
alternative techniques with a more successful result. Using location and
setting portray an instant impression of a characters identity, and the familiar
of the setting can create engagement; while symbolism can conjure mystery into
a novel, that makes the reader engage by interpreting the hidden meanings. However,
does identity have to be the central motif to create engagement? Can other
motifs such as the class system or the criminal justice system engage the
readers just as well?
Bibliography:
Charles Dickens (1992). Great Expectations,
Wordsworth Classics, Hertfordshire
