Great Expectations: The story stretches from the Christmas of 1812 to the winter of 1840. It is a bildungsroman which depicts the personal growth and personal development of an orphan nicknamed Pip starting from the age 7, going through 3 major stages. It is fully narrated in the first person and shows Dickens's concerns about life and humanity. The novel was first published as a serial in Dickens's weekly periodical All the Year Round, from 1 December 1860 to August 1861 and was adapted to movies, TV series and plays.