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Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

An Introduction to Style
Diction:
Dickens' uses a large and colorful vocabulary in his novels, and GE
is no exception. For a beginning example of his word choice, see the
description of Mrs. Joe in paragraph 3 of chapter 2. Words here build
to create the view of Mrs. Joe" "impregnable," coarse," "red,"
"nutmeg grater," etc. Also, the sentence fragment at the end lends
immediacy.
Syntax: The structure of Dickens' sentences is one of the hallmarks
of his style. His use of parallelism, subordination, coordination,
fragments, periodic sentences, and a mix of long and short
sentences are all noteworthy. See chapter 1 paragraph 3, 3rd
sentence for an example of his use of subordination and of the
periodic sentence.
Paragraphs: How are they organized? From the specific to the
general or the general followed by example? Inductive or
deductive?
Chapters: Since the novel was first published as a serial, note that
the chapters are short. Look at the first and last sentences of the
chapters. If your edition shows where different installments ended,
see how Dickens crafted the cliffhanger which would induce his
readers to rush out for the next installment.
Stages: Here, even more than in the chapters, there is a sense of a
crafted end and beginning. Why did Dickens set the novel in stages?
How does he play upon the notion of Eden and the Expulsion?

The Cancelled Conclusion: Dickens, at the urging of his publisher,

wrote a new ending to the novel. After you have read the whole novel,
you will be able to assess which ending you think is most appropriate.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

(in installments)

Greenblatt ellengreenblatt.com

Workshops

Charles Dickens' novel, Great Expectations was first published in weekly

magazine installments between December 1, 1860 and August 3, 1861. This
meant that readers had to wait a week between episodes. In the hiatus, they
could wonder about the plot and worry about characters who began to seem
like friends.
The magazine in England in which Dickens published Great
Expectations, a magazine called All The Year Round,* was having circulation
problems before he started, but the appearance of Great Expectations
changed all that. After a few episodes, the printing of over 100,000 copies per
week became necessary. Dickens knew how to engage his readers' anxiety,
sympathy and curiosity. He also understood the power of the maxim: "Make
'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em wait."
Obviously, publishing as he wrote meant Dickens could not revise the
whole manuscript. But to an amazing extent, he was able to remember what
he had written and to proceed accordingly. His work became hugely popular
and, when it was published together, became a staple of libraries which made
a business of renting copies to subscribers.
We will try to replicate, after 140 years, the pleasure (and vexation) of
reading serially. Because of time constraints, we will read 2 installments
together. YOU MUST READ THE ASSIGNMENT BY THE DUE DATE, BUT, UNDER
NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE YOU PERMITTED TO READ AHEAD. YOU
MUST SIGN HERE TO AGREE!!
I HEREBY SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I WILL NEVER READ AHEAD
IN GREAT EXPECTATIONS. I WILL, HOWEVER, KEEP UP WITH
ASSIGNMENTS (which will appear on the syllabus).
YOUR SIGNATURE______________________________
* In the U.S., Great Expectations was published in Harper's Weekly.
[Information on this page comes from an article by Robert L. Patten (Rice University),
published by The Dickens Project, UC Santa Cruz.]