Essay on Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

Pip expresses that he "...loved Joe perhaps for no better reason than because the dear fellow let me love him" implying that Pip may have a problem expressing the way he feels about those in his life (Dickens 41). This lack of expression remains present in Pip’s character throughout the novel, especially with frustration for the way he feels about Estella. Pip earning his expectations put a strain on the already limited relationship that he had with Joe, once Pip began to realize that Joe’s occupation was meager and unfit for someone with Pip’s means.

Estella lives in the Manor House with her adoptive mother Miss Havisham who has raised her up as a tool to be used to break men’s hearts. Although she constantly insults and makes fun of Pip, he falls in love with her. This love for her makes Pip vulnerable to any and every little insult that comes out of her mouth and Pip puts to heart everything she says. So, when she says, "He calls the knaves, Jacks, this boy!...And what course hands he has! And what thick boots!" he takes it to heart (Dickens 105). It is at this point that Pip begins to feel ashamed of his uneducated family, and longs to become a gentleman. Due to Estella’s cold-hearted character and her arrogant personality, Pip is made to feel that he stands no chance with her. Even more dangerous is her destructive influence on Pip which makes him strive to become a gentleman no matter the cost. Rather than being surrounded by people such as Estella who do nothing but put Pip’s character down, he should surround himself with supportive and encouraging individuals who are always there for him and appreciate his unique personality. This is what causes growth in a person.

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

Pip then goes on to address the reader directly and explains that “[t]hat was a memorable day to [him], for it made great changes in [him],” (Dickens 70). After meeting with Estella several times and becoming extremely fond of her, despite her bipolar attitudes towards him, Ms. Havisham suddenly decides to recompense Pip for his time and then tells him that he no longer has to come back to the Satis House. Everyday after this, Pip continuously thinks of Estella and of how he must become a gentleman in order to be at the same level as Estella and eventually marry her. Another character Biddy (whose relationship to Pip is somewhat complicated) begins acting as Pip’s teacher and Pip says “[w]hatever [he] acquired, [he] tried to impart to Joe,” because “[he] wanted to make Joe less ignorant and common.” Pip’s plans to become a well-mannered gentleman to be worthy of high-society and to be worthy of Estella’s affection are two goals or “great expectations” that Pip sets for himself that ultimately carry the plot of the novel along.

1. Why does Pip feel the need to lie about Miss Havisham when he is questioned about her by Mrs. Joe and Mr. Pumblechook? Why is he confident Mr.Pumblechook will not correct his story? Pip feels the need to lie about Miss Havisham because he feels that they won’t believe him and doesn’t want to publicly humiliate her. He is certain Mr. Pumblechook will not correct his story because he does not know her.

Home in today’s society can be described in many ways, but is ultimately expressed as more of a feeling of safety and love. Sonsyrea Tate claims "You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you." In essence, the feeling of home is a part of the character and who he/she will become. In Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, Pip examines the true meaning of home and how the subjective opinion of home can reflect who a person becomes. He illustrates this idea using recurring appearances of home-like symbols, the way Pip’s definition of home changes throughout the novel, and how he shows Pip’s acquired feelings after moving into higher society.

Charles Dickenss’s novel Great Expectations occurs during Pip’s period of transition from adolescence into adulthood when others’ opinions matter far more than his own. Because of Pip’s acute awareness of societal views and expectations, his first meeting with Estella results in lasting change that drives Pip to change his social standing: “...and that there had been a beautiful young lady at Miss Havisham's who was dreadfully proud, and that she had said I was common, and that I knew I was common, and that I wished I was not common…” (Dickens 70). Before Pip’s introduction to the wealth Miss Havisham experienced, he felt no shame in his identity and background. Additionally, although Pip recognizes Estella’s own flaws, Estella’s obvious privilege and his own

Once Pip wins, Estella gives him the ability to kiss her on the cheek. He does so, leaving him affected for the rest of his life. Now in the process of becoming a gentleman, Pip claims that Estella was the inspiration for everything he has done in the past and talks about his love for her. “The unqualified truth is that, when I loved Estella with the love of a man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible.” (Dickens 214). When Pip heard Estella was back at the Satis House from a trip to Paris, he went to see her and Miss. Havisham. In Miss. Havisham’s room, he saw a woman that he realized was Estella. He said that she was a very beautiful lady and developed very well. On a walk through the garden, Pip tried to recall the moments they had together to Estella but unfortunately she didn’t remember. She then confessed to Pip, “That I have no heart—if that has anything to do with my memory…I have no softness there, no sympathy—sentiment—nonsense.” (Dickens 219). That should have been an alarm for Pip to show that Estella was unable to be loved, unable to love. Estella is telling Pip that she will never love him or anyone. Nonetheless, because he found her desirable, he was blinded by his love for her. “I got through some jargon to the effect that I took the liberty of doubting that. That I knew better. That there could be no such beauty without it.” (Dickens

In contrast to Wemmick, who can live in a jailhouse and his own middle class home, Estella, another character in Dickens’ novel, can only function in an enhanced civilization. She is represented as one of the higher society since she is adopted by a wealthy, aged woman, Miss Havisham. Ironically, her true father is a convict and her mother is a servant for Jaggers. Because of her affluence, she treats others, of lower status,

In the first 100 pages of Great Expectations, the protagonist Pip was introduced. Pip is portrayed as an eager, young, hopeful student with an extremely guilty conscious. He is being raised by his sister and her husband, the blacksmith.

During the Victorian age, England’s industry was progressing and the need for extra laborers was on high demand. Children became objectified as a form of cheap labor. In Great Expectations, Dickens created the protagonist Philip Pirrip, referred to as Pip throughout the novel, who perfectly portrays as a child that is suffering through abuse. His sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, is often described using punishment on others and Pip knows “her to have a hard and heavy hand, and to be much in the habit of laying it upon her husband as well as upon” (Great Expectations 9). His sister’s physical abuse depicts the vulnerability of children who lack proper care and protection. Pip grew up in a home that shows no love and affection. This was very common in Victorian England, where children often considered miniature adults and only valued for their potential earning money power.

As a child growing up with no family structure, Pip learns from what he sees and the social structure around him. From the early stages of his life, he sees the social classes of both Mrs. Joe compared to Miss Havisham who are polar opposites. Pip can see that the lavish life that Miss Havisham and her daughter Estella has is something Pip sets his eyes on. As seen in chapter nine of Great Expectations, Pip realizes that Estella may consider Pip as poor and unworthy. Pip explains, “I thought long after I laid me down, how common Estella would consider Joe, a blacksmith…but were far above the level of such common doings,” illustrating how Pip feels that Joe and his family are not up to Estella’s standards (Dickens 72). Pip feels out of place and looks down on his family’s upbringing. Even though Joe is a close friend of Pip, Pip sees that Mr. Joe is reflecting poorly on the life that Pip is living. Children often see other friend’s lives and are jealous of their upbringing making them ashamed of how their family lives. Society and social class can corrupt children’s minds and in this example, Pip is being torn between a lavish life and a humiliating life. Pip is ashamed of his social class and wants to live through Miss Havisham and Estella. Pip recognizes that having this money that is bestowed upon him, Pip could finally be able to prove to Estella that he is the worthy gentleman. What Pip does not understand is that the money is playing tricks with his mind

be seen when Joe covers for Pip when he is late home or when he says

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.

The literary criticism “Patterns of Communication in Great Expectations” is an effective literary criticism, it proves there is evidently more communication between characters in the novel than most critics let onto. Ruth M. Vande Kieft, who is the author of this piece, suggests that the majority of the characters in Dickens novels have a substantial amount of communication among themselves. But, the dialogue in the novel depicted is not what we typically observe in the majority Victorian novels. Vande Kieft uses evidence in her writing from Dorothy Van Ghent, who suggests there is little interaction and the majority of the main characters attempts fail when they do try and communicate amongst each other. This article is effective in showing examples of certain patterns between the many characters in the novel. The article was also effective because it showed a different way of looking at communication in the way writers aim for when writing stories. This literary criticism was an interesting because it made me think about other novels that I have read and how Vande Kieft would have depicted them. In Great Expectations, we saw a different pattern in how characters communicate. Most family communication patterns are usually easy to follow. Although this novel was easy to read, I understand where critics state the contrary. I valued this work because of the examples stated throughout, and I will analyze some of the examples stated in my paper.