The Future of Pip and Estella in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations"

Paper Summary:

This paper gives an overview of "Great Expectations" as the story of a young man who discovers that life as an adult is not simple and that there is a danger is pursuing ones childhood great expectations. The writer explains that two different endings are given by Dickens so that we don't know what exactly will happen in the relationship between Pip and Estella. The second ending in particular leaves Pip's future open and unclear. The paper argues that while we cannot definitely know what will happen to Pip and Estella we will see that both have grown up enough to make their own decisions and are quite likely to end up together. The writer explores the themes of childhood experience and dreams. It concludes by arguing that through reading the final chapter and in particular the revised ending, it becomes obvious that Pip and Estella have built up throughout the story to a final end, one with each other.

From the Paper:

"Charles Dickens' novel, Great Expectations, is the story of a young man who grew up and out of poverty with grand dreams for his future, who discovers that life is not as easy or as pat as he once thought, and becomes a man in the end, aware of the dangers of pursuing too closely childhood's great expectations. In the end, even though there are two different endings offered by Dickens, we do not know exactly what will happen to Pip or to Estella. The second ending, in particular, helps us to understand that Pip's life is not clear and the future is as open as an adult as it seemed narrowly defined as a child."

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