Charles Dickens was a British author, journalist, and editor whose work brought attention to the struggles of Victorian England's lower classes. His writings provided a candid portrait of the era's poor and served as inspiration for social change. Great Expectations, Dickens' thirteenth novel, was first published in serial form between 1860 and 1861 and is widely praised as the author's greatest literary accomplishment. The novel follows the life, relationships, and moral development of an orphan boy named Pip. The novel begins when Pip encounters an escaped convict whom he helps and fears in equal measure. Pip's actions that day set off a sequence of events and interactions that shape Pip's character as he matures into adulthood. The vivid characters, engaging narrative style, and universal themes of Great Expectations establish this novel as a timeless literary classic, and an engaging portrait of Victorian life.