WHAT'S THE STORY

Personally, I think Dickens wrote the novel to portray the time period of which he wrote the novel, but also to portray the situation he was undergoing during the time and also to demonstrate his views of the time period. Dickens wrote this novel in a weak portion of his life when he and his wife were not any longer together and he was interacting with a young mistress. I think he looked back on his old, foggy life and told himself that he expected more and wanted to start over with a clean slate and meet those expectations he set for himself. Pip, I think, was designed by Dickens to symbolize Dickens in which he begins his journey as a young, stubborn immature boy who is absolutely infatuated with a girl who treats him like shit and them blossoms into a gentleman and meets those expectations he had set in a personal way and in marriage, life, etc. Dickens use of literary techniques helps to portray the characteristics of the characters of the novel, especially those who Pip encounters.  Dickens utilizes imagery, symbolism, and allusion to depict these characters.  For instance, in the novel, Dickens inserts an allusion to the mighty Hamlet which portrays Dickens knowledge and also the era in which the book was written. This allusion also demonstrates the literature brain/knowledge of Dickens and requires the reader to have the same level of knowledge to understand the allusion.  The quote "A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg." further depicts the dark, dirty, evil, foggy characteristics, personality, motives, and even the name of the convict Maggwich. Magwich is used to symbolize the dark, ugly times of Dickens life and also illustrate Pip's innocence. The quote "She was dressed in rich materials - satins, and lace, and silks - all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table." demonstrates the positives, richness, and happiness of a new beginning, and also the two sides of Pip aka Dickens. On the outside he's happy, shows no sign of trouble or sadness, but on the inside he's really depressed, hurt, lonely, and desperate to not only get over the troubles he has suffered from previously, but also to make a new start in life.