The art of characterization in Great Expectation

It is observed that Dicken’s characters are remarkable individuals, but they are more than that. They are solitaries. They are people caught living in a world of their own. They do not talk to one another, they talk to themselves. More so Dickens belonged to the age where people were more materialistic and for them things were more important than people. Thus, dickens uses certain techniques, languages for portraying his characters with specific devices. 

In Great Expectations Dickens has depicted his characters with certain peculiarities. For instance, Joggers has a huge forefinger, Wemmick a post-office mouth, Magwitch a clock-like throat etc. Dickens can nicely associate certain objects with his characters and they are projected. For E.g. Estella wears jewels in her hair and on her breast, Joggers flourishes a large white handkerchief. 

Dickens has shown the impact of materialism by presenting Miss Havisham who has been guilty of aggression against life in using the two children, Pip and Estella, an inanimate instrument of revenge for her broken heart-using them as if they were not human but things. 

Dickens is master is using the device of doubling one image over another in his characterization. For e.g. Estella and Miss Havisham are not two characters but they are one with a single essence to take revenge against manhood. Pip and Magwitch are also two different characters but they have single essence, as Pip desires great expectations and Magwitch desires Pip as a gentleman. 

Moreover, Dickens can draw varieties of characters. His innocent characters are like Pip appealing powerfully to the child love in every human heart. He can also draw the horrible character like Orlick and he can create humorous follow like Miss Havisham or Pip. It is also true that most of Dickens's novels belong decidedly to the class of purpose and thus he has set his characters as per his purpose in Great Expectations. 

Dickens does not try to reveal the inner like of his characters so much as their individuality. Thus, the readers can come to know only few things about the Joe, Pip, Estella, Magwitch, Herbert so on. His most of characters are flat. They can easily be recognized. They are not changed by circumstances. For e.g. Estella, Miss Havisham, Magwitch. Of course, Pip is a round character who can surprise us in a convincing way.