Explore the Development of Themes in 'Great Expectations'

Explore how Key Themes Develop in 'Great Expectations'

In the exam, you might be asked to comment on the presentation of a theme in an extract from the novel. You will then be expected to consider the same theme in the novel as a whole.

It is important that you know the novel well enough to be able to choose relevant parts of the text where these themes are explored by Dickens. You will also be expected to demonstrate an awareness of how each theme develops throughout the course of the novel.

To receive the best marks, you will need to:

Show a very good understanding of how the themes in the novel are affected by the context in which Dickens was writing

Analyse the writer's choices of language and structure and comment on their effect on the reader.

You should always refer to your own text when working through these examples. These quotations are for reference only.