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

In the opening chapter of Great Expectations daemon draws upon a wealth of literary devices which range from the c atomic number 18fully selected word to a rather grand elbow room of writing in long, complex sentences. He focuses these literary devices on conveying put, causa and atmosphere which change the referee to have a entertaining, fictional experience.Immediately, in the branch draw in the reader realises who the main character is and begins to build a picture of him. The reader is conscious of an older narrator looking back on his childhood when the following production line announces I called myself rack up, and came to be called slash. As the number one chapter is all to the highest degree Pip it is appropriate that readers should be able to envisage the main character who will transport them to a squeamish childhood. In the second paragraph the reader deduces that Pip is very imaginative as from the shape of the garner on his fathers gravestones he has form ed an image of a square, stout, dark man with curly black hair. Its serious that the reader understands at this early stage that Pips imagination has such a hold over him as later on in the chapter. It explains why Pip obeys the flimflam and is so frightened of him. The young boy is in thrall to his child- wish well imagination.The backcloth of the novel is closely associated with the main character as is revealed by the line ours was the marsh country. The word ours is not simply a pronoun it gives the reader the impression that he has unendingly lived on that point like the generations. The word suggests he feels, even as an adult looking back on his childhood, somewhat proprietorial about the marshes. In short, the marshes were his homeland or heartland.The memory of that day at the marshes is imbibed as vivid and broad. These wrangling give the reader the impression that what happened was something unforgettable that stood apart from all of Pips different memories in th e counsel that vivid colours stand out and you commemorate them better.The word broad signifies a nap of things happened in the short space of meter. fiend goes on to describe the day as raw which ab initio charmms to contradict the word vivid heretofore 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 are fond and cosy. .The area around Pip is a bleak invest overgrown with nettles. hellion words seem to be chosen deliberately. Bleak is important as all the next paragraph is going to be about how desolate this area is and how Pip is alone where as the word nettles makes the reader think of organism ache. When youre stung by a nettle you remember it because it hurts like Pip remembers this day. Throughout the opening chapter Dickens uses noun phrases to describe scattered cattle, broken shoes and high tombst ones These enhance his definition of place and in the wild of the marshes, the reader builds up a picture of there being nothing else there which makes it appear a very lonely commemorateting where one may have to fight to survive. In effect the commentary of the setting foreshadows the fight for survival the prisoner will have, mentally and physically. furthermore, the single word wilderness overly has another connotation i.e. the marshes reflect Pips inner feelings. Pip is dark inside as he has no happiness. Hes a working 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 unable to build such an atmosphere which engages their mind and senses building up worry and suspense. The reader understands Pip is alone however being alone send packing be very beautiful, dispassionate and relaxing but the reader creates the scared atmosphere after Dickens adds the adverbial phrases and noun phrases like place overgrown with nettles, dark, flat wilderness, low leaden line, distant criminal lair, and turn was rushing. All of these are dark, frightening phrases which dont describe any beauty.The description of the sea as a distant savage lair is also a very good description of what the marshes are to the doom. A lair is somewhere an fauna often savage lives and the convict is living in the marshes and he is like an animal as hes uneducated 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 rough turn Pip upside down. The key thing about a lair is the fact it conceals the animal and the convict is much concealed as prior to him vindicatory appearing Pip is unaware anyone else is there this links with distant as at that point any threat to Pip is very remoteness in his mind as he is believing that hes alone.The convict started up from among the graves is how his entrance is depict but the words started up mirror and foreshadow how something else is starting up and that is Pips change in fortune. Started up is also different and unusual in this context as it would normally be used for a car or a mechanical thing not a person. The difference in the midst of quite a little and mechanical things are community have feelings and at this point in the story the convict is being portrayed 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 xenophobic of him and understand why Pip as a small boy would have followed his assures. He neer talks without issuing commands. His first spoken word is usually an imperative verb which gives the reader the impression the convict will not tolerate 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 chain of mountains of adverbial phrases to emphasise the dreaded physical condition of the convict who had been soaked 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 low is created that arouses the sympathy of the reader.Pip is under the sole control 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 verbal threats neat true and these are forced more on him by the convicts unkind physical treatment including turning Pip upside down. 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 babe wife of Joe Gargery, the blacksmith. In contrast th e convict uses slang pint and mind tot and sometimes then he doesnt pronounce 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 individually time he uses it. Sometimes he just repeats the exact same sentence He canted me 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 watch over myself upon it partly, to keep myself from crying. here the reader sees 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 insignificant to many people just like this area is insignificant so no-one hardly comes but without lines nothing would be in the world or happen. As lines form the foundations of earn 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 therefore 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 significant in the fact its very plain and simple and that reflects how the marshes were now, they were just simply plain marshes again. However it also reflects how Pip felt a nd 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 stopped so the reader can take a step back and is able to think about what just happened.Dickens uses fables 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 known what Dickens was talking about in particular if they lived in the city but by saying it was like an unhooped bbl upon a pole they are fully able to visualise what it is. So as well as telling a great story Dickens is also introducing his readers to new words.In addition Dickens talks about the convict as if he were the pirate come to life, by using a metaphor 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 c an 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 scary and people that threaten others to get what they want just as the convict is a fearful person and has imperil 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 lacking 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 they are all put together it forms something excellent as you read stories within a story.In general, Dickens style of writing in incredibly long sentences helps set the atmosphere o f 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 compass point about the setting or a characters appearance which if you can give the text your full wariness without any distractions transport you very easily into this world therefore you dont watch it like a scene 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 the word and. You would not think, especially not in todays modern 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 find out 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 inspire to read on.In conclusion, the opening chapter sets up the book as an incredibly worthwhile read which seems to semi-autobiographical and relate 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, clowning 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 august 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.