The Gothic in Great Expectations

How is Gothic Depicted in Great Expectations?
Great Expectations is a prime example of gothic literature, it focuses on many of the key themes I have previously discussed including the abandonment of the innocent (Pip), The mysterious Stranger (Magwitch), the uncanny, the Grotesque, the sublime and transformation. Likewise, the plot also revolves around a lot of issues that occupied the period in which the novel was written such as wealth and poverty, most notably the attitude of the wealthy towards the poor.

Miss Havisham & The bride Cake
Great Expectations (2012)
http://tinyurl.com/omqqjyg

The grotesque, a term that originates from the italian 'Grottesco' for cave, means to be odd, unnatural, ugly or absurd in appearance of character. The grotesque is a gothic motif used through the novel in many forms, however I find the most potent to be that of Miss Havisham. Upon first meeting Miss H, Pip compares her appearance to that off 'some ghostly waxwork at the fair' and a 'skeleton in the ashes of a dress'. Pip remarks that he should have 'cried out' if he could. Pips remarks suggest that miss Havisham has an unpleasant appearance of death, fair from the ideals of victorian beauty I have researched with inspire youth and health. The idea that pip feels he cannot scream, despite being shaken by Miss Havisham resonates elements of the sublime, the idea that even though one feels fearful the thrill of it is enough to keep our attention. 
I feel other characters and objects throughout the novel similarly represent the idea of the grotesque. Take for example Orlick, who among many other sinister actions attacks Mrs Joe , and Bentley Drummle who is a hostile and coarse rival to Pip, these two characters are most certainly 'ugly' in character. 
When I speak of objects reflecting the grotesque, i refer to the objects in Miss havisham's room. The bride cake, most notably raises idea of the grotesque through the manner of its decay and becomes 'indistinguishable' in form and plus home to a many manner of bugs and creatures feasting on its carcass. The imagery of the cake in my opinion very much reflects the state of Miss Havisham herself. 

Illustration of Pip & Magwitch
http://tinyurl.com/n9fg97n

The uncanny is a freudian term used to describe something that is both familiar and alien at the same time. I can liken this Gothic concept to Great Expectations through the character of Abel Magwitch. Magwitch, who is introduced to us initially as a villain at the beginning of the novel, also shows signs of not quite meeting the archetypal 'villain' we assume. Upon meeting Pip in the graveyard Magwitch man handles Pip, hanging him by the feet and threatening that is he dare tell a soul a word of their meeting 'your heart and your liver shall be tore out, roasted and ate.' Not much later, when then witness Magwitch confess to the theft of Mr Joe file, clearing Pip of any suspicion cast upon him, proclaiming 'I took some wittles, at the village over yonder..', a somewhat noble act. To both Pip and the audience this combination proves both familiar and yet unfamiliar due to what seems unconventional behaviour. 
Dickens gives this uncanny aspect to the novel a twist with the revelation that Magwitch is in fact Pips generous benefactor. We see Magwitch become somewhat of a hero, who has endeavoured to rewrite the wrongs of his past, the result of this transformation is that Pip and the reader warm to him. Transformation being a key theme for many characters throughout the book, we find this one particularly uncanny due to the unusualness of its source. 

(Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, p. 2003 Penguin Classics)