Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

Published in 1861, Great Expectations uses brilliant writing and intricate character development to tell the story of young Pip, whose unexpected rise from poverty to wealth initially causes him to turn his back on those who had been his true friends. Trials and loss open his eyes to the deception of his "great expectations" and teach him what it means to be a real friend and a true gentleman.

Related Readings

Working Life—social history by Sally Mitchell

from David Copperfield—excerpt from the novel by Charles Dickens

Freedom's Plow—poem by Langston Hughes

‘Round the Clock' in Victorian London—descriptive account by George Augustus Sala

Great Expectations—book review in Atlantic Monthly, September 1861

Study Guide (PDF)