Charles Dickens - Great Expectations :: Great Expectations Essays

The portrayal of society in Charles monster Great Expectations is that of a symbol of contemporary British civilization, with girl Havisham representing the double of such(prenominal). By utilizing this particular character as the conduit between social consistence and physical body, the author successfully blends together the kinship inherent to these aspects of British life. Miss Havisham is instrumental in establishing the link between the traditional squeamish society and the manner in which women finally gained significant changes in their investments. The economical health of society at the time of Great Expectations can slowly be determined by the manner in which Miss Havishams personal history of poor investment strategy reflects the communitys somewhat fragile situation.     Also pertinent to the social aspect of hellion Great Expectations is the relationship between younger and older generations, as effectively portrayed between Miss Havisham an d eight-year-old Philip Pirrip. Upon meeting this rather outrageous facsimile of womanhood, the boy in a childs infinite honor he is compelled to separate himself from what he deems is a strange and unusual cosmos of alcohol. To him, the rotting position that erstwhile housed unlimited supplies of beer were symbolic of how he viewed Miss Havisham, a fermentative essence that had long since dried up from disuse and stagnant old age. In comprising these thoughts, the young boy was left with the conclusion that such descriptive characterization is both frightening and hostile, choosing to abide by his inside instinct and institute avoidance."Better not try to brew beer on that point now, or it would turn out sour, boy dont you think so?" "It looks desire it, miss." "Not that anybody means to try," she added, "for thats all done with, and the place will lose as idle as it is, till it falls. As to strong beer, theres large of it in the cellars alre ady, to drown the Manor House" (Dickens PG).     Clearly representative of an destitute society is that of Miss Havishams forsaken brewery, left in its decaying state with barrels and their sour remembrance of better days (Dickens PG). Indeed, the decrepit condition of the brewery is asserting(a) of a more affluent class of social acceptance that once existed, only to ultimately give way to the likes of Miss Havishams card-playing reality. The life that has left the brewery can be equated to the life that has been lost from society, as Miss Havisham has led an existence rife with humiliation, deception and heartache.