Introduction
The following work is an analysis of the female characters in Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations especially with regard to Victorian gender constructions and Dickens’s image of women. Dickens’s biography and the depiction of very diverse female characters in his novels stimulated the idea of a closer analysis.
First of all, a short summary of Great Expectations is provided. Then, the Victorian construction of gender will be discussed. As will be shown, a very strict ideology regarding gender roles existed during the Victorian age. Obviously, Dickens must have been influenced by the ideas of his contemporaries which should then be presented in the novel.
Another focus will be on how his relationships to women influenced his image of women and also, consequently, the depiction of his female characters in Great Expectations.
Finally the female characters, with reference to Victorian gender roles and Dickens’s image of women, will be analyzed in greater detail. The focus is on four women who I believe to be the most important female characters in the novel and powerful representatives of the author’s image of women and Victorian gender construction.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. A short summary of Great Expectations
2. Victorian construction of gender
3. Dickens’s image of women
4. The female characters in Great Expectations
4.1 Estella
4.2 Mrs. Joe Gargery
4.3 Miss Havisham
4.4 Biddy
Research Objectives and Themes
This study provides a critical analysis of female characters in Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations, specifically examining how they reflect Victorian gender constructions and the author’s personal perceptions of women. The research explores the dichotomy between the "ideal" Victorian woman and "deviant" female figures, assessing how Dickens portrays those who deviate from traditional gender roles.
- Victorian gender ideology and the "separate spheres" concept
- The influence of Dickens’s personal relationships on his literary female figures
- Analysis of "excessive" and "unfeminine" female character archetypes
- The intersection of gender, social status, and property management
- The consequences of nonconformity to traditional Victorian social norms
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Mrs. Joe Gargery
Mrs. Joe Gargery also does not fit the Victorian gender ideal. She is in Dickens’s work what Ingham calls an “excessive female”, a woman who is middle-aged and mostly married from the beginning of the novel. Through the representation of females as Mrs. Joe, Dickens “[…] reveals a conviction that even middle-class females seldom achieve the ideal, and that the consequences of their not doing so are both grotesque and disruptive.”
Ingham refers to excessive women as unwomanly because they have qualities in unregulated and disruptive excess. Those women are threatening and therefore in need of containment. Individuals as Mrs. Joe show that the womanly ideal is based on a misogynistic view of what women are really like if they are left to nature without nurture. Their characteristics are seen as quite negative and they are presented in their natural state as potentially threatening as well as comic.
Pip describes his substitute-mother, Mrs. Joe, as harsh and unapproachable, far from the loving mother of Victorian ideology. Possibly, Mrs. Joe is partly a depiction of Dickens’s mother, since he felt neglected when she sent him to work in a factory.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Outlines the scope of the analysis, focusing on how Dickens uses female characters to critique or uphold Victorian gender ideals.
1. A short summary of Great Expectations: Provides a narrative overview of the novel's plot to establish context for the subsequent character analysis.
2. Victorian construction of gender: Details the historical and social frameworks of the Victorian era, specifically the "domestic ideology" and the separation of social spheres.
3. Dickens’s image of women: Examines how Dickens’s personal life, including his relationships with his mother and various women, shaped his artistic portrayal of female characters.
4. The female characters in Great Expectations: Conducts a detailed analysis of specific characters—Estella, Mrs. Joe Gargery, Miss Havisham, and Biddy—regarding their adherence to or rejection of gender norms.
Keywords
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, Victorian gender roles, domestic ideology, female characters, femininity, masculinity, Estella, Miss Havisham, Mrs. Joe Gargery, Biddy, patriarchy, gender nonconformity, Victorian literature, social spheres.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this study?
The study examines the representation of female characters in Charles Dickens's novel Great Expectations, specifically analyzing them through the lens of Victorian gender ideologies.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The work covers Victorian domestic ideology, the role of women in the nineteenth century, the impact of personal biography on Dickens's writing, and the literary analysis of character archetypes.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The primary goal is to determine how Dickens represents "deviant" women who do not fit the Victorian "angel of the house" ideal and how these characters are treated within the narrative structure.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a qualitative literary analysis approach, drawing upon biographical data and socio-historical academic criticism of the Victorian era to interpret the text.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body systematically analyzes four key characters—Estella, Mrs. Joe Gargery, Miss Havisham, and Biddy—comparing them to historical Victorian expectations of women.
How would you characterize the work using keywords?
Key terms include Victorian gender roles, domestic ideology, Dickensian character analysis, and feminine archetypes.
How does the study interpret Mrs. Joe Gargery’s role?
Mrs. Joe is interpreted as an "excessive female" who acts as an antithesis to the Victorian maternal ideal, ultimately suggesting that women who reject traditional nurturing roles face social or physical punishment.
In what way does Miss Havisham represent economic consequences?
The analysis suggests that Miss Havisham embodies the Victorian anxiety regarding women's property rights, presenting her as a failure in managing wealth and the patrilineal estate.
What is the significance of the character Biddy?
Biddy is presented as the only female character in the novel who successfully embodies the Victorian ideal of womanhood, serving as a foil to the other, more "deviant" female figures.
- Quote paper
- Anja Dinter (Author), 2004, Victorian gender roles and Dickens’s image of women as represented in the female characters in "Great Expectations", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/75112
