Similarities and Differences in HH and GE

In both Great Expectations and High Hopes, Dickens and Leigh offer similar critiques of British society through the social classes, expectations, and personalities of their characters. One way that the two works are similar is with their critique of blatant wealth accumulation, and the emptiness that money provides. In Great Expectations, a bildungsroman following the life of a young boy, the main character named Pip aspires wealth and status after being born in poverty. He is simply an idealist and his main goals all center around self improvement to achieve his goals. However, after he is given a large fortune and eventually falls into debt, he realizes that money isn't the root of happiness, and that social class has no bearing on self worth or character. Similarly, in High Hopes, we see this theme of social class through the interactions between their different characters. Cyril and Shirley are two low-income socialists that are in a relationship, primarily surviving on Cyrils low wage as a courier. On the other hand, Cyril's sister (Valarie) lives with her husband in a rich neighborhood surrounded by many luxuries. While Leigh does offer critiques on Cyril and Shirley's lifestyle, intimately, the two are portrayed in a friendlier light than Valarie and Martin, who are portrayed as greedy, selfish, and rude individuals. Through their interactions, Leigh was offering a similar sentiment: that money and social status does not define character. As viewers, we are led to identify with and like Cyril and Shirley much more, as they are depicted as kinder and more willing to help their fellow man. These character traits, in relation to income and social status, serve to illustrate the trappings of wealth, and the immoral behavior money can bring.

On the other hand, there are many key differences between the two works. One main difference is through the overall tone present. Great Expectations is a rollercoaster ride of great heights and low falls, ending with our protagonist's arc completed, and with Estelle back in his life. Overall, the book shows his growth as a person, and ends with a satisfying conclusion to his character. High Hopes offers none of this. There is little character development, and instead of fleshed out characters, the people in the movie serve as caricatures for certain societal tropes: the disdainful old woman, the passionate, lazy, and scornful socialist, and the snobbish yuppie. The movie doesn't seem to want to tell a classic narrative, Leigh's goal was to hold a mirror up to modern society, and have us examine where we fit in in this world. While the title of the movie offers a comparison to Great Expectation, the way these themes are explored are indeed very different.