Great Expectations Quotes

An adaptation of a Charles Dickens' novel requires equally adept wordplay as found in these "Great Expectations" quotes. A period piece can draw on the power of its place in time, but it still needs actions and words to give the environment the passion that guides the power. See the perspective of characters entangled in themselves and each other in our selected quotes.

"I'd seen through it. I elected to grow up." The character of Finn waxes poetic, as he believes he has chosen adulthood over the fantasy of his youth. He speaks it as almost a gentle battle cry, that he has won his newfound reality by defeating his emotions, especially the emotion of love. Who hasn't thought they could surpass heartbreak by shrugging it off and allowing time to bring them through the pain? "Great Expectations" knows both joy and sorrow and refuses to give preference to one.

"I'm not going to tell the story the way it happened. I'm going to tell it the way I remember it."  The utter truth of this "Great Expectations" line is one that should resound through all story telling. History is written through every pair of eyes and thus falls victim to the perspective and prejudice of each individual. This admittance of how the story will be told is jarring in every respect and yet gains the audience's confidence, as it becomes a shared bond between Finn and the viewers. "Great Expectations" is not just the story; the story telling also makes it a powerful drama.

- Matthew Langenfeld