Great Expectations Compare And Contrast

2 Pages 537 Words

The movie adaptation of Great Expectations closely follows the classic novel by Charles Dickens until the very end of the book. Though there are only a few minor changes, they significantly alter the story line. In my opinion, they leave the viewer with a more satisfied perspective. For example, in Chapter 49 of Great Expectations, Pip visits Miss Havisham, who feels unbearably guilty for having caused Estella to break his heart. Sobbing, she clings to Pip’s feet pleading with him to forgive her. He acts kindly toward her and then goes for a walk in the garden. There, he has a morbid fantasy that Miss Havisham is dead. He looks up at the window just in time to see her bend over the fire and go up in a column of flame. Rushing in to save her, Pip sweeps the ancient wedding feast from her table and smothers the flames with tablecloth. Miss Havisham lives, but becomes an invalid, a sort of a shadow of her former self. Most of the minor details in the film match the story, however, Pip does not have this fantasy in the film. Instead, Miss Havisham calls Pip’s name and then jumps into the fireplace. Pip turns to see her a flame, and then pulls her out of the inferno and smothers the flames with tablecloth. So badly injured, Miss Havisham dies at that moment. Though in the book, Pip does not find out that Miss Havisham has died until chapter 57 when Joe brings Pip news from home.
Two other alterations in the story take place in chapter 59. One of them being that, in the story, Pip goes to Satis house eleven years later and finds that it is no longer standing. In a silvery mist, Pip walks through the overgrown, ruined garden and thinks of Estella. He had heard she was unhappy with Drummle, but that Drummle had recently died. Conversely in the movie, Pip comes to Satis house to play, with the intentions of bringing it to the ground. To his surprise, Pip discovers that Estella has divorced Drummle, (meaning he is still alive) and is now li...