Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are two of the most well-known bildungsromans, or novels of self-development. Both works follow their protagonists from humble beginnings to newfound prosperity, and both feature plenty of drama, romance, and intrigue along the way.
There are many similarities between Great Expectations and Jane Eyre. Both Pip and Jane are orphans who are sent to live with relatives who don’t really want them. Both characters suffer abuse at the hands of those closest to them. And both eventually find themselves in positions of power and wealth after being helped by wealthy benefactors.
There are also some key differences between the two novels. Great Expectations is set in Victorian England, while Jane Eyre takes place in early 19th century England. Great Expectations is a much longer novel, while Jane Eyre is much shorter. And Great Expectations is more light-hearted and humorous than Jane Eyre, which is darker and more serious in tone.
Despite these differences, Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are both excellent examples of bildungsromans. They both tell engrossing stories of characters who overcome great obstacles to find success and happiness in life.
The opening of the novel signals to the reader that something is amiss. This causes a chain reaction, which kicks off when the protagonist encounters a mysterious stranger or discovers some devastating news about their family or home. The journey of maturity in both Great Expectations and Jane Eyre is lengthy, difficult, and progressive, involving numerous clashes between the protagonist’s needs and desires and society’s views and judgments. At the conclusion of each book, both Pip and Jane Eyre are included in society’s spirit and values.
Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are two of the most beloved and popular novels in the English language. They have been praised for their masterful storytelling, complex characters, and social commentary. Though they are both considered classics, there are some significant differences between the two books. Great Expectations is a novel by Charles Dickens, while Jane Eyre is a novel by Charlotte Bronte.
Great Expectations is set in Victorian England and follows the story of Pip, an orphan who strives to become a gentleman. Jane Eyre is set in Georgian England and tells the story of an orphaned girl who becomes a governess. Both Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are bildungsromans, or coming-of-age stories.
In a bildungsroman, the protagonist undergoes a process of maturation as they journey from innocence to experience. Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are both coming-of-age stories set in different time periods and offer a unique look at the social mores of their respective eras. Great Expectations was published in 1860, while Jane Eyre was published in 1847. Great Expectations is a much longer novel than Jane Eyre.
Great Expectations is over five hundred pages long, while Jane Eyre is only four hundred pages long. Great Expectations also contains a greater variety of characters than Jane Eyre. Dickens introduces dozens of characters throughout the course of the novel, while Bronte focuses primarily on the interactions between Jane and other characters. Great Expectations is set primarily in London, while Jane Eyre takes place mainly in the north of England.
Great Expectations is a novel about Pip, an orphan who dreams of becoming a gentleman. Jane Eyre is a novel about an orphaned girl who becomes a governess. Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are both coming-of-age stories that focus on the protagonist’s journey from innocence to experience. In Great Expectations, Pip is an orphan who is taken in by his sister and her husband, Joe Gargery.
Pip is introduced to Miss Havisham, a wealthy woman who lives in a decrepit mansion. Miss Havisham asks Pip to play with her daughter, Estella. Estella is cold and cruel to Pip, but he falls in love with her. Pip is later taken to London by a lawyer named Jaggers to begin his training as a gentleman. Pip’s journey from innocence to experience is marked by his interactions with Miss Havisham, Estella, and Jaggers.
In Jane Eyre, the titular character is an orphan who is sent to live with her aunt, Mrs. Reed. Jane is mistreated by Mrs. Reed and her cousins, John, Eliza, and Georgiana. Jane is later sent away to Lowood School, where she befriends Helen Burns. Helen dies of consumption, and Jane returns home to visit her dying aunt. After Mrs. Reed dies, Jane becomes a governess at Thornfield Hall.
Jane’s journey from innocence to experience is marked by her interactions with Mrs. Reed, John, Eliza, Georgiana, Helen Burns, and Mr. Rochester. Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are both coming-of-age stories that follow the protagonist as they journey from innocence to experience. Great Expectations is set in Victorian England and follows Pip as he becomes a gentleman, while Jane Eyre is set in Georgian England and follows Jane as she becomes a governess.
Both novels, despite occurring differently, include a self-comparison by the protagonists of their new position in that society. Despite the fact that Great Expectations and Jane Eyre have completely different settings, gender roles, and education levels, they nevertheless have the same broad aim: to illustrate the journey from ignorance to knowledge in Victorian Society, beginning with childhood through adulthood, which is enhanced by utilizing the protagonists Pip and Jane Eyre.
The main similarity between Great Expectations and Jane Eyre is that both are bildungsromans, meaning that they follow the development of the protagonists from childhood to adulthood. Furthermore, both works can be seen as reflections of Victorian society. Although Great Expectations was published almost a decade before Jane Eyre, in 1860, they share many similarities in terms of their themes and messages.
One of the biggest differences between Great Expectations and Jane Eyre is the setting. Great Expectations is set primarily in London, while Jane Eyre takes place mostly in rural England. This difference is significant because it reflects the different experiences that Pip and Jane have growing up.
Pip is exposed to a more cosmopolitan lifestyle in London, while Jane is raised in a more isolated rural area. This difference is also reflected in the gender roles of the protagonists. Pip is a boy, and thus is expected to conform to traditional masculine norms, while Jane is a girl, and therefore has to fight against traditional feminine expectations.
Another significant difference between Great Expectations and Jane Eyre is their level of education. Pip is given a more formal education than Jane, who only receives an informal education from her aunt. This difference reflects the different social classes of the two protagonists. Pip comes from a wealthy family, while Jane is from a poor family.
Despite these differences, Great Expectations and Jane Eyre both ultimately convey the same message about growing up in Victorian society. They show how the protagonists develop from ignorance to knowledge, and how they learn to navigate the different expectations that society has for them. Great Expectations and Jane Eyre are both remarkable examples of bildungsromans, and provide valuable insights into the experience of growing up in Victorian England.