Having been the parent of six children, Labor Day — with the return of school — has always meant the beginning of the year for me. Never mind January One. As far as I am concerned, this is the time when the year truly starts. And this year, within the space of a few days, I have one grandchild starting college and another starting kindergarten.
(For my part I recall the year always began with a pencil box, a small box, carefully selected at the five and dime store, which contained pencils, eraser, pen, six-inch wooden ruler. and a protractor for drawing circles, which I don’t believe I ever used)
All this created a remembrance of great expectations.
Just thinking of the term “Great Expectations,” in turn caused me to pick up my copy of Charles Dickens novel of the same name.
There are any number of reasons why this is my favorite of his novels. Actually, I think it is one of the truly great novels.
Dickens wrote the book out of urgent need. His magazine — All the Year Round — which published serial novels, was in trouble. The then current major novel (A Day’s Ride by Charles Lever) was attracting a diminishing number of readers. In order to boost readership, Dickens began to write and publish Great Expectations. That Dickens wrote the book because of financial need has always been a teaching point for me. Never mind the romance of writing. Write to find a way to pay the bills!
(It also always astonishes me that Dickens, like other writers of the time, began to write these serials novels AND publish at the same time.)
In any case, the opening chapters of the book are extraordinary, the meeting of the protagonist, young Pip, and the escaped convict Magwitch. The meeting takes place in a misty cemetery in the old churchyard where Pip has been visiting his parents’ graves. Magwitch — who is also a key (if unknown) player in Pip’s fortunes — is also there and takes hold of Pip’s life, literarily and figuratively. The convict will also come to be revealed as the father of Estella, the girl (and woman) who Pip loves.
On these pages also lives the utterly astonishing Miss Havisham, who, having been abandoned on her wedding day, freezes time and her life to live out her revenge.
It’s a novel about love, lost love, found love, redemption, forgiveness, kindness, and great anger. Is there more? Need more? You can probably find it in the novel.
It is also a novel with two endings. As originally written, the love that Pip has for Estella remains unrequited. Bulwer Lytton, another Victorian novelist, read advanced proofs of Great Expectations, and urged a happy ending. Dickens provided one. My view is that the first ending is more consistent with the book. But you may choose for yourself.
In any case, if this is the time when your year begins, there is no better way to start it than to pick up Great Expectations. Your expectations will be met.