Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts.' -from Great Expectations Great Expectations, a Bildungsroman, believed to represent Charles Dickens' peak and maturity as an author, written in 1861, is a classic work of the Victorian novel and depicts a vast range of subjects and incidents of the time, Dickens' concerns, and the relationship between society and man by describing the personal development and growth