Great Expectations

Great Expectations The famous British novelist Fay Weldon once said this about happy endings, “The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from readers are the writers who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events- a marriage or a last minute rescue from death- but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at …

…one’s real worth, and that his good deeds and his ability to be moral are valued above social status. Through his portrayal of Magwitch and his portrayal of Drummle, Dickens goes against the structures of society, and proves that even a man of the most wretched status, Magwitch, can be more moral than one of a high aristocratic class. Therefore, Pip has gained something greater than wealth or social advancement. He has gained morality.