1. What significance does the novel’s title, Great Expectations, have for the story? In what ways does Pip have “great expectations”? 2. For much of Great Expectations, Pip seems to believe in a stark division between good and evil, and he tends to classify people and situations as belonging to one extreme or the other: for instance, despite their respective complexities, he believes that Estella is good and the convict is evil. Yet, both socially and morally, Pip himself is often caught between extremes; his own situation rarely matches up to his moral vision. What is the role of moral extremes in this novel? What does it mean to be ambiguous or caught between extremes? For much of Great Expectations, Pip seems to believe in a stark division between good and evil, and he tends to classify people and situations as belonging to one extreme or the other: for instance, despite their respective complexities, he believes that Estella is good and the convict is evil. Yet, both socially and morally, Pip himself is often caught between extremes; his own situation rarely matches up to his moral vision. What is the role of moral extremes in this novel? What does it mean to be ambiguous or caught between extremes? his great expectation to raise his status and improve himself. Pip expects himself to become a gentleman. In doing so, he hopes to be wealthy, scholarly, mannerly, and deserving of Estella's love and admiration. In another sense, others place great expectations upon Pip. Magwitch sponsors Pip's education in London because he expects Pip to learn to be a better gentleman than Compeyson who was born a gentleman. Likewise, Joe has great expectations for Pip because he tries to raise...
