Great Expectations: True Goodness In A Person In the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the dominant theme is that true goodness and the value of goodness comes from inside a person, not their standing in society, or their wealth. There are some characters in the book who were aware of this, while there are some who had to find out the hard way. Those who found out the hard way lead very difficult lives, and those who knew this truth, led more peaceful, and fulfilling lives. The main character of the novel, Pip, starts out as a little boy who is very unsatisfied with his life. He lives with his sister