Gothic Elements of the Novel

Great Expectations holds many gothic elements within the story.  These being included in the setting of the novel, the characters involved, and characteristics of the storyline in general.  I have selected five elements of the story that fit with my understanding of it so far.

SUFFERING

I believe that suffering is a key element to the text.  This is because Pip and his family are living in poverty, as many others did during the Victorian era.  They are what would have been considered a poor family, and don't have the funds to afford expensive clothing like the wealthier characters, such as Miss Havisham or Jaggers.  Other examples of characters that suffer are Miss Havisham, who suffers from heartache, and I think Estella suffers to an extent.  Although she has a very wealthy lifestyle, Miss Havisham has almost destroyed her in her up bring, teaching her that love is a destroyer of people, leaving Estella cold hearted and unable to love.

DEPRESSION

I think that this is another key element.  Although quite similar to the idea of suffering, depression is definitely also featured within Great Expectations.  The idea of depression only surrounds a few of the characters, but I think that the key example is Miss Havisham.  This is because she is a woman who has been jilted at the alter and she has never quite got over that heartbreak and the constant heartache that she still feels.

MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE

This is another key element, as there are plenty of twists and turns that aren't quite expected in the novel.  For example, when Magwitch is first introduced at the beginning of the book, I didn't think much of the character, just that he was maybe there as an extra part to the story.  However he comes back into the story later on and is linked to Pip's fortune, as well as the scam with Miss Havisham, amongst other things.  I think that Magwitch is central to the main twist that causes suspense in the book.  This being that he is actually father to Estella, as well as Molly being her mother.

UNREQUITED LOVE

Unrequited love is a characteristic that surrounds Pip and Estella's relationship from the beginning.  I think that Pip is in awe of Estella from the moment that they meet, but he is intimidated by her attitude and her beauty.  Pip's love for Estella grows throughout the novel, although his love is not returned by her until the very end of the book.

FAIRYTALE CHARACTERISTICS

I think that although this isn't an obvious element to the novel, there are definitely some fairytale characteristics within Great Expectations.  For instance, Mrs Joe (Pip's older sister who 'brought him up by hand' after their parents died) is a prime example, with the 'cruel stepsister' motif'.   This is because she is not the kindest of people to Pip, or her husband Joe Gargery, as she is always telling him off and telling him that he's up to no good or that he has no respect for his elders.  Another example is Miss Havisham.  I believe that she is another example, although not an obvious one, because she tries to stop Estella from having any strong feelings so that she doesn't get heartbroken as she did, but in doing so she moulds her into a heartless monster.  I think that this fits the idea of a 'cruel stepmother motif' that you see in fairytales, as she has affected Estella's love life and got in the way of her blossoming feelings for Pip, even though she didn't really mean to.