Dickens's Social Commentary in Great Expectations Charles Dickens's Great Expectations is one of the most revered works in all of English literature. The novel's enduring appeal lies in its insightful portrayal of characters, rich panoramas of social milieu, and implied crusades against social evils.1 Dickens used the growth of his characters in Great Expectations, particularly Pip, in relation to other to write about social reform, and illustrated this most effectively by using the first-person narrative style. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens wrote a social commentary using the development of his characters to illustrate his message. In my article I will focus on three of the main characters, Magwitch, Miss Havisham, Estella and Joe Gargery. During the time he lived, Dickens recognized many evils in society. In Great Expectations he focused on the problem of the whole idea of ​​class in society. It was a social commentary on society. His way of illustrating the solution to the problem of class in society was "to create characters who could go beyond the limits and divisions of class identifications and see themselves as responsible human beings". people he was attacking. Dickens lived during the Victorian era, known as the age of social criticism. Great Expectations was Dickens's first attack on social class.3 Dickens did not openly preach social reform in his novels. He uses his rich characters to illustrate the values ​​and morals he is trying to convey. Great Expectations is a novel of social criticism. According to Dickens the two main social evils were selfishness and... middle of paper...ornback, 22.3. Hornbacks, 4-5.4. Hornbacks, 27-28.5. Charles Dickens, Great Expectations (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1942), 3.6. Dickens, 395.7. Dickens, 68.8. Dickens, 71 .9. Dickens, 72.10. Dickens, 72.11. Dickens, 598.12. Dickens, 57.13. Hornbacks, 25-26.14. Hornback, 60. Works Cited Chesterton, GK Charles Dickens: A Critical Study. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1906.Dickens, Charles. Great expectations. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1942. Hornback, Bert G. Great Expectations: A Novel of Friendship. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.Pearson, Hesketh. Dickens, his character, comedy and career. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 1949. Priestley, J. B. Charles Dickens and His World. New York: Sons of Charles Scribner, 1961.