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Welcome to the World of Charles Dickens (Reading Assignments, History, Themes, Genre) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-12-03 14:53:23
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

It's time to meet Charles Dickens at the time of writing Great Expectations, and gather some tools for entering his world.

This introductory video will recap our reading assignments, cover some of the history surrounding the story, and kick-start a discussion on narrative.

The next video involves a deep-reading and critical appreciation of the opening, so you may wish to reread the first chapter before viewing.

The video after that covers the first 19 chapters of Great Expectations.

Video Timestamps:

  • 0:00 reading assignments
  • 5:30 introduction to Great Expectations
  • 7:30 Dickens at time of writing
  • 8:00 the themes of Great Expectations
  • 11:20 what did Dickens’ life look like?
  • 14:00 the England of Charles Dickens
  • 15:30 the many genres of Great Expectations
  • 16:30 Dickens and the criminal world
  • 19:00 Dickens and the rise of the middle class
  • 20:50 what is narrative?
  • 11:20 what did Dickens’ life look like?
  • 14:00 the England of Charles Dickens
  • 15:30 the many genres of Great Expectations
  • 16:30 Dickens and the criminal world
  • 19:00 Dickens and the rise of the middle class
  • 20:50 what is narrative?

Reading Assignment Recap:

1) Collect 3 of your favourite chapters along the way.

2) Collect 2-3 of your favourite characters.

3) Collect your favourite narrative devices.

4) Share a passage and read it aloud.

Before the next video:

Read or reread the very first chapter of Great Expectations, with that famous, beautifully crafted opening:

My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip.

We are going to pull the first chapter apart together.  

In the same way that one might arrive at a dinner party with a dish of their own, please keep an eye out for anything from that first chapter you would like to share with us.

Happy reading, everybody!

Files

Previews only

Welcome to the World of Charles Dickens (Reading Assignments, History, Themes, Genre)

0:00 reading assignments 5:30 introduction to Great Expectations 7:30 Dickens at time of writing 8:00 the themes of Great Expectations 11:20 what did Dickens’ life look like? 14:00 the England of Charles Dickens 15:30 the many genres of Great Expectations 16:30 Dickens and the criminal world 19:00 Dickens and the rise of the middle class 20:50 what is narrative? 11:20 what did Dickens’ life look like? 14:00 the England of Charles Dickens 15:30 the many genres of Great Expectations 16:30 Dickens and the criminal world 19:00 Dickens and the rise of the middle class 20:50 what is narrative?

Comments

Steve Horan

Per the Folio Society, Robert Louis Stevenson passed away on this day (Dec 3) in 1894, and so I read his short story The Body-Snatcher. Chilling story in its own right, but mentioned here because of two other short stories appearing in the volume. The first being The Signalman by Charles Dickens, new to me and a pleasure to find and read. The second being The Necklace by Guy De Maupassant, an author referenced by Ben in the Proust Project.

Anonymous
>>73055573

There are many things that captivated me reading the novels of Stevenson, but one of my favorite things for sheer fun was the bagpipe duel in Kidnapped. I was lucky enough to visit the Isle of Erraid where Stevenson's family, lighthouse builders, lived for a time. I wandered down to David Balfour Bay and spent a pleasant hour sitting in the sun on the beach. It's not an island one could really get marooned on as David briefly does in the novel, but it does have a special feeling of wildness and solitude.

hardcoreliterature
>>73039104

This is such a treasure of pertinent information! Thank you! A lot of the historical grounding will help explicate our foray into Wuthering Heights too!

hardcoreliterature
>>73055573

Thank you both for sharing. I unwittingly commemorated Robert Louis Stevenson’s passing too by dipping into a very early edition of his Kidnapped - what great serendipity. Splendid writer, with his Jekyll and Hyde rarely being far from the forefront of my consciousness. I must give The Body-Snatcher a reread too :)