Guilt and Corruption in Great ExpectationsThe Victorian era is often cited as the Golden Age of England; however, beneath the trappings of silk and gold lay a society of greed and corruption. The rich lived a life of luxury and indulgence by exploiting the labor of the poor. Charles Dickens saw the injustice of the class system in Victorian society and worked to highlight the immorality of the upper class through his literature. Because Dickens himself had experienced both poverty and wealth, he recognized the inequality that prevailed within the established class system and sought to expose the truth to others through Pip's journey to becoming a gentleman. In his novel Great Expectations, Dickens uses symbolism and imagery to develop the theme of guilt and corruption to explore the limits of social class and the meaning of being a gentleman in the Victorian era. Dickens establishes the theme of corruption early on by forging a connection between Pip's actions and his feelings of guilt. Early in the novel, Pip's innocence is manifested through his excessive feelings of guilt when he is forced to steal for the convict Magwitch (Dickens). By exposing Pip to crime and corruption at such a young age, Dickens seeks to illuminate the path that leads to Pip's entanglement in guilt. Furthermore, those around him treat Pip as if he had committed a crime and deserved to be punished, which is demonstrated when Pip describes his clothes as "a sort of reformatory", which "leaves [him] in no way case the free use of one's clothes. of [its] members” (Dickens). Dickens deliberately associates Pip's clothing with the idea of ​​prison and criminality and, in doing so, further cements Pip's connection to guilt. Dickens's use of the animal character...... middle of paper ...... Eugene. "From imposture to 'gentle Christian' in great expectations." Critical Insights: Great Expectations: by Charles Dickens. Pasadena, CA: Salem, 2010. N. pag. Print.Hake, Steve. “Becoming poor to make many rich: the resolution of class conflicts in Dickens. » Dickens Studies Annual 26 (1998): 107-119. Rep. in 19th century literary criticism. Ed. Jessica Bomarito and Russell Whitaker. Flight. 161. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Literary Resource Center. Internet. January 7, 2014. Floyd, Stacy. “The Specter of Class: Revision, Hybrid Identity, and Exceeding High Expectations.” Victorians: a journal of culture and literature122 (2012): 101+. Literary Resource Center. Internet. January 7, 2014.Parkinson, Kirsten L. "'What are you playing, boy?' : card games in Great Expectations." DickensQuarterly 27.2 (2010): 119+. Literary Resource Center. Internet. January 7. 2014.