Miss Havisham, Estella and Pip are some of the most memorable characters ever set in literature, and are thought to be Dicken's finest creation as well. Orphaned Pip suddenly has a large amount of money bestowed upon him by a mysterious benefactor and is expected to become a gentlemen with it-the 'Great Expectations' of the title. Into this story Dickens wove a darker view of a repressedVictorian age, along with the burgeoning hope of increased upward mobility, effectively giving us a worthy novel and social commentary.