The document is a comprehensive study guide tailored for GCSE AQA students studying Charles Dickens' novel "Great Expectations." It includes structured sections covering key aspects of the novel:
1. **Context and Background**: Provides essential information about the author, publication details,...
Certainly! Here's a study guide for GCSE AQA students focusing on Charles Dickens' novel "Great
Expectations":
### Context and Background
- **Author**: Charles Dickens, a prominent Victorian novelist known for his social commentary and
vivid characters.
- **Publication Date**: Originally serialized between 1860-1861, published as a novel in 1861.
- **Genre**: Victorian literature, social criticism, bildungsroman (coming-of-age novel).
### Plot Summary
1. **Introduction to Pip**: The protagonist, Pip, is an orphan raised by his sister and her husband in
rural England.
2. **Encounter with Convict**: Pip encounters an escaped convict, Magwitch, in a graveyard who
demands food and a file.
3. **Meeting Miss Havisham and Estella**: Pip visits the wealthy, eccentric Miss Havisham's mansion
where he meets Estella, who becomes the object of his affection.
4. **Great Expectations**: Pip receives a large sum of money from an anonymous benefactor and
moves to London to become a gentleman.
5. **Revelations and Consequences**: Pip learns the true identity of his benefactor and faces the
consequences of his transformation.
6. **Resolution**: The novel concludes with Pip reconciling his expectations with reality and finding
personal growth.
### Key Characters
- **Pip**: The protagonist, who experiences personal growth and moral development throughout
the novel.
- **Estella**: Raised by Miss Havisham to break men's hearts, she symbolizes the unattainable ideal
for Pip.
- **Miss Havisham**: A wealthy and eccentric woman who was jilted on her wedding day and lives
in a decaying mansion, frozen in the past.
- **Magwitch**: An escaped convict who becomes Pip's secret benefactor, revealing unexpected
kindness.
- **Joe Gargery**: Pip's brother-in-law, a kind and humble blacksmith who represents true
goodness.
- **Herbert Pocket**: Pip's friend in London, who helps him adjust to his new life and supports him.
### Themes
1. **Social Class**: Pip's journey from poverty to wealth highlights the impact of social class on
identity and self-worth.
2. **Ambition and Disillusionment**: Pip's aspirations for a better life versus the realities he faces in
pursuit of his "great expectations."
3. **Crime and Punishment**: Themes of guilt, justice, and forgiveness are explored through
characters like Magwitch and Compeyson.
4. **Love and Redemption**: Pip's love for Estella and his moral growth through forgiveness and
empathy.
### Exam Tips
- **Understanding Character Development**: Track Pip's evolution from a humble orphan to a
conflicted gentleman.
- **Contextual Understanding**: Be aware of Dickens' critique of Victorian society, especially class
divisions and the treatment of criminals.
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