Abstract

    In Dickens’s late work Great Expectations, plenty of light and dark images are consciously depicted. This paper is mainly about the analysis of two kinds of images: they respectively represent the light and dark side of the living surroundings. With the changing of living surroundings, Pip’s mental thought varies during his growth. Then he makes response to his mental changes, and does something to gradually improve himself. A conclusion can be drawn that these images help to build up Pip’s life experience, what’s more, they sublime the theme of the book.

Key Words: dark images  light images  mental change  growth

摘  要

狄更斯在他晚期的作品《远大前程》中，有意识地描写了许多明暗对比意象。本文主要是通过分析小说中的两组意象——它们分别象征着周边生活环境中的光亮面和黑暗面，进而来分析主人公皮普因为周边环境的改变，在其成长发展的过程中心理上随之发生的变化。之后他对变化做出反应，同时自身做出相应的改变。分析得出，这些意象构建了皮普的生活，升华了小说的主题。

关键词：暗意象  明意象  心理变化  成长

1. A Brief Introduction of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
Meckier once said, Great Expectations, a bildungsroman written in the first point of view, is Charles Dickens’ thirteenth novel which is a classical work of Victorian Literature. Applying biographical style, Dickens narrates 3 stages of life of Pip from his childhood to his adult which include Pip’s growth experience and mental development. In the beginning, Pip is badly looking forward to his great expectations. However, afterwards, all these fantasies are disillusioned. Through ups and downs of Pip’s life, Dickens show his attitudes to life, to humanity.
Dickens, as a well-known writer, his works are invariably studied by scholars, especially Great Expectations. In this book, images attach great importance to make up the whole story. Bloom studied this book on its prison images and made an analysis of the Newgate London. Paulette also showed his interest to the images appeared, especially the fire. And different fires put characters in different surroundings. Cockshut once said that “Image can create a subjective interpretation of phenomena — a ‘felt experience’ resulting from some kind of momentary fusion of the outer and inner perception.”Besides, Nordquist holds the idea that the right image creates the mood, and suggest connections between two things.Writers use images to show their intentions. Dickens uses images everywhere to represent some profound meanings which help readers to understand the theme. For example, weather. Severe weather is largely showed which creates the gloomy mood. When bad-weather days come, something awful will happen.