Throughout chapter one, Dicken’s creates an appropriate atmosphere for something top happen by the use of imagery and style. The imagery produced through the whole chapter is that of a dark and scary world where no – one wants to be especially not a small boy. Dicken’s describes the setting with such precision that the reader knows exactly what the setting is like. Dicken’s describes the churchyard as a, “bleak place,” and this suggests to the reader that the churchyard is desolate and the only person there is Pip.
Dicken’s also uses everyday objects and gives them another meaning, this is a metaphor and an example of this is the word “nettles,” this word can mean the literal thing, but Dicken’s also suggest to the reader that the nettles are the painful memories of Pip which lie in the graveyard. Dicken’s then uses a semi colon as if to continue the pace of the sentence, which Pip is writing. “Churchyard;” The word churchyard is repeated here again, an gives the sense of ghosts and the dead which is very frightening to anybody there.
Pip then goes on to describe the setting beyond the churchyard. “Dark flat wilderness… scattered cattle feeding on it. ” This suggests to the reader that beyond the churchyard there is a place full of wild and dangerous animals. In turn this could be a metaphor to describe Magwitch as a wild and dangerous animal. The sentence about the cattle shows the reader and again emphasises that Pip is all by himself in the dark and scary graveyard, except for some cows, which are in another field, beyond the graveyard.
Dickens then moves on to describe the setting of the graveyard and uses a metaphor to describe the river. “Low leaden line. ” This metaphor describes the river as though it is just a grey line drawn by a pencil. Dicken’s then repeats the metaphor about the “distant savage lair,” and then uses onomatopoeia to describe the wind as “rushing. ” There is then a use of contrast as above Dickens repeats and puts emphasis on the scary and savage lair, which lies beyond the grave yard, and then he refers to Pip as being a small delicate creature.
“And that small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip. ” When Pip and Magwitch first meet, the first indication that Magwitch is there is extremely sudden. “Hold your noise! ” This quote would be very surprising and very scary for anyone who thought they were alone in a graveyard but especially for a small boy. But then Dicken’s starts to begin his characterture of Magwitch as he describes him as though he is a body rising from the graves. “As a man started up from among the graves.
” Dicken’s then continues to give an in depth description of Magwitch’s appearance and ends with the use of alliteration and personification. “Glared and growled. ” These two words give a sense of pressure upon Pip but also acts as a metaphor as though comparing Magwitch to a dog. Through out the conversation that follows between Pip and Magwitch, Magwitch continues to get information out of Pip, such as his name and Pip continuously answers the questions Magwitch answers always following with his politeness. “Pip, sir… Pip. Pip, sir.
” Magwitch then shows Pip how he is of lower class, by the use of his accent, “Pint out the place! ” Magwitch then acts as though he is a desperate man and turns Pip upside down so that he can retrieve any items, which fall, from his pocket. Dicken’s then starts Magwitch’s pantomime style by quoting, “What big cheeks you ha’ got. ” This shows the audience that Magwitch’s character is maybe not that dangerous and that he only poses a small threat towards Pip. The reply that Pip then gives, shows how Pip is weak. “I believe they were fat, though I was a that time undersized for my years, and not strong.
” Pip then again shows his vulnerability to Magwitch. “Partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself form crying. ” However, Magwitch’s vulnerability is then made clear to the audience when he thinks that Pip’s mother is with him. “He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder. ” Because Magwitch and Pip have been talking, Magwitch accidentally lets his guard down when talking to Pip, but remembers that he is supposed to be an evil man. “Supposin’ you’re kindly let to live, which I haven’t made up my mind about?
” This quote shows how Dicken’s use of making Magwitch look like a characterture is in use, as Magwitch forgets that he is supposed to be threatening Pip. Magwitch gets back into his character and tips Pip over the tombstone threaten him. “His eyes looked most powerfully into mine. ” This shows the reader how Magwitch is trying to control and over power Pip and that it is working. This is then followed by shorts questions and answers by Magwitch and Pip, which shows that Pip is incredibly frightened of Pip but he still remains polite.
Pip is then taken over by Magwitch’s power as he is tipped further and further back. And then Magwitch delivers the ultimate threat, “Or I’ll have your heart and liver out. ” This threat terrifies Pip as he begins to cling onto Magwitch for literally his life Magwitch’s desperation is then portrayed to the reader as he talks no stop, giving constant orders to Pip about what he needs and what he wants. And then Magwitch delivers the ultimate threat, which portrays a vivid image to the reader. “And your heart and your liver shall be tore out, roasted and ate. Now, I ain’t alone, as you may think I am.
There’s a young man hid me, in comparison with which young man I am a Angel. ” Pip’s reply is so quick in answering Magwitch; the reader is made immediately aware that he s petrified. And then Magwitch makes Pip swear that he will get the items that he needs by swearing on the lord and death. ” Say Lord strike you dead if you don’t! ” Magwitch then admits to Pip that he extremely lonely by using personification he describe himself. “I wish I was a frog. Or an eel! ” Magwitch goes to leave and while he does, Dicken’s uses the same proposal that he mentioned before that Magwitch is from the dead.
“He looked in my young eyes as if he were eluding the hands of the dead people, starching up cautiously form their graves. ” This suggests to the audience that Magwitch’s appearance is so like a dead person that the dead want to take him down to their level. But it also hints to the reader that if Magwitch doesn’t get the help that he needs form, Pip, and then he will almost certainly die. Dicken’s then uses similes to describe the movement s of Magwitch, “like a man whose legs were numbed and stiff. ”
When Pip meets Magwitch, the setting, which is described by Dicken’s, gives the reader a dramatic description of the setting and what happens. Although the description of the setting is not described in great detail throughout the conversation between Pip and Magwitch, when Magwitch leaves the description starts pouring in. Dicken’s describes the marshes with a simile, “long, black horizontal line. ” Dicken’s then uses repetition to describe the river again as a,” horizontal black line,” and then uses a metaphor to describe the sky, Dicken’s describes it as, ” a row of angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed.
” This makes the setting seem dark and scary as the though everything is revolving around Magwitch. Another simile is used, but this time to describe Magwitch. Pip believes that Magwitch is a pirate and should be hung where the pirates are hung. Once Pip agreed to get the items that Magwitch needs, Magwitch sets off hugging his body while it shivers, as though he is so lonely that he needs to give himself a hug, but Dicken’s portrays this as, as though he needs to “hold himself together.
” Magwitch them begin to, limp towards the church wall as though his feet are injured, ad struggles getting trough brambles and nettles. However, Magwitch turns around to make sure that Pip is still there and this scares Pip and he begins to run home. But Pip is constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure that he is not being followed and that the evil little boy that Magwitch told him about, is following him as he is petrified. But before running fully home, Pip makes sure that Magwitch has gone and that he is not being followed.
Great Expectations is a best selling book and because of this it was made into a film. After watching the film I can make several comments on how the film portrays the aspects of the book and conveys the story. The film is set in black and white and this portrays the personalities of all of the characters within the play especially the dark and mysterious character of Magwitch. The film is a tribute to the book, and the way in which the scene of the graveyard is set is perfect for the imaginations of the readers of the book, as it clarifies all that they have thought of.
This intern makes the film a perfect re – enactment of the book and is enjoyable for all audiences. The scene of the graveyard is set so perfectly, the audience believes what they see on the screen is real and the actors chosen to portray the characters, are so in character with the characters from the book the film becomes a vision from Dicken’s imagination. In Victorian times, criminals were sent to prison on intolerable hulks to wait being transported to a different country, in particular the country of Australia.
Magwitch, the convict who Pip has agreed to help in Great Expectations, has escaped from one of these hulks where he was awaiting to be sent away and is hiding away form the officers who are trying to find him. The conditions aboard the hulks were squalid and the standards of hygiene were so disgusting that disease spread quickly and this therefore meant that many of the convicts awaiting departure were sick before they left.
When escaping from the hulks Magwitch was probably unwell with the conditions that he faced living on board the hulks, and this is possibly one of the reasons for his escape as many felt as though they were living in hell when aboard the ships. The next meeting between Pip and Magwitch does not occur until Pip is the age of twenty-three and is now a gentlemen living in London. The meeting between them is unexpected and many things have happened to both of them since they first met.
