Since its first publication over 150 years ago, Charles Dickens's Great Expectations has become known as a timeless and remarkably moving work of literature. It is considered one of Dickens's most recognizable works and is celebrated for its significant and universally recognized themes. For this novel to be properly understood, a thoughtful analysis of its major themes must be carried out. Socio-economic status and hierarchy Those who seem most affected by society's beliefs regarding class and social order are Pip, his family and his friends, who would certainly fall on the "lower" end of the socio-economic scale. -economic. Throughout the novel, the “lesser” characters have a heightened, even somewhat unhealthy, obsession with class status. This is first seen when the character of Miss Havisham is introduced; Uncle Pumblechook and the Gargerys, Mrs. Joe in particular, are delighted that Pip has an association with Miss Havisham, a very wealthy spinster. They believe that the partnership of Pip and Miss Havisham will increase both their wealth and social class, with Mrs. Joe proclaiming, "this boy's (Pip) fortune can be made by going to Miss Havisham..." (Dickens 82). At first, young Pip does not care for such beliefs, but as he grows older he begins to internalize them and he himself begins to develop a sense of social order. This could have been established during his first meeting with Miss Havisham, during which he is severely ridiculed by Estella to the point of tears (Dickens 92). After that day, he would strive to be “uncommon” (Dickens 100). Pip's views on social class even affect his relationship with those around him. He turns away from his family and friends in Kent, ignoring them... middle of paper ...... social ambition, because he believes that a higher level of education will enable him to have a better position. in the world; he believes that the best way to make himself “out of the ordinary” is to take away from Biddy everything she knows (Dickens 101). He tries to share his new-found love of education with his family, he discovers that they are not as enthusiastic as he is about overcoming their ignorance, leading Pip to once again reject his family; he sums up his feelings by saying, “I wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common, so that he would be more worthy of my society…” (Dickens 137). Perhaps the message that Dickens conveys through the theme of ambition is that ambition is something that should not be left unchecked, and that the drive to succeed in life should never get in the way of matters all as important as family. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Great expectations.