CharlesDickens was an English novelist representative of realism of the XIX century.
His childhood was very hard because hehas to work a lot to obtain money for him and for his family because his fatherlost a large sum of money. He nevercould forgive his mother because even they don't need to work for money because they won a heritage;his mother let him to work forwards. He at a certain time said: "No advice, no approval, no encouragement, noconsolation, no support from anyone to remember, so help me, Lord!".Themost famous novel of Charles Dickens is "Great Expectations" that follows thedestiny of orphan Pip, the nephew of a blacksmith, who comes to London with thedream of becoming a gentleman.Thenovel " Great Expectations" is a bildungsroman because itpresents the process of forming the personality of the main hero under theinfluence of direct experience.
The theme of maturity and of the formation of apersonality is perfectly present in this novel.The word has its origin from Germanlanguage in which bildungsroman means " novel of training ". The basic structure of "GreatExpectations" follows a chronological development of Pip's life; from his childhood innocence, to his disillusioned expectationsand finally his rejection of the high life and a circular succession endingback at the beginning. Dickes uses the first person point of view, putting Pipas a narrator which tells the story of his life. This fact, help the readers toempathize with the main character, to understand his story and also to createsome suspense in the book.
Although, narration on the first person helps thereaders to realize and understand all the emotions of the principal character.For exemple, when Pip was in the cemetery and says he feels like " a smallbundle of shivers growing afraid", the readers can imagine how Pip reallyfeels. Another narrative technique present inthe novel is represented by description of the setting. It is based by thedescriptions made by Pip which "grab readers attention and set the mood in the opening of the novel", says Lilia Melani, Englishprofessor at Brooklyn College in New York. In the first scenePip talk about the cemetery andabout his loneliness until he mets theconvict.
Later, he discusses the foggy marshes as they level outtoward the Thames River near Kent, England. Although, early in the novelthere is a chapter in which a Christmas dinner party given by Mrs. Gargery hasbeen described. The whole chapter has been written Pip is afraid that his deed(the theft of the food from pantry) can be discovered in any moment.Dickens uses this technique to bring the readersin the center of the story and to made them to understand the important themesof the novel.
The chronological accounting of events is also an importantnarrative technique used in the novel. Dickens divides the novel into threeparts : Pip's childhood, middle years and lateryears. The fact that the story is divided like that makes it easy to readers to follow theadventures through Pip passes to became from a pure young child to a very braveman. The chronology also allows readers to see that scars from his childhood, suchas his struggle to find love and acceptance after being orphaned, never healthroughout his lifetimeThe last narrative technique that Dickens uses in his novelis dialogue which is used to create a powerful story, to dynamizes thenarrative, makes it more vivid and more suggestive. Also this technique marksvarious expressive values: feelings, attitudes, interruptions, hesitations ofcharacters, but it is also a source of comic by the contrast between what the character decides and what is he thinkingin reality.
In conclusion, " Great Expectation " by Charles Dickens is a novel which is build withall the narrative techniques which make from it an very interesting novel. Thereaders are introduced in a story with many adventures, mystery and suspense. BIBLIOGRAPHY:· Melani, Lilia. "Some General Comments on Charles Dickens",City University of New York, Brooklyn College. · Dickens, Charles. "Great Expectation", KindleEdition, 2012
