How to tackle "Great Expectations":

The Movie:

Well there are two movies. The black and white edition which is a must watch before you start reading the novel. You will get a general idea what you are going to have to tackle soon enough. But don’t see the movie so much  that you start learning it’s dialogues rather than those from the book because there are some changes especially the end is different.

There is another colored edition. PG rated this movie is helpful in visualizing the characters of Miss Havisham, Joe and the convict. There are many changes in the movie. The biggest of course is the name of Pip, his being an artist (he is no artist according to the novel) and the era of the movie. It is on the other hand colored, has the same ending as the novel and the Satis house is much better.

Reading:

The novel should be read at least three times. If you can read Harry Potter or Twilight again and again, watch “Fast and Furious” over and over again then why not give “Great Expectations” a try? Go get yourself a full non-abridged edition and read it all thoroughly before you college starts or even during it. Many of the teachers don’t start novel till later so it is better that you know the novel beforehand. Also read it along with the teacher but now use your textbook to avoid the lengthy original text.

The non-abridged novel may see tiresome but keep underlining the difficult words on the way and keep reading even if it is two pages. Try to do a chapter a day. Also keep the previous chapter in mind before proceeding to the next. Start highlighting or underlining the names of the characters, the addresses, the places and the dates as you read.

Also by the end of the novel ask yourself which month is Pip’s birthday? It is there in the novel and if you have read it correctly you would know.  In your Prep holidays go through the novel once again. Read it before you go to sleep every night. If you have read it three times before your English paper, you needn’t bother with the chapter summaries, the question and answers and even the character sketches.

The Character Sketches:

Here is some good advice, if you have a choice then don’t attempt a character sketch. They want it real long and there is not much time about. So don’t do it.

But that does not mean that you stay unprepared if there is no choice. Read the character sketches from the guides. Count and memorize the headings. And be sure what to write under the headings. That’s all! If you have read the novel thrice, you will know exactly how to describe the characters’. Take the words from the novel, bring the images from the movies and the text which is abridged in the text book contains all hidden and good information about the characters.

The Question and Answers:

I have already shared some sample question and answers with you. Guides also have some ideas about them. There are some scenes which particularly catch the examiners eye like the first meeting with the convict, the first visit to the Satis house, the first meeting with the pale boy etcetera etcetera.

The Objectives:

I hardly believe that after reading the novel thrice you will have any problem solving the multiple choice questions but you never know Peshawar board. The highlighted or underlined parts of the novel are really good for objectives. Read them, write them and read them again. They don’t give very difficult objectives from the novel usually but  it is better to have read the novel.