Ms. Treadway

English IV

28 March 2005

Literary Analysis of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

Charles Dickens uses a wide variety of literary devices to express the book's themes of guilt and fear, abuse of authority, money and status, and several social criticisms. The book also encompasses symbolism effectively throughout its storyline. Dickens uses language, dramatic tension, narrative, metaphors, similes, irony, and humor in this classic literary work. The culmination of both the portrayal of the main symbols, clever use of different literary terms, and outstanding themes makes critics declare Great Expectations to be his best work.

Dickens covers the theme of guilt and fear through the eyes of Pip, his youngest character. Pip feels threatened by adults, and he resents their presence and power they have over him. As a young child Pip resents being manipulated by adults and decides to become rich and powerful so that he...