Orlick as Pip's Dark Side in Dickens's Great ExpectationsCharles Dickens's aptly titled novel, Great Expectations, focuses about the journey of the story's main protagonist, Pip, to meet the expectations of his life set for him by external forces. The fusion of the seemingly unattainable aspects of high society and the upper class, coupled with Pip's insatiable desire to achieve such status, drives him to realize the expectations prescribed for him. The all-encompassing desire he feels comes from his experiences with Mrs. Havisham and the unbridled passion he feels for Estella. Pip realizes that due to the socially imposed caste system in which he is trapped, he will never be able to acquire Estella's love by working as a lowly blacksmith at the forge. The dark realizations that Pip undergoes cause him to categorically despise everything about himself, feeling ashamed of the life he leads when enlightened by the upper-class crowd. These feelings are summed up in Pip's utter disgust and hatred for Orlick's character. . To Pip, Orlick represents everything he hates about himself. When Pip sees Orlick, he imagines what awaits him in the future; being trapped in a life he couldn't stand. Orlick, in reality, is Pip without his high expectations. But there is a much deeper and more disturbing aspect to the relationship between Pip and Orlick. Dickens uses the character of Orlick to symbolize Pip's dark side. Pip's deepest primordial feelings and desires are represented through the actions of Orlick, for which Pip is ultimately responsible. These actions ultimately lead to the downfall of both men. In the first scene where we see Pip and Orlick together, there is ...... middle of paper ......eration. It is ironic that if only Pip had followed through on the initial expectations he set for himself instead of the supposedly greater expectations he was hoping for, he would have been in a better situation. Works cited and consulted Bell, Vereen. “Understanding the Characters of Great Expectations.” Victorian Newsletter 27 (1965): 21-24. Dickens, Charles. Great expectations. Ed. Janice Carlisle. Boston: Bedford, St. Martin's, 1996. Rawlins, Jack P. “Great Expectations: Dickens and Betrayal.” Studies in English literature, 1500-1900. 23 (1983): 667-683. Millhauser, Milton. “Great Expectations: The Fall.” Dickens Studies Annual 2 (1972): 267-276. Rosenberg, Edgar. “Last on great expectations.” Dickens Studies Annual 9 (1981): 87-107. Sucksmith, Harvey Peter. The Narrative Art of Charles Dickens. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1970.