19. Great Expectations (pg. 482)

19. Great Expectations (pg. 482): “A cold silvery mist had veiled the afternoon, and the moon was not yet up to scatter it. But, the stars were shining beyond the mist, and the moon was coming, and the evening was not dark...”:
In this passage, Dickens speaks of the moon scattering the mist. Dickens uses these words in a metaphorical sense. Mist stops one from seeing. However, the moon will clear the mist that night; the stars will be shinning. Pip and Estella will find each other. In these writings, the symbolism of the mist, the moon, the stars, and the evening that "was not dark" all lead the reader to feel that though things have been uncertain for Pip throughout the story, things are to clear up for him. Dickens begins to conclude his book on a happy note. Pip’s confusion will be cleared, and his desires will be met tonight. According to David Purdue, Dickens Great Expectations had an unhappy ending at first. Estella married another man, and she and Pip went their separate ways. Dickens was advised to change his ending to make the story more popular with readers.

Purdue, David. “Great Expectations.” David Purdue’s Charles Dickens Page. 1997-2009. 29 December 2009.
http://charlesdickenspage.com/expectations.html

“Symbolism in Literature.” Scribd. 10 September 2008. 29 December 2009.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/6472314/Symbolism-in-Literature.