The Book Great expectations was first published in 1860. The theme throughout the novel is about ambition and self-improvement. The moral theme of great expectations is: affection, loyalty, and a conscience and more important than social advancement, wealth, and class. In the novel Great Expectations, Charles dickens tells a story about Pip, an English orphan who rises to wealth, deserts his true friends, and becomes humbled by his own arrogance. It also introduces one of the more colorful characters in literature: Miss Havishman. Philip Pirrip better known to the world as Pip is the most important character in the novel. He is both the protagonist and the antagonist. His actions make up the main plot of the story. His thoughts and attitude shapes the readers perception of the story. The main conflict in the story is that Pip attempts to achieve great things for himself while still holding on to his morals and values along the way. He must distinguish what means the most to him and figure out where priorities lay. Are wealth and social advancement more important to him than loyalty and character? The change he goes through from a young boy to a man challenges his values when he is forced to make important life-altering decisions.