Great+Expectations+Essay+(ALEX!!!)

“Shoot for the moon, even if you miss you’ll land among the stars,” Les Brown, a famous motivational speaker, once said. This quote seems to also be true in the novel //Great Expectations// by Charles Dickens. The main character, Pip, shoots quite high. He wanted to go from a poor little boy destined to become a blacksmith's apprentice, to a gentleman. The story has many different themes and lessons, including expectations. Expectations not only put on us by others, but also expectations we have for our own selves. The characters face many truths and struggles and also some of life’s tough questions such as, “Is change somthing that will bring good?” or just the basic everyday asked “what-ifs.” There are many different “what-ifs” for different people. One of Pip’s "what if" questions was, “What if I could win Estella’s heart?” This question appears when Pip begins to decide that he would rather be a gentleman than anything else. Dickens created a large tangle of a crush that just did not end the way Pip wanted it to. Pip expected too much, not just from Estella, but from everyone he knew. When Pip was young he was a loving boy and always did what he was told, and was happy with what he had been given. As soon as Pip learned he had “great expectations,” for himself, he changed. He had been ashamed of his life without wealth and being in a lower social class system, when before had not given it a thought. Pip expects too much, and in a way is quite selfish and never thinks things all the way through. He //expects// that Estella will realize that she might love him. He //expects// that Ms. Havisham is his anonymous benefactor. He //expects// that Ms. Havisham wants Pip and Estella to marry. His expectations, however, lead to disappointment. Dickens. the author of //Great Expectations// thought up a shocking twist in the story when Pip’s mysterious benefactor is introduced as the convict PIp meets in the graveyard from the beginning of the story. Pip realizes that he is not meant to marry Estella but does not give up hope just yet until he realizes that she is being courted by Drummle. Pip is easily hurt, although he changes throughout the story, he always has a soft heart. Dickens’ view on expectations can be taken many different ways. Some of them are negative. But in the end everything seems to work out one way or the other for everyone. Pip achieves his goal although nothing goes exactly as planned. But honestly, does it ever? He landed among the stars and everything did work out. Maybe his expectations weren’t //too// high… but perfect for him.