Charles Dickens and Great Expectations...?

Question

In Dickens' Great Expectations the convict Magwitch has to conceal his true identity as a convict who had been transported to Australia. According to Dickens, any convict who returned to Britain could be executed. My question is, is this true? Could they be? Were any?

Answer 1

Well, not "ANY":
"Those men who had received a Certificate of Freedom on the expiry of their sentence or an Absolute Pardon, were free to return to England if they wished or could afford to do so, some did. I have so far found more than twenty instances of men making their way back to England where they were reunited with their families after an absence in some cases of nearly ten years. For the vast majority of the men though there was to be no return to England. Most stayed on in Australia and made new lives for themselves, working as labourers, tradesmen, farmers and innkeepers. Some made their way to Victoria during the Gold Rush, others after much hard work, prospered, a prosperity they might not have achieved had they remained in England."

"Absolute Pardon
A man or woman who received an absolute pardon was restored to the position of a free person. They could leave New South Wales if they wished."

"Transportation to Australia, for most, meant they would never return their families and their native land. Historians agree that it was unlikely for convicts transported for limited terms ever to return to their native land. Those transported for life were banned from ever returning although many were conditionally pardoned within the Australian colonies."

"Magwitch has lived the life of crime. It wasn't until he meets Pip, that he begins to change. The reason Magwitch was sent to the Botany Bay penal colony was for "putting stolen notes in circulation" (323; ch. 42). His companion, Compeyson, and chief engineer of the project was given a lesser sentence due to his education and wealthy appearance. Magwitch was not so lucky and was forced to endure the trials and tribulations of servitude in the penal colonies. Not much is mentioned in Great Expectations regarding the actual colonies. It is interesting, however, that Dickens would chose to include a character that is not simply killed but transported to vicious and cruel servitude that turned his life around. Magwitch's past criminal record would have fit the normal stereotype of criminals sent to the colonies. He had a past record before being tried on felony charges and would have been deemed unlikely to be rehabilitated. The easiest form of getting rid of criminals was to send them to Australia and never allow them to return. The irony in Dickens' portrayal of the criminal is that he was rehabilitated and he did return.

It is obvious that Magwitch's crime was deemed bad enough to be sent to Australia, however, not bad enough to have served the toughest form of servitude in the chain gangs. Magwitch was given the sentence of a laborer on a sheep farm. This is where he eventually gains his wealth. Dickens, however, created quite an irony in the fact that the master of Magwitch was an ex-convict himself. In fact, Magwitch gains his freedom at the death of his master. Not only is Magwitch left with freedom but also a large sum of money and land. This gain of money and land is the source of Pip's expectations: "It was the money left me, and the gains of the first few year wot I sent home to Mr. Jaggers" (299; ch. 39). Obviously, Magwitch's master was a successful ex-convict which reappears with Magwitch. The theme of successful convicts illuminates Dickens' view of the penal system. By having a convict work for an ex-convict, the reader is under the impression that life in the penal colonies was not so bad, therefore portraying the colonies in a positive light."

So, considering the relatively "minor" nature of Magwitch's crime (he wasn't convicted of murder), it seems that his return to England, even without a pardon, wouldn't merit execution,

Answer 2

It's true and there probably were cases where the convict was executed. It's interesting that Australia was populated with convicts, isn't it?

Answer 3

I'm confident Dickens knew what he was talking about. He was a good and trustworthy writer and wouldn't have made something like that up.

Answer 4

Dickens always wrote true to life experiences mainly about the surroundings around him in his time. I'm sure its true.

Answer 5

yes it was true. and yes there were stowaways that came back and were executed because england didnt want them there.

they were exiled to different places. the reason that they were exiled was personal, but if they were caught back in england, they were executed.