Great Expectations Analysis
Charles Dickens, author of “Great Expectations” possesses an amazing ability to develop the characters in his stories using imagery, parallelism and first person point of view. In the excerpt from “Great Expectations”, the author develops the personality of a convict the narrator of the story has encountered. Through the use of the rhetorical devices, the author allows for the reader to fully examine the convict as he is meant to be perceived.
It is evident, given the details, that the convict is a sight to see, physically. “A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg…who limped and shivered, and glared and growled…”(Dickens, paragraph 2). The imagery Dickens used provides the reader to develop a physical manifestation within their minds of a monstrous criminal coming towards the narrator in the cemetery. Further details only aid this conclusion, but also add to inform the reader of the man’s mental capabilities and status.
One small instances of parallelism gives the reader a look at the convict in a new light. Not only is he a convict, but one who suffers from a debilitating disorder. “Tell us your name…tell us where you live…” (Dickens, paragraph 4 and 7). Dickens deliberately used ‘us’ twice to hint at a mental disorder, which could fall under multiple personality disorder or even schizophrenia. The nature of his disorder, however, is not actually mentioned and leaves only the reader with a creepy impression of the guy. A portrait of an ill-mannered, mental and unhygienic man is presented to the readers.
Finally, Dickens uses the first person point of view as a means of limiting the amount of information he is relaying to the readers. “After each question he tilted me over a little more, so as to give me a greater sense of helplessness and danger.” (Dickens, paragraph 29) The use of the first person point of view is meant to keep only the narrator’s looming sense of terror and danger present. All senses regarding what the convict is
It is evident, given the details, that the convict is a sight to see, physically. “A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg…who limped and shivered, and glared and growled…”(Dickens, paragraph 2). The imagery Dickens used provides the reader to develop a physical manifestation within their minds of a monstrous criminal coming towards the narrator in the cemetery. Further details only aid this conclusion, but also add to inform the reader of the man’s mental capabilities and status.
One small instances of parallelism gives the reader a look at the convict in a new light. Not only is he a convict, but one who suffers from a debilitating disorder. “Tell us your name…tell us where you live…” (Dickens, paragraph 4 and 7). Dickens deliberately used ‘us’ twice to hint at a mental disorder, which could fall under multiple personality disorder or even schizophrenia. The nature of his disorder, however, is not actually mentioned and leaves only the reader with a creepy impression of the guy. A portrait of an ill-mannered, mental and unhygienic man is presented to the readers.
Finally, Dickens uses the first person point of view as a means of limiting the amount of information he is relaying to the readers. “After each question he tilted me over a little more, so as to give me a greater sense of helplessness and danger.” (Dickens, paragraph 29) The use of the first person point of view is meant to keep only the narrator’s looming sense of terror and danger present. All senses regarding what the convict is