Movie Week 2

Great Expectations

Great Expectations

by Shauna Raiger -
Number of replies: 0

*Title: Great Expectations

*Author: Charles Dickens

*Original Publication Date: 1917

*Setting: 1800s England

*Theme: Love means more than success or money.

*Brief Plot Synopsis: Pip meets Estella whom he falls in love with and yearns to impress. Estella moves to London. Pip becomes rich and suspects Estella of being with someone else. In the end, however, they end up together.


CHARACTERS

Pip: (Protagonist) Always trying to help people, an orphan, becomes snobbish

Estella: Attractive, heart-breaker

Miss Havisham: (Antagonist) Manic, rich, eccentric, and sometimes insane, was "left at the altar", uses Estella (her adoptive daughter) to break men's hearts

Abel Magwich: Convict, the person who gives Pip the money in return for Pip's help, Estella's father

Joe Gregory: Pip's brother-in-law, helps Pip throughout life, takes care of Pip when Pip falls ill

Mr. Jaggers: Abel Magwich's lawyer, becomes Pip's guardian, helped Estella's mom get out of prison for murder

Herbert Pocket: Becomes friends with Pip from childhood fight, becomes his roommate in London

SYMBOLS

Miss Havisham's wedding dress represents death and degeneration.

The misty marshes represent danger and uncertainty.

The brewery next to the Satis House represents the connection between commerce and wealth.

*Distinguishing Characteristics: I am not entirely sure that there were any distinguishing characteristics. It seemed like any other romance story. It even had the same old happy ending.

*Response: I did not really like the movie. Then again, I am not entirely a fan of romantic films.