Editing Great Expectations (section)

===Imperialism===
[[Edward W. Said]], in his 1993 work ''[[Culture and Imperialism]]'', interprets ''Great Expectations'' in terms of [[Postcolonial literature|postcolonial theory]] about late-eighteenth- and nineteenth-century [[British Empire|British imperialism]]. Pip's disillusionment when he learns his benefactor is an escaped convict from Australia, along with his acceptance of Magwitch as surrogate father, is described by Said as part of "the imperial process", that is the way [[colonialism]] exploits the weaker members of a society.<ref>{{harvnb|Edward Said|1993|p=xiv}}</ref> Thus the British trading post in [[Cairo]] legitimatises Pip's work as a clerk, but the money earned by Magwitch's honest labour is illegitimate, because Australia is a [[penal colony]], and Magwitch is forbidden to return to Britain.<ref group="N">Cairo was of course not a British colony at this time, though [[Egypt]] became a [[British protectorate]] in the 1880s</ref> Said states that Dickens has Magwitch return to be redeemed by Pip's love, paving the way for Pip's own redemption, but despite this moral message, the book still reinforces standards that support the authority of the British Empire.<ref name="Edward Said 1993">{{harvnb|Edward Said|1993|p=xv}}</ref> Said's interpretation suggests that Dickens's attitude backs Britain's exploitation of Middle East "through trade and travel", and that ''Great Expectations'' affirms the idea of keeping the Empire and its peoples in their place—at the exploitable margins of British society.

However, the novel's [[Gothic novel|Gothic]] and Romance genre elements, challenge Said's assumption that ''Great Expectations'' is a [[literary realism|realist]] novel like [[Daniel Defoe]]'s ''[[Robinson Crusoe]]''.<ref name="OpenUni"/>