The opening of a novel Essay Example for Free

The opening of a novel EssayCharles hellion was a 19th century generator who is renowned for his fantastically written novels and his knack for story-telling. Originally a journalist, he wrote for the Victorian magazine altogether the year round which captivated its readers who would purchase it e precise week just for the next addition to ane of heller novels. An enthusiastic social campaigner, Charles Dickens identicald to explore and challenge the substances of Victorian nightspot and culture in his novels, rarely basing his stories in past times in this way he was want a soap writer of his time. His writing appealed to anyone and everyone who had the ability to read, especially those who were working class as his characters were like them, and could be related to. His novels also allowed audiences of this type to indulge and fantasise in his stories, Dickens took his readers to a put up where they could escape, and experience the adventures that his characters did, and this is perhaps why he was so popular. One particular novel that he started in 1860 was called Great expectations a tale about a boy named Pip in this novel Dickens explores the social barriers of Victorian society.In the Victorian era life was hard, a large percentage of the universe were working class people who were considered bottom of the social hierarchy. These people had to work for a living, and as they ordinarily were poorly educated which meant any form of work they endured was laborious and caused both physical and mental try on them. There was little pay and unfortunately this way of life was a continuous cycle, a couple of(prenominal) rarely breaking free of the social barriers that condemned them to a life of continuous strenuous physical endurance.Those who were born(p) into a family like this often took on the role of their parents, boys would inherit their fathers job and girls would be married slay to other families, their life mainly consisting of house work, reproducing and attending to their husbands needs. This was all because of the lack of notes. Without a large amount of money coming in from somewhere, educating children was simply unaffordable, and therefore they had no hope of getting a job that would construct a much larger pay and wouldnt consist of any hard labour.It is made clear to us that Pip is a child born into a working class family as Dickens explains that just about of Pips siblings died in early childhood five little brothers of mine who gave up trying to get a living, exceedingly early in that customary struggle. This would not have happened if Pips family had the money to cater for their health. In universal struggle Dickens refers to life indicating that life at that time was hard, and reinforcing the points I made earlier.The novel starts with Dickens having Pip tell us that his mother and father are dead, and that he couldnt remember either of them and neer knew what they looked like in the form of t he words I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them. Pip also tells us their days were long in the lead the days of photographs, referring to the historical context and telling the readers that it is set in Victorian times, or rather, when it was written, in the present.The accompaniment that Pips parents and most of his siblings are dead creates an image that Pip is a very lonely little boy, and makes us feel sorry for him. After explaining that most of Pips family are dead, Dickens aquatints us with the current setting marshland, 20 miles from the sea. Dickens says a raw afternoon towards evening which indicates that it is growing darker, and with no-one about this puts Pip in a very under fire(predicate) position. Dickens hence goes on to describe the setting in a way that would be fright, especially to a child, if you were alone in such a place.He uses phrases like unornamented place overgrown with nettles, dark flat wilderness and di stant savage lair from which the wind was hie and one would usually associate features like these with fear. Dickens also tells us of Pips realisation that he is alone, at such a time I found out for certain that Phillip Pirrip and also Georgina wife of the preceding(prenominal) were dead and buried and that his parents arent with him, they were six feet under. He was alone and unprotected.Dickens says all of this in a very long sentence, which would build up tension and the impression that Pip was in a very frightening place. The most effective part of doing this is the way Dickens ends the sentence and that the small bundle of shivers going triskaidekaphobic of it all and beginning to cry, was Pip hed built up this terrifying image of a setting and then in the middle of it all was a frightened little boy who was completely alone and vulnerable a brilliant use of juxtaposition.