Achieving Measure of Contentment in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

HOW DOES CHARLES DICKENS ENGAGE THE READER IN GREAT EXPECTATIONS? FOCUS ON CHAPTERS 1-8 Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is considered to be the greatest book he has ever sold. By the time Charles Dickens had started his thirteenth novel, Great Expectations, he was a national hero. After living as a shoe polisher, the upper class citizens of England started to realise through his writing what was happening to their fellow lower class citizens. Dickens’ excellence in this book is shown right throughout.

No novel is complete without a good ending. Although the introductory and middle portions are important as well, the conclusion is what the reader tends to remember most. When Charles Dickens wrote Great Expectations, he crafted a work that is truly excellent the whole way through. From the moment Pip is introduced until he and Estella walk out of the garden in the final chapter, this book exhibits an uncanny ability to keep the reader wanting more. There is, however, some debate regarding the final portion of the novel. The ending that Dickens originally wrote for Great Expectations is noticeably different than the one that was subsequently published. It seems

By seeing Joe’s character and how he was in the novel with Pip, not only helps the reader understand how Pip grew up, but it also helps us understand why Pip needed Joe and his unconditional love. Without Joe, Pip would never have grown up to be the person he grew up to be. Because of the love, and kindness that Joe showed to Pip helped Pip become a better person and encourages Pip to help others and be compassionate towards the people

2. -Throughout the novel, Pip faces a plethora of challenges, however, Joe was always the one person he can trust, love, and respect.

Joe’s personality is the opposite of his wife’s, including the presence of a moral code which is in turn passed on to Pip. When Joe learned Pip had told everyone lies about what he saw at Miss Havisham’s home, instead of yelling at him he told him that he’d never get to be a gentleman by “going crooked” and simply advised him to never do so again. Pip was also influenced by listening to Joe talk about the good in people, including how he was married to Mrs. Joe because he saw the good in Pip as a baby, and this makes Pip “look up to Joe in his heart.” Even though Joe was Pip’s brother-in-law he was more like a father figure/friend who taught Pip almost all of his admirable

Although Pip undergoes a dramatic personality change, Joe does not significantly change throughout the novel. When Pip finally visits the forge again, he finds that Joe is still as kind as he was when Pip young. This final insight shows that Pip has finally learned that he can be happy with a modest social class, despite what society may try to convince him otherwise. Joe’s static characterization constantly reminds the reader of Pip’s humble beginnings. In this way, Joe inadvertently teaches Pip that happiness can be found where money is not. Pip’s struggle to compromise his past and his present is ultimately resolved when he reconciles with Joe at the end of the

Of Pip’s encounters with different characters, meeting Joe was the most memorable and had the greatest impact on Pip. The indirect characterization of Joe and his dialogue was used to portray that he was easily forgiving . Joe, a static character, shows never

Pip is informed that he is going to London to begin his gentlemanly education and this only serves to feed into his new obsession. The first to see this is wholesome and virtuous Joe. Joe was a caring and compassionate man and stays true to his character throughout the novel. It is

Great Expectations was a novel written by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form from 1st December 1860 and then further on was released in book form in August 1861, although was previously issued by David Copperfield in 1849. This novel reworks his own childhood as a first-person narrative; Dickens was fortunate and had an advantage of writing Great Expectations due to him living in the Victorian times, and he related his life experiences with the main character of the play, ‘Pip’. Charles opened the play with the character Pip; his name was short for his Christian name Philip. In the Victorian times there were 3 different classes, these were known as the upper class, middle class and lower class. Pip belonged to the

Pip does not tell Joe because he fears he will lose his companionship. In the future, Pip will struggle with telling the truth because of the fear that society will think less of him. Later that same day, the police are engaged in a search party to find the criminal. Joe and Pip accompany them; although, they do not believe that he must be apprehended. Once Magwitch is taken into custody, Joe and Pip both shed a tear. Pip's life at the forge is difficult due to Mrs. Joe's harsh nature, but he is also surrounded by the goodness and love of Joe. He has been taught that humans of all societal levels are important.

Around 60 BCE, the ancient Greek writer Diodorus wrote the story of Icarus, in which the son of Daedalus ignored his father’s warnings, and after flying too close to the sun plunged to his death as the wax holding his wings together melted. While the story incorporates themes of human nature and curiosity, it more importantly conveys a lesson of unchecked ambition. Whether it is for wealth or a better future, humans tend to strive for what is best for themselves in life. Unfortunately, unchecked ambition often ends with poor results, as seen in the story of Icarus. Centuries later, ambition remains a prominent theme in literature, and authors have utilized this natural human trait in countless stories and novels. Two authors who do so are Charles Dickens in his book Great Expectations, and M.L. Stedman in The Light Between Oceans. In both novels, unchecked ambition affects different characters negatively.

The relationship between Pip and Mrs.Joe Gargery is not like a typical brother-sister bond. Mrs.Joe is very hateful towards Pip, she doesn’t appreciate him, Pip is a burden to her; an extra mouth to feed. On page 9, “If it warn’t for me you’d have been to the churchyard long ago and stayed there.” Mrs.Joe continues to say “I’d never do it again! I know that I’ve never had this apron of mine off since you were born. It’s bad enough to be a blacksmith’s wife without being your mother too.” Mrs. Joe makes very snide comments to Pip, such as on page 25, “ If you bring the boy back with his head blown to his bits by a musket, don’t expect me to put it together again.” Pip is scared of Mrs.Joe because of her “hard and heavy hand.” On page 8, Joe tells Pip about how Mrs.Joe went out with her tickler, “Tickler was a stick, worn smooth from hitting my tickled body.” Mrs.Joe was very brutal towards Pip and using the tickler frightened him. Mrs. Joe makes very snide comments to Pip, such as on page 25, “ If you bring the boy back with his head blown to his bits by a musket, don’t expect me to put it together again.

Great Expectations’ main character, Phillip Pirrip- generally known as Pip- had a rough upbringing as a child. His sister, Mrs. Joe had “brought him up by hand”, after their parents and five brothers had all been laid to rest many years ago. Another character, Herbert Pocket experienced a bizarre childhood, though in a different manner. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations develops through the novel following Pip, a young “common boy” who grew up in the countryside. As he matured so did his love for a girl of higher class, Estella. However, being a common boy, Pip was not good enough for his Estella, thus once he was given an opportunity to become a gentleman in London he seized it without much hesitation. Charles Dickens’ had his own

The theme of family is shown mainly through Pip’s relationship with his brother-in-law, Joe Gargery. In the beginning of the novel, Pip makes it obvious that he dislikes his sister, and takes more of a liking to her husband Joe because Pip is able to sympathize with him (Dickens 40). Joe becomes his confidant, a fact that becomes apparent when Pip comes home to face a harsh interrogation by Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook after his first visit to Miss Havisham’s. Pip lies to the both of them about his experience, but feels guilty about doing the same to Joe and confesses his wrongdoing. Joe shows understanding towards Pip, and instead of sternly rebuking him for lying, he simply but seriously Pip about the dangers of lying, saying “if you can’t get to be oncommon (uncommon) through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked” (Dickens 100). While Pip’s relationship with Joe is being tested by his desire to gain a higher social standing, Pip shows significant guilt over his mistreatment of Joe ( Dickens 296), proving that deep down, Pip never loses his deep love for Joe. It can be safely assumed that the point that Dickens wants to make through Pip and Joe’s relationship is that family is not necessarily determined by biological connections, but by who a person is closest to and feels most comfortable sharing their life with through the best and worst times.

Explore some of the ways in which Dickens’ attitudes to Victorian society are presented in the opening chapter of Great Expectations.