Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations is one of Charles Dickens’s most celebrated novels, tracing the life of Pip, a young orphan raised in modest circumstances who unexpectedly comes into wealth through an unknown benefactor. Driven by his longing to rise in society and win the affection of the beautiful but distant Estella, Pip leaves behind his humble origins for the glittering, often unforgiving world of London. There, he faces the illusions and burdens of ambition, as well as the painful consequences of pride and misplaced trust.

Set in the richly textured world of Victorian England, the novel is both a compelling personal journey and a profound commentary on social mobility, identity, and the true nature of gentility. Through unforgettable characters such as the haunting Miss Havisham and the loyal blacksmith Joe, Dickens explores how compassion, humility, and integrity come to shape Pip’s understanding of what it means to be a gentleman—not in wealth, but in heart. Great Expectations remains a timeless study of character, conscience, and the moral complexities of human aspiration.