1. Introduction 1.1 Research background Charles John Huffam Dickens, who has written fifteen novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, is one of the most sparking stars in the history of British literature. His works gained great popularity during his lifetime, and are still widely read today. Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors#8217; prison. The hard childhood had an important influence on Dickens, which made him become one of the outstanding critical realism writers in Europe in the 19th century. His works are full of brilliant, witty humor and nuanced psychoanalysis, which made many of his characters be forever alive in the readers#8217; heart. Fellow writers praised Dickens for his realism, prose style, and unique characterizations. Even Marx exalted him as ”an outstanding novelist”. The 1836 serial publication of The Pickwick Papers marked the beginning of Dickens#8217; literary success. Great Expectations is one of the most frequently adapted novel, which has been translated into many languages. The novel was first published as a serial in Dickens#8217; weekly periodical, All the Year Round. Later, Chapman and Hall published the novel in three volumes. Set in Kent and London in the early mid-19th century, the novel depicts the personal growth and development of an orphan nicknamed Pip. Besides Pip, Dickens also created other lively characters, including the eccentric Miss Havisham, the beautiful but cold Estella, and Joe, the unsophisticated and kind blacksmith, who exerted indispensable influence on Pip#8217;s growth and life. The theme of the novel reflects Dickens#8217; critical thinking about poverty and wealth, hatred and love. The happy ending shows the author firmly believes the eventual triumph of good over evil. 1.2 Need for the study Practically speaking, growth of Pip in Great Expectations can provide the readers with lots of reflection and introspection about life. The theme of Great Expectations includes money, crime, social class, ambition, conscience and moral regeneration, as well as redemption through love, which can be linked to one#8217;s personal experience and social reality. In the modern society where the fierce competition is ubiquitous, some people are so preoccupied for pursuing fame and money that they may lose themselves. Therefore, Pip#8217;s gradual growth and final awakening can be referred to by people living in the modern society, especially the youth who are unsure about their future. Anyway, it is important to seek and cherish what that really matters. Theoretically speaking, this interpretation gives scholars more specific hints at studying novels in British literature that focus on the growth of the main characters. Dickens is one of the greatest writers who is adept at writing this genre of novel. Some typical features of this genre of novel can be found out and the readers can have a further understanding of them by studying how the environment affects Pip and his growth in Great Expectations. 2. Literature review 2.1. The research status of foreign countries Great expectations has attracted attention of many scholars soon after it was published. Since the 19th century, western scholars have started researching on the novel, but their comments and reviews differ. Some critics think Great Expectations is among Dickens#8217; most influential novels. It remains the style of Dickens while its characters are more vivid and the structure of plot is very rigorous. But others criticize that the plot is unreasonably structured and the characters are stilted and eccentric. Compared with Dickens#8217; earlier work, it is tasteless and tiresome. According to the materials in foreign languages I have consulted, the scholars who research on Great Expectations mainly focus on the following aspects: social history, text language, character image and expression techniques. The researchers have noticed that Darwin#8217;s theory of evolution has influence on Dickens#8217; Great Expectations. For instance, in Meditating on the Low: A Darwinian Reading of Great Expectations, Goldie Morgentaler represents the transition of Dickens#8217; point of view on personality forming by genetic determinism to environmental determinism from A Tale of Two Cities to Great Expectations with the influence of Darwin. Susan Walsh points out that Miss Havisham in Great Expectations is a symbol of British economy at that time. The development of Victorian society changed the traditional way of women#8217;s investing and also influenced the ambitions and aspirations of young people like Pip. The ruined Satis House, the beer factory and the history of Havisham#8217;s failed investment have all shown Dickens#8217; knowledge and comments on the economy at that time. At the end of Great Expectations, Orlick tricks Pip into a lime house with the intention of killing him. Before the murder, Orlick berates Pip for making him lose his job, forcing him to attack Mrs. Joe and thus being expelled from the country. He mocks Pip for using only one type of handwriting, while his new accomplice, Compeyson, can use fifty types. In Sneaking You as Writes but One: A Note on Forgery and Identity in Great Expectations, Marie McAllister points out that this angry sneer reveals a deeper meaning that the speaker has not yet realized. Compeyson#8217;s knack for forgery reveals his nature: a liar under a gentlemanly shell, a betrayer of Magwitch, and a cheat of Miss Havisham. On the contrary, Pip does not have the capacity to write fifty types of handwriting, which also hints at his consistent nature. Due to Estella, Pip once tried to become an upper-class gentleman, wearing different clothes and in different accents. That is using another type of handwriting. But Pip finally learns the value of Joe, so he forgives Miss Havisham and corrects his mistakes. Pip has never completely lost the nature of good. Different from Compeyson, he still uses a type of handwriting. In The Character of Estella in Great Expectations, Lucile P Shores puts forward that although Estella is regarded as cold and cruel, she always keeps her real feelings and sincerity when she gets along with Pip. Estella has been brought up by Miss Havisham to be insolent and arrogant, but she has always been kind to Pip in her own way. Estella knows that she has been twisted and destroyed by Miss Havisham, and she is ashamed of herself. Therefore, she does not want to be a burden to Pip. She sincerely warned Pip to stay away from her for many times. It is true that she wants to escape from her adoptive mother#8217;s control, but more importantly, she doesn#8217;t think she is good enough for Pip. In The Literary Orphan as National Hero: Huck and Pip, Hana Wirth-Nesher compares Mark Twain#8217;s Huckleberry Finn with Pip, pointing out that the two orphans have many similarities: They are both in a low social class. Their names both show the unimportant status, and they both harbor strong expectations for the future. Pip desires to enter the upper class and be a gentleman, while Huckleberry wants to deviate from society and get rid of the pollution of civilization. One seeks social status, while the other escapes from the civilization. The author thinks that the difference between the two orphans symbolizes the discrepancies in social and cultural identity between Great Britain and the United States. In Imagery and Theme in Great Expectations, Robert Barnard discusses the functions of images of prisons and animals in Great Expectations. He believes that the change of images is used by the author to imply the transfer of evil from one character to another. Barnard argues that the evil of one character pollutes another, just as the moral reconstruction of one character improves the morality of another. Magwitch, Miss Havisham, Pip, and Estella are all linked by a chain of guilt and corruption. 2.2. The research status of domestic Chinese readers#8217; exposure to Dickens began with Lin Shu#8217;s translation in the early 20th century. During the period of the Republic of China, there were some comments on Great Expectations, such as Dickens Biography written by Yiwaxiaowa. During this period, the comments on Great Expectations are not concentrated and profound enough, only limited to the translation and introduction of foreign materials. Independent researches have not been carried out. In fact, the deep and prosperous domestic researches on Great Expectations began after the foundation of new China. At the beginning of new China, influenced by the Soviet Union, our country#8217;s scholars attach great importance to Dickens. In 1962, the 150th anniversary of the birth of Dickens, a climax of researches has formed. Great Expectations also appeared in front of the researchers at this time. But until now, the focus in the study of Dickens#8217; novels has always been A Tale of Two Cities, and there is a few achievements about the study of Great Expectations. In terms of domestic books about history of literature, I mainly refer to the Foreign Literature Course, the Outline of World Literature History edited by Jiang Chengyong, the History of World Literature edited by Zhang Liangcun, and the History of English Literature edited by Wang Zuoliang. In most of these works, the theme of Great Expectations is summarized as the corruption of human nature by money and the disillusionment of ciphers in the capitalist society. In the Brief History of Foreign Literature, Yang Jiangxian evaluates this work as ”a work with profound social significance and artistic appeal”, and ”emphasizing that people should live a upright and honest life”. These papers either expound and criticize the characteristics of the certain times reflected in the work and analyze the influence of the work related to Dickens#8217; thoughts and theories, or discuss the features of narrative, structure of plot and characterization of the novel. As for Dickens#8217; thoughts, in On the Male Consciousness of Dickens in Great Expectations, Zhao Yanqiu points out that Dickens is not a writer who discriminated against women. In his daily life, he loved and respected them, willing to take care of them. However, in his works, intentionally or unintentionally, he always demeans them, and puts them under the control of men. In Dickens#8217; works, women are accessories to men and they are symbols of the value of men. Men can actualize themselves, but the plights of women are caused by irreversible event (Estella is economically controlled by her adoptive mother). Besides, women are faced with the risk of abuse. Zhao Yanqiu also discussed the sex morality in Great Expectations. That is the loyalty between two main characters and their external behavior and thoughts are moral. It is in the last moment of the reunion that Estella and Pip express their love to each other, after the death of Estella#8217;s husband. Works Cited Barnard, Robert. Imagery and Theme in Great Expectations. Michigan: Gale Research,1998. McAllister, Marie. Sneaking You as Writes but One: A Note on Forgery and Identity in Great Expectations. The Explicator, Taylor Francis Ltd, 2008. Morgentaler, Goldie. Meditating on the Low: A Darwinian Reading of Great Expectations. Studies in English Literature, Texas: Rice University,1998. Shores, Lucille, P. The Character of Estella in Great Expectations. Michigan: Gale Research,1998. Wirth-Nesher, Hana. The Literary Orphan as National Hero: Huck and Pip. New York: Gale, Cengage Learning, 1986. Guo, Rong. [郭荣].《论中狄更斯的男性意识》. 辽宁行政学院学报, 2008, (11):18-20. Jiang, Chengyong. [蒋承勇].《世界文学史纲》. 上海: 复旦大学出版社, 2000. Jiang, Chengyong. [蒋承勇].《外国文学教程》. 北京: 高等教育出版社, 2007. Yang, Jiangxian; Feng, Lijun; Zheng, Hansheng. [杨匠先, 冯丽军, 郑汉生]. 《简明外国文学史》. 北京: 中国社会科学出版社, 2003. Yiwa, Xiaowa. [伊瓦肖娃].《狄更斯评传》. 广东: 广东人民出版社, 1983. Zhang, Liangcun. [张良村].《世界文学历程》. 上海: 国际文化出版社, 1997. Zhao, Yanqiu. [赵炎秋].《论狄更斯笔下的双重人格人物》. 湖南师范大学社会科学学报, 1994, (6): 30-31.