GE Essay
Webb 1
Carlie Webb
Mr. Hon
9th Lit
28 March 2014
People you love, you eventually betray
“Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.” (Barbara de Angelis) Great Expectations
, a book written by Charles Dickens, is set in the time period of the mid or early 1800s, which is during the time that the Victorian Era Marriage philosophy was in effect.The
Victorian Era Marriage philosophy was a very strict and, to us today, unfair routine of marriage and divorce. In Great Expectations, marriage is used to illustrate not only the character’s views on the guidelines for marriage during the Victorian Era, but also the author’s ideas. Throughout the plot of Great Expectations, Dickens illustrates some great examples of how this marriage philosophy influences people by his characters’ past, present, and future courtships.
Victorian marriage and Dickens views on marriage have some differences. Such as, Dickens agreed with and took advantage of, the divorce rule that favored men in the act of adultery; only men could divorce his wife on the account of the act of adultery.
Dickens married Catherine Hogarth on April 2, 1836, but also fell in love with many younger women at the same time. They stayed together for twentytwo years and then did not officially divorce, because of the unmeasurable cost, but did separate in 1858. It
Webb 1
is believed that they separated, because he met young actress, Ellen Ternan, whom he lived with until his death.
A depiction of Victorian Era marriage in Great Expectations was with Estella and a rich snob named Drummle. Estella married him strictly for his money and he married her strictly for her inheritance and possessions. These two did not truly love each other and only married for their own benefits. This is such a great example of
Carlie Webb
Mr. Hon
9th Lit
28 March 2014
People you love, you eventually betray
“Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.” (Barbara de Angelis) Great Expectations
, a book written by Charles Dickens, is set in the time period of the mid or early 1800s, which is during the time that the Victorian Era Marriage philosophy was in effect.The
Victorian Era Marriage philosophy was a very strict and, to us today, unfair routine of marriage and divorce. In Great Expectations, marriage is used to illustrate not only the character’s views on the guidelines for marriage during the Victorian Era, but also the author’s ideas. Throughout the plot of Great Expectations, Dickens illustrates some great examples of how this marriage philosophy influences people by his characters’ past, present, and future courtships.
Victorian marriage and Dickens views on marriage have some differences. Such as, Dickens agreed with and took advantage of, the divorce rule that favored men in the act of adultery; only men could divorce his wife on the account of the act of adultery.
Dickens married Catherine Hogarth on April 2, 1836, but also fell in love with many younger women at the same time. They stayed together for twentytwo years and then did not officially divorce, because of the unmeasurable cost, but did separate in 1858. It
Webb 1
is believed that they separated, because he met young actress, Ellen Ternan, whom he lived with until his death.
A depiction of Victorian Era marriage in Great Expectations was with Estella and a rich snob named Drummle. Estella married him strictly for his money and he married her strictly for her inheritance and possessions. These two did not truly love each other and only married for their own benefits. This is such a great example of