Marcel took notes in an extensive lesson on Dickens and Victorian England. We examined the reign of Victoria and Albert, specifically the Great Exhibition that displayed technology and heralded the benefits of industrialization. I then discussed the rigid class system of Victorian society that relied a great deal on heredity or inherited wealth as a passport to the upper class. We contrasted that caste system to the idealized American dream where class or birth is not a social impediment. I discussed how in the novel the main character ,Pip, yearns to be a member of the upper class despite his humble origin raised by a simple blacksmith. I provided some biographical information about Dickens as well as information on the format of the original publication as serialized magazine installments. Turning to the literary aspects, we examined the importance of names Dickens' employs for his characters, the use of repeated , character traits or "tags", and the characteristics of the Romantic genre. As Dickens' writing is known for its detailed descriptions , we discussed the relationship between setting and mood, and I introduced the terms "metonymy and synecdoche " as types of metaphors, We further discussed the novel as belonging to the genre known as a "bildungsroman" or a young man's journey to self awareness and maturity. For homework due Thursday read chapters 3 and 4, answer study guide questions chapters 1-3.