Theme Of Guilt In Great Expectations

The definition of guilt is, a feeling of deserving blame for offenses. In the novel Great Expectations, we see many characters who face guilt at one point or another. Pip, the main protagonist in the story lives a life full of guilt and regret. The second character whose life is greatly affected by guilt is the misandrist Miss Havisham. One character that is the personification of another’s guilt is Orlick. All three of these characters are connected in different ways, but the greatest similarity is the overwhelming amount of guilt they each feel. In the classic novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, guilt grows deep in the soil of many characters like Pip, Miss Havisham, and Orlick. The story centers around the life of common boy turned gentleman, Pip. Throughout the novel we see him grow into his expectations and use them unwisely. Out of all the emotions Pip feels in his lifetime, guilt is one of the most prominent. When Pip was a boy, he was very mischievous and somewhat of a trouble maker. He feels guilty because he grew up taking things causing trouble in his Sister’s and Brother’s lives. A large plot point in the novel is the attack of Pip, which was carried out by Orlick. Standing at death’s door, Pip looks

Not even the characters in Great Expectations can escape the guilt and regret of their past. The characters of Pip, Miss Havisham, and Orlick are characters that are affected or revolve around guilt. Miss Havisham and Pip are both characters who feel guilt at some point during the novel. On the other hand, Orlick is one character who doesn’t necessarily feel guilt but symbolizes guilt. The guilt that each character feels effects of they live their lives and how they plan to live it in the future. Great Expectations author Charles Dickens does an exceptional job portraying the result that guilt has on the human psyche and on the diverse cast of characters that it