Having read "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

It has been about a month since I finished reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and I continue to carry the memories of Pip's inner journey from dissatisfaction to contentment with me; it has left a deep impression on my mind. His dissatisfactory childhood is direct and apparent, and his one act of genuine kindness towards an otherwise forsaken and despised stranger sets events in motion that over time, change his outlook (and expectations) towards life forever.

Dickens' descriptions of human emotions and state of mind are so hauntingly accurate that I found it very difficult to get through the first third to half of the story, as I allowed the misplaced guilt, disappointment and dissatisfaction that Pip felt to seep into my consciousness bit by bit. It saddened me to watch him drift away from Joe and Biddy as he moved to London. The characterizations of Estella and Miss Havisham are stunning portrayals of the dark shadows that thrive in the absence of nurture. The resulting cold and maudlin behavior (respectively) of these two characters contrast with each other in a way that all but breaks the heart.

From Joe Gargery's kind and unflinching support, Biddy's understated kind and gentle presence, and Magwitch's deep gratitude to his turns of luck, to the dispassionate, business-minded Jaggers, the detestable Bentley Drummle, and the lurking presence of Compeyson and the cunning Arthur Havisham, every one of these characters is unforgettable because of how their personalities slowly unfold to the reader (and to Pip) through their interactions over the course of "the three stages of Pip's expectations".

The way this tale ended surprised me a little with its redeeming tone, even though it was subtly so, and I welcomed it for Pip’s sake. I then read about how Dickens was coerced to rewrite the original, more natural, but gloomy ending line, into a more hopeful one, so as to not deject the readership at the time. While the original ending is slightly more depressing, it is exactly the kind of solemn reality one may expect Pip to come to terms with in the concluding chapter.

Great Expectations is a deeply moving story of the rare beauty of pure love, gratitude, and a kind heart, and how well Charles Dickens understood the fallacy and insatiability of "great expectations". I am so glad to have read it and be left with these thoughts!