There are many common, familiar cliches about illusion versus truth. "All that glitters is not gold" and "Things are seldom what they seem" are the most universal overused phrases, but they do not cover entirely every aspect of appearance versus reality. In Charles Dickens' novel, Great Expectations, there are several differences between the illusion and the truth. The appearance of certain things is often detrimental to the outcomes of charac

The most important illusion in Great Expectations is Pip's confident expectations of a better life. In the beginning of the novel we see how Pip hasn't had that much experience in life and that all he knows is from the marshes and around him. We see his close relationship to Joe and how he looks up to him, wanting to be just like him. We also see how Pip is caring and brings back the food for Magwitch but still says ´I am glad you enjoy it. ` Pip gets a chance to see another side of life when he is invited to go and see Miss.Havisham. Here he sees different kinds of people and a different side that he has never experienced before. He falls in love with Estella who is nasty to him but he doesn't know any better and doesn't know what she is brought up to be like and do.

He then moves to London to become a true gentleman and he thinks that Miss. Havisham is paying for him to go. He had expected London to be the world, the beginning of a new future, and the start of a new life. However, it did not meet up with his anticipated expectations. The reality of London was dreary and dismal, unlike the appearance of it from afar. Before leaving the marshes he is ashamed of Joe and when leaving he doesn't want to be seen with him because he already assumes that he is of a lower class now. The acquisition of wealth is clearly associated in Pip's mind with the status of ´gentleman. ` The lure of money and the prospect of marrying a girl of education and ´breeding` lead Pip to adopt a life style, which does not resemble that of a true gentleman. But through a series of trials which see him neglecting his true friends, chasing after an unattainable love and gradually discovering his true self, Pip emerges a wiser man with a prospect of happiness.

In London he meets Herbert who becomes a good friend to him. Pip still thinks that Herbert is poor and Pip is in an upper class to him and therefore needs to help him. Pip shows a very snobbish attitude through most of the novel which shows he doesn't really know about the important things in life. Pip finds out that his benefactor is Magwitch and he is appalled. He thinks about not accepting his money anymore because he is a convict and he wishes he had never met him. This shows the

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Approximate Word count = 1510
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)