The Specter Of Class: Revision, Hybrid Identity, And Passing

In the critical essay "The Specter of Class: Revision, Hybrid Identity, and Passing in Great Expectations." by Stacy Floyd, the author discusses Charles Dickens’ use of social class and how it affects the lives of the characters in Great Expectations. Floyd believes that Dickens exemplifies the delusional behavior of members of the lower class when trying to better themselves. To the author, the working class imitates middle class values in their day to day lives. In fact, the author states, “Great Expectations highlights the ways performances of middle-class values offer one a sense of control--an uneasy adequacy that often proves only temporary,” (Floyd 2). Floyd concludes that Dickens uses this in order to demonstrate the struggle of the