Brainstorming "Great Expectations" Essay Topics

Brainstorming is that simple but oh so effective activity where you give yourself over to your imagination. With a specific topic in mind, and in this case it's the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, you can take any and every idea which comes into your mind. It helps if you've got something to stimulate your mind like a photograph for example.

And brainstorming can be far more effective if done in a group. Everyone needs to be tuned into the topic and it's great to have one person take responsibility for note taking the many suggestions and ideas which are produced. The idea is not to think about the topic for any length of time but to simply say whatever comes into your mind when the topic is raised.

What's the key to good brainstorming activities?

Well because you have a specific topic here, a novel by Charles Dickens, having a knowledge of Dickens and in particular the novel Great Expectations, can be seen as a prerequisite to making your brainstorming session very successful. Remember that you're looking for an essay topic which deals with the novel. It makes sense therefore that you already know either an outline of the story or the novel in detail.

The sorts of things you will be looking for could include the following

• How important was the status in society in Victorian England?
• What is the role of the benefactor?
• Do people change from the personality of their childhood to the personality of their adult years?
• What influence can a dramatic event in your life have upon your future?
• How did people improve their lot in Victorian England?

Knowing the period of history in which the novel is set is a great help. Knowing the various levels of society including working class, middle class and upper class and the characteristics of these will help in your brainstorming session. Remember that you are looking for a topic based on the novel by Dickens which should have a narrow focus. Finding an essay topic which is too broad will not allow you to go into great detail. There are many aspects to life and society found in every Dickens novel and certainly in Great Expectations. Look for something which appeals to you and which, hopefully, is unique. And remember there are many filmed versions of the novel which also may stimulate your imagination.