Gothic great expectations

How is gothic represented in the great expectations?

 Dickens explores the use of gothic horror through his characters, particularly Miss Havisham. She is defined as ' a wronged women in the ghost of a young heroine.' Dickens uses her adopted daughter Estella as a new version of  Miss Havisham as a heroine waiting to be rescued. Pip is portrayed as the her and at the beginning of the novel Magwitch was portrayed as a villain. Dickens novels usually explore the used of romance Victorianism and modernism. The great expectations novel explores the topic of romance and uses the love triangle between hero heroine and villain set up. Statis house and the marshland scene are considered to be two gothic locations in the novel. The topic of money which is used throughout the novel is known as a 'ghost' which is a metaphorical meaning.

edited by Catherine Spooner and Emma Mcevoy (19/10/07). The routledge companion to gothic. unknown: Catherine Spooner and Emma mcevoy. 30-32.

The great expectations written by novelist Charles Dickens can be recognised as a romance novel with aspects of gothic. After reading the I feel gothic is portrayed in many ways first of all throughout the novel there is a topic of mortality: for example, the loss of Magwhitch; Bentley Drummle ; Pips sister and Miss Havisham's death by fire.

Miss Havisham's slightly unusual and mysterious personality her background story appear slightly gothic also. Her character in the BBC version portrays her as quite creepy , throughout the film her bad habit of picking at her skin is quite grotesque and creates an unsettling feeling for the audience.

After watching the film interpretations of the great expectations, the 1946 version in particularly the when Pip first walks into Statis House for the first time to meet Miss Havisham, the audience will notice the house and the stairway is shot at a funny angle to create a sense of confusion, the inside of Statis house is very dark and shadowed which makes the picture appear very dark and gloomy making the audience have an unsettling feeling which portrays the use of gothic horror.

The gothic motif which I feel relates to the gothic horror novel is power throughout the novel i feel Pip and Estella are forced into things they don't want to do for example Estella has to act as a weapon against Pips feelings in order to keep Miss Havisham happy after she got rejected on her wedding day by the man she idolised.

quotes such as ' you will never marry him Estella' on page 483 and ' are you afraid of a women who hasn't seen the sun' at the beginning of the novel on page 75 support the reasons for suggesting that power is the gothic motif which is used throughout the novel.
The quotes portray Miss Havisham as very demanding and intimidating.

How does the Great expectations represent grotesque

the meaning of grotesque is something which can be considered as ugly in a distorted way. After reading several articles in order to get an idea of how the great expectations represents a grotesque image. The image is however first created at the beginning of the novel when the scene is first set in a graveyard where a young boy Pip first comes into contact with a prisoner named Magwhitch. The treatment Magwhitch first gives Pip is truly unwelcoming, invading the boys space and giving him a life or death decision of fetching him some food. By setting the scene with this grotesque introduction this immediately conveys to the audience gothic elements and a unwelcoming feeling.

After trembling with fear and seeing his life flash before his eyes Pip's obvious decision is to fetch the man some food which he steals from his family. The visual image the audience is given of the starving prisoner scoffing the food in the young boys face is ugly.

Ben wright. (2012). analysis of great expectations. Available: http://literary-articles.x10.mx/great-expectations.html. Last accessed 06/04/15.

How does the great expectations represent uncanny?

The meaning of uncanny is something that can be considered as strange in unsettling way.

The great expectations explores the use of uncanny in several ways for example when Pip first enters Statis house to meet Miss Havisham for the first time the feeling i got when reading the novel was that when ever Pip looked over his shoulder unexpectedly Estella was also there as if whenever he was in the gothic style house he was being watched.

After reading the novel Old Orlick who became an apprentice of Joe the blacksmith soon after Pip conveyed his Jealousy towards Pip several times throughout the novel. When Pip is alone he walks into Old Orlick, when Pip as a gentlemen visits Statis house the person who came to open the gate was old Orlick , i felt when reading the novel his presence was to be considered as strange and unsettling as if he was always watching Pips every move.

Another Chraacter which I found quite strange and unsettling was Miss Havisham her fragile stance and malnourishment made the book portray the wealthy old women as a porclein doll which is quite eerie.The fact that se wanted Pip to push her round in her wheelchair in the novel round the large table with the decaying wedding cake on the table also conveys elements of gothic horror as well as uncanniness.

How does Dickens give the uncanny a unique twist in terms of characterization?

When reading the novel things that could be considered as unsettling and strange in terms of the character changes towards the end of the novel. First of all Magwhitch at the beginning of the novel is quite unsettling and strange the way he suddenly appears and threatens to kill Pip if he doesn't fetch him some food, the audience doesn't know nothing about the character but are immediately shocked and intrigued at the same time to find out who he is. Towards the end o the novel Pip and Magwhitch start to have a really close relationship after Pip fins out he's Estella's father , Pip stays with the prisoner whilst he is led on his death bed.

At the beginning of the novel Miss Havisham is first introduced as a slightly bizarre old women who only has a close bond with Estella, although she always remains slightly mysterious throughout the novel I feel the scene where Pip has become a gentlemen and returns to see Miss Havisham she starts to let her guard down and show emotion.