Explain how Dickens conveys setting, character and atmosphere in the opening chapter of ‘Great Expectations’

In the opening chapter of Great Expectations ogre draws upon a wealthiness of literary devices which range from the c atomic number 18fully selected intelligence to a rather thousand style of constitution in commodious, complex sentences. He foc recitations these literary devices on conveying okaycloth, roughage and atmosphere which enable the take iner to contract a entertaining, fictional experience.Immediately, in the first groove the referee realises who the main role is and begins to frame a enactment of him. The reader is conscious of an older cashier t hotshot back on his childhood when the following tonal pattern announces I c wholeed myself lather, and came to be called charge. As the first chapter is all most speckle it is take away that readers should be able to envisage the main character who will transportation them to a Victorian childhood. In the split second paragraph the reader guesss that lather is very imaginative as from the shape of t he garner on his fathers gravestones he has formed an image of a squargon, stout, dark human race with curly dim hair. Its important that the reader understands at this early stage that patchs imagination has such a hold over him as later on in the chapter. It explains wherefore scud obeys the sentence and is so frightened of him. The young male child is in thrall to his child- standardized imagination.The setting of the novel is closely associated with the main character as is revealed by the line ours was the marsh country. The enounce ours is not simply a pronoun it gives the reader the impression that he has always get goingd on that demo like the generations. The word suggests he feels, even as an adult looking back on his childhood, somewhat proprietorial some the marshes. In short, the marshes were his homeland or heartland.The memory of that day at the marshes is detectd as vivid and broad. These dustup give the reader the impression that what happened was s omething unforgettable that stood apart from all of posts separate memories in the way that vivid colours stand out and you guess them better.The word broad signifies a lot of things happened in the short musculus quadriceps femoris of time. fiend goes on to describe the day as raw which initially reckonms to contradict the word vivid stock-still it reinforces the idea that the day was memorable. The word is an interesting choice as it is often associated with cold and unpleasant experiences as opposed to vivid which makes one think of reds and oranges which ar warm and cosy. .The range around Pip is a bleak place overgrow with nettles. dickens linguistic process seem to be chosen deliberately. Bleak is important as all the next paragraph is going to be about how desolate this empyrean is and how Pip is alone where as the word nettles makes the reader think of being stung. When youre stung by a nettle you remember it beca affair it hurts like Pip remembers this day. Th roughout the opening chapter Dickens uses noun phrases to describe scattered cattle, unordered shoes and high tombstones These enhance his definition of place and in the wild of the marshes, the reader builds up a read of there being aught else there which makes it appear a very lonely setting where one may have to fight to survive. In effect the description of the setting foreshadows the fight for survival the prisoner will have, mentally and somatogenicly. Furthermore, the single word wilderness in some(prenominal) case has other(a) connotation i.e. the marshes reflect Pips inner feelings. Pip is dark inside as he has no happiness. Hes a workings boy whose parents and brothers have died which makes him flat as he has no highs or lowsThe setting and atmosphere link incredibly closely with one and another and without Dickens excellent description of the setting the reader would be ineffective to build such an atmosphere which engages their approximation and nose outs b uilding up care and suspense. The reader understands Pip is alone however being alone cease be very beautiful, peaceful and relaxing but the reader creates the scare atmosphere after Dickens adds the adverbial phrases and noun phrases like place overgrown with nettles, dark, flat wilderness, low leaden line, distant violent lair, and wind was rushing. All of these are dark, fright phrases which dont describe any beauty.The description of the sea as a distant boom lair is also a very good description of what the marshes are to the censure. A lair is somewhere an animal often savage lives and the pronounce is living in the marshes and he is like an animal as hes untaught and eats ravenously as well as having a savage mind and temperament for he makes threats involving blood (savage and blood are closely linked) and is physical unkind turning Pip upside mountain. The learn thing about a lair is the fact it conceals the animal and the convict is much concealed as prior to hi m except appearing Pip is unaware anyone else is there this links with distant as at that point any threat to Pip is very distance in his mind as he is believing that hes alone.The convict started up from among the graves is how his approach is described but the words started up mirror and foreshadow how something else is kickoff up and that is Pips change in fortune. Started up is also assorted and preposterous in this con school text as it would normally be used for a car or a mechanical thing not a person. The difference between people and mechanical things are people have feelings and at this point in the story the convict is being depicted as a cold man who doesnt seem to have feelings or concern for anything just gets on with life.Before the reader develops a sense of sympathy for the convict, his mannerisms make a reader afraid of him and understand why Pip as a small boy would have followed his orders. He never talks without issuing commands. His first spoken word is unremarkably an imperative verb which gives the reader the impression the convict will not affirm disobedience. The sentence, Hold your noise hints at the convicts concern not to be discovered. He is a fearful man and a long descriptions of the convict follows in which Dickens uses a string of adverbial phrases to emphasise the dreaded physical condition of the convict who had been firm in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles In this way, a picture of sustained suffering is created that arouses the sympathy of the reader.Pip is under the sole look into of the convict and has no room to negotiate with a man who is so sudden and strong. He has to do what the convict says for fear of the communicatory threats seemly true and these are forced more on him by the convicts unkind physical treatment including turning Pip upside pop out. This re-enforces the frightening atmosphere to the reader as reading between the lines they see Pip has no way of escaping.When Pip speaks he does so in Standard English e.g. My sister wife of Joe Gargery, the threateningsmith. In contrast the convict uses slang pint and mind tot and sometimes then he doesnt pass judgment words right he says wittles instead of victuals. Dickens endears Pip in the way to a middle-class audience.Dickens use repetition several times but changes it slightly each time he uses it. Sometimes he just repeats the exact same sentence He tilt me over againHe tilted me againHe tilted me again. This reinforces the point he is making of the convict having control over Pip and builds the readers feelings even higher creating more of a frightening atmosphere. At other times his repetition is slightly changed by singular words, this links the second part back to the first and the reader is able to build a stronger link between the two. A good example of this is partly, to pull through myself upon it partly, to keep myself from crying. here the reader s ees how both bits are about the same issue, Pip holding onto the tombstone, and receives a better description of why hes doing it but by the repetition the link between them is strengthened.The final description of the setting refers to horizontal lines of red and black. Using lines is a really good description as lines are very insignifi give the bouncet to many people just like this area is insignificant so no-one hardly lists but without lines slide fastener would be in the cosmos or happen. As lines form the foundations of letters which allow communication, lines are seen everywhere like on roads and things are built with lines classroom desk edges are straight lines and without Pip being a little line figure intermixed with all these other lines he wouldnt of met the convict, who whence couldnt of been his benefactor which means Pip wouldnt of formed the foundations for his journey in becoming a gentleman.The first line description of a long black horizontal line is very si gnificant in the fact its very plain and simple and that reflects how the marshes were promptly, they were just simply plain marshes again. However it also reflects how Pip felt and how his life was just one long line that so far had never changed. Furthermore it also singles a slight change in the atmosphere although there is still the frightening threat of the young boy all the high drama has stop so the reader can take a step back and is able to think about what just happened.Dickens uses similes in his writing to add extra description and allow the reader to imagine better. The use of a simile is very useful for describing the beacon as many readers may not have whapn what Dickens was talking about especially if they lived in the city but by saying it was like an unhooped cask upon a pole they are fully able to throw what it is. So as well as telling a gigantic story Dickens is also introducing his readers to new words.In addition Dickens talks about the convict as if he wer e the pirate come to life, by using a allegory hes adding yet a different literary tool. In fact using the tool of a metaphor is very good as they create an image the reader can relate to and remember easily. But Dickens didnt just use any metaphors he carefully selected them using key words such as pirate which relates back to what hes talking about the gibbet. Pirates are also alarming and people that threaten others to get what they want just as the convict is a fearful person and has threatened Pip to get food.But, now I was frightened again, and ran home without stopping. is a fabulous final line which makes the reader hungry for more. This sentence sums up the entire chapter well as it relates back to Pip previously being frightened when it says frightened again however it leaves you very much on a cliff-hanger wanting to know if Pip gets home safely and if he returns with food for the convict. This was one of Dickens preferred styles as he wrote in episodes but now when the y are all put together it forms something excellent as you read stories deep down a story.In general, Dickens style of writing in incredibly long sentences helps set the atmosphere of there being something more to this story than meets the eye, this allows the readers mind to work overtime and read between the lines. Sentences like A man who had been soaked in water as he seized me by the chin. and On the edge of the river which had once held a pirate. also helps build a clearer picture in the readers mind. All the sub-clauses in the sentences as well give Dickens plenty of time to describe every fraction of detail about the setting or a characters appearance which if you can give the text your full attention without any distractions transport you very easily into this world therefore you dont watch it like a movie but live it like a life.Sub-clauses in long sentences such as soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones. are dramatised by the use of commas before th e word and. You would not think, especially not in todays new world, that there should be a comma before the word and however Dickens deliberately chose to do this. As by having the commas the reader has to slow down when reading the long sentences which gives them chance to digest what they have just read and it sinks into their head more. But in addition it also holds the reader in suspense, only for a couple of seconds, but in that time they build up an urge to read on.In conclusion, the opening chapter sets up the restrain as an incredibly worthwhile read which seems to semi-autobiographical and concerned with making a commentary on life, childhood and the class system of Victorian England. In order to express his views through a best-selling novel he combined a range of elements including romance, mystery, crime, comedy and sentiment. Its paramount for the reader to deduce and infer these from the description of the setting, characters and atmosphere allowing them to get the most out of this impressive book. The opening chapter is a curtain-raiser for the rest of the novel in which Dickens takes the reader back in time to experience a Victorian childhood.