Charles Dickens Essay : Philosophical, Psychological, Sociological Issue

A great burden for human beings is to carry ourselves the way we want others to see us. Though each governed by a private set of beliefs, no man is an island for a reason, as we are subject to natural instinct, which compels us to strive for acceptance by others in society. However, though one part of life is about fulfilling the expectations of society in order to fit in, the other reflects how we see ourselves and what we hold our potentials to be. What we expect of ourselves is based upon the desire for self-improvement and attempting to come out of experiences with something we didn't know before. While expectations give a sense of having something to look forward to, they may also cross the thin line of what is practical into what is idealistic. Having the mindset to act and respond in certain ways can be attributed to core beliefs, but to cultivate the lofty image of ourselves as nobler beings is as unrealistic as it is to hope for wings. The very struggle to straddle the border of reasonable expectations is evident in charles dickens' Great Expectations, a Bildungsroman that follows the life of orphan Pip Pirrip, who seeks the values of his society as well as his own.