Great Expectations" is the classic novel by Charles Dickens that traces the life of an orphan named Pip, beginning at age seven, from Christmas eve 1812 to the winter of 1840. At the center of the novel is a complicated set of themes that can be simplified by the idea that the affection of love and loyalty of friendship are more important than aspirations for wealth and to a higher social class. "Great Expectations" is one of the great classics of the English language.