Great Expectations Whether your name is Phillip, Pip, or Finn, or you grew up in the 1800s or the 1990s, dreams of longing for a life that seems unattainable resonate quite similarly. Alfonso Cuaron's film “Great Expectations” set in 1990s Florida did a great job of showing that the themes of Dickens' novel are just as relevant today as they were in the 1800s. Cuaron changed the names of the characters to avoid create a literal remake, and so '90s audiences were introduced to Finn and Mrs. Dinsmoor, as similar as they are to Pip and Mrs. Havisham. Pip/Finn is a young, poor, naive boy who dreams of love and wealth as a means to raise his social status so he can find love from the unattainable Estella. “Great Expectations” also deals with greed, selfishness, and human behavior as Dickens shares a powerful insight into the “wants” and “needs” of the main characters. It is Pip's perception of his own poverty in his society that is the motivation behind his “green” envy. What's interesting is that his greed was the product of his desire to find acceptance from people who perhaps didn't deserve his love and respect. Although Pip develops into a selfish young adult, he is still an extremely sympathetic character because some of his misfortunes have been inflicted on him by others, especially his sister, Mrs. Joe, Miss Havisham, and Estella. Pip's problems stem from the unfair and harsh upbringing by Pip's older sister, Mrs. Joe. Pip says, "My sister's upbringing made me sensitive...there is nothing so finely perceived, and so finely felt, as injustice...I knew, from the moment I could speak, that my sister , in its capricious and violent coercion, was unfair to me” (63). It could be argued that Pip loved the idea of being with Estella more than he loved Estella personally. It could also be why there is no clear answer in the end as to whether or not Pip and Estella will end up together realizes that money does not guarantee happiness and recognizes his abandonment of those he truly cares about. In both the novel and the film he realizes that he has succumbed to the pressures of a capitalist society and has made choices based on their self-interest. created conflict with those around him. One can only feel sympathy for a boy who has been devalued and taught to be ashamed of himself. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Great expectations. London: Penguin Books, 1996.
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