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When Charles Dickens was 12, his father was carted off to debtor’s prison. So Dickens’ mother, doing what she could to keep the family together, moved Charles’ seven brothers and sisters into prison with Dad. Charles Dickens himself got to live outside the prison, working with other poor and orphaned children pasting labels on bottles. Later, of course, Dickens became a rich and famous author. But characters like Pip, and stories like Great Expectations, show that Dickens never forgot his past.

Video Transcription:

If you were trying to make sense of the plot of Dickens’ novel—not to mention the themes—the 60secondrecap feels your pain. The good news is, context helps. Let me explain.

Here’s another word that describes Great Expectations: Victorian.

Dickens lived and wrote in Victorian England. This period of time—from the 1830’s ‘til 1901—is named after Queen Victoria.

But what you really need to know is that this era was all about class.

Industrial improvements during the Victorain era had people moving from the country into the city. And for the first time, a middle class developed. But there was also horrible poverty and enormous wealth, too.

That’s one of the reasons why Dickens wrote about class. Actually, Dickens didn’t just write about class—he satirized it. He made fun of it, with a specific purpose in mind. He wanted to get people thinking about the problems between the classes—and how to fix them.

Oh, one more thing. If all the weddings and funerals and joys and sorrows in this book seem a little over the top … well, don’t blame Dickens. Writing in the Victorian period was also characterized by sentimentality.

What can I say? Dickens was a man of his time.