Literature Review

Dickens，has been studied by lots of scholars from different perspectives，including the featuring of characters，the reference of his works to that society, the theme of humanitarianism，realism and reformism．

Some scholars considered the story full of educational elements.

Wei Huang noted that the main character of the novel-----Pip#8217;s personality is influenced by the person around him. Children are born like blank sheets, who always behave like those they keeps company with. It is how people behavior in front him that made who he is. Ultimately the novel shows us ”Pip#8217;s character development through the influence of Joe，Magwitch，Estella，and Miss Havisham over his growth” (197). She emphasized that man is a kind of complex human being since each of us is supposed to experience several living condition before growing up. But she exaggerates the influence of externalities but overlooks people#8217;s natural instincts. Since at the ending of the story, the main character choose to live in a simple life by himself. Sari-Leena Viirola picks up Dickens#8217; another novel--- David Copperfield and talk about the importance of parenting and education. He point out that”Dickens does not limit parenting to natural parents only, but widens the concept of a family to surrogate parents” (01). He says that his essay studies different parenting and educational practices in David Copperfield to see their impact on the personality and behavior of the children. As we all known, in Great Expectations, different educational practices was put on Pip. He said that Dickens novel about education seems to suggest that one of the most important aims of parenting is firmness. And he didn#8217;t make a further analysis about the purpose of Dickens#8217; educational novels.

Some other scholars thought the story uncovers the truth of reformism under the educational masks.

Ronald M. Meldrum treats Dickens as an artist and reformer. And he points out that educational reform serves as one of his toolsof social reform: ”Dickens was convinced that there was a connection between crime and ignorance; this conviction moved him to lend support to some educational institutions that were dependent on charity in some degree” (92). And he emphasizes that hopeless childhoods lead some children turn out to be criminal characters. Here, Ronald M. Meldrum gives us the inherent relationships between Dickens educational novels and reformism.

The outcome of Dickens efforts to social reform may be not encouraging at his age, but his works does have profound significance to the later generations. ” Despite his pessimism about criminals and prisons,” Ronald M. Meldrum contended, ”his anger about public and official indifference to the plight of the educational institutions and his own sense of futility in bringing about both a sense of public awareness and actual reform, Dickens did what he could”( 97 ).