Charles Dickens : Self-Expectations

Great Expectations tells the ultimate rags to riches story of the Orphan Pip. Dickens takes his readers through life changing events that ultimately mold the identity of the main character. Dividing these events into sections will provide the basis for interpreting which events had the most profound effect on Pip’s identity towards the end of the novel. These life-changing events provide the catalyst for the development of Pip’s character from childhood, his adolescence, maturing into a social gentleman, and finally becoming a self-aware man of society.

Charles Dickens’ aptly titled novel Great Expectations focuses on the journey of the stories chief protagonist, Pip, to fulfill the expectations of his life that have been set for him by external forces. The fusing of the seemingly unattainable aspects of high society and upper class, coupled with Pip’s insatiable desire to reach such status, drives him to realize these expectations that have been prescribed for him. The encompassing desire that he feels stems from his experiences with Mrs. Havisham and the unbridled passion that he feels for Estella. Pip realizes that due to the society-imposed caste system that he is trapped in, he will never be able to acquire

Pip’s loss of ignorance drives his dreams to become a gentleman in the hopes of one day marrying Estella. In addition, Pip becomes so self-conscious of his humble upbringings that he is embarrassed of the home that he lives in. He reflects, “It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home..., and I would not have had Miss Havisham and Estella see it

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.

In the novel “Great Expectations”, the author, Charles Dickens, shows the views of the people of different social classes. The main character, known as Pip, shows these many views throughout his own life. Pip’s misguided interpretation of what it is to be a gentleman leads him to push people away that matter most to him, follow deceptive dreams, and reject the love that is continually shown to him.

Pip’s journey reinforced towards self- discovery by saying “As I had grown accustomed to my expectations, I had insensibly begun to notice their effect upon myself and those around me. Their influence I disguised from my recognition as much as possible, but I knew very well that it was not all good. I lived in a state of chronic uneasiness respecting my behaviour to Joe.” (P.243 chapter 34) Pip discovered his rudeness and snobbishness towards Joe. Pip was influenced by the wealthy Miss Havisham because she is on the top of the societal hierarchy and Pip trusted her fully. This is an affair nowadays that people are mistreating their love when they are being on top of the social class. “Great Expectations, is a story about how pride separates a young man from the people who love him best, and from his own best instincts. Pip, who rejects the honest and simple man who raises him, and then the even less lofty man who turns out to be his benefactor, calls up every conflict we’ve ever felt between yearning for the larger world and wishing to remain loyal to the smaller one we came from.” A quote stated by a reviewer. He thinks that Pip is separating himself from true love that was offered by Joe. This quote can effectively shows the attitude of people towards their love when it comes to money issue. Another book reviewer commented that “The lesson that Pip learns comes in his

“‘Take nothing on looks; take everything on evidence. There’s no better rule.’” (339) Do not make judgements based on appearances, because appearance is not all there is. Here Pip, the main protagonist of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, misses the important message that his guardian is trying to convey to him, and will only come to learn his lesson at the end of the story. Pip is the recipient of a great fortune from an anonymous benefactor and is left to wonder who this mysterious person is throughout the novel. He has an idea as to who his benefactor may be, but as he is sworn to secrecy, he cannot discuss the idea with his fellow acquaintances and is left to his own thoughts and assumptions. This later on leads him to create many ideas as to what his life will turn out to be, and only leads him to his own suffering. Pip’s suffering throughout the novel is a result of his self deception and falling victim to his love for a particular, cold-hearted lady, but ultimately learns through his suffering the value of one’s actions and character.

Charles Dickens uses his own opinions to develop the larger-than-life characters in Great Expectations. The novel is written from the point of view of the protagonist, Pip. Pip guides the reader through his life, describing the different stages from childhood to manhood. Many judgments are made regarding the other characters, and Pip's views of them are constantly changing according to his place in the social hierarchy. For instance, Pip feels total admiration that, later, turns to total shame for the man who raised him, Joe Gargery. The primary theme in this novel questions whether being in a higher social and economic class helps a person to achieve true happiness. This idea is shown through Pip's innocence at the forge, visits

Dickens shares an event that creates changes in two characters… Pip and Miss Havisham had unfinished events in their lives that needed to be resolved. He used this event to bring some closure for them. Dickens clearly wrote about how much Estella meant to Pip. Where was she? Did she marry? Is she being mistreated? Miss Havisham was suffering from guilt about how she handled the Pip/ Estella relationship as well as from her own broken dreams of marriage. She was filled with guilt. She says, “I want to pursue that subject you mentioned when you were last here, and to show you that I am not all stone. But perhaps you can never believe, now, that there is anything human in my heart?” She also agreed to help Pip with his financial problem, begged his forgiveness and answered his

Throughout the course of the novel, we are closely acquainted with Pip’s deepest thoughts. They trail on for paragraphs, and when Pip is under stress, they can spiral out of control. His “mind, with inconceivable rapidity follow[s] out all the consequences,” (Dickens 316). The reader feels as though they are inside Pip’s (rather dark) mind, personally connecting with him and his emotions. This tactic allows Dickens to bring and take hope from the readers as it is given and taken from Pip. In the first, original, ending of the novel, Pip does not end up with his love, Estella, and although Pip is content with this fact, it is still a disappointment to readers that his great expectations didn’t come true. This reveals Dickens’ more pessimistic, realistic side, displaying the idea that childhood dreams don’t often come true. Dickens portrays the world as dismal, but he does add a humorous twist when

During Pip’s journey, readers see his apparent ambitions of pursuing the goal of becoming a gentleman. When readers first meet Pip, he is extremely dedicated to making sure he puts himself on a path of success and would “have sacrificed, if it had been necessary to do so” (Holbrook 125). Although the economic conditions were not favoring Pip, he ultimately believes that he will be able to advance through society and “stays visionary on his reach of his goals” (Wilson 98). Through the interactions in the Satis House with Estella and Miss Havisham, Pip is disillusioned into believing that “[Estella] could provide him with the happiness he had not received as a child without parents” (Holbrook 29). This love prevents him from realizing that he was straying from the friends and relatives he had been so close to when he was a child, especially Joe and Biddy. After being provided with the funds to attend his private education, Pip views himself with a “new sense of unwarranted arrogance” that ultimately occurs from his elevation of social status (Holbrook 134). His callousness and disregard to the family and friends that he loves ultimately haunts him later in his life, specifically when he learns Magwitch is his benefactor. He feels “sick and distraught” with the way he had been acting (Wilson 25). At that moment, he also recognized that this feeling of longing for becoming a gentleman for his own satisfaction was the result of “his own ignorant vision” (Mar). When Pip returns to repent for the sins he had committed to the Satis House, he cries to Estella and Miss Havisham about how he realizes that it was never meant to be his intention to marry her. This disillusion “captivated and held [Pip] from pursuing a satisfactory future,” where he could have easily

Although grandiose questions about life are a standard part of human maturation, many children and young adults with a stable family can answer these questions without drastically changing their lives. Those with steady influences often have authoritative guidance to navigate these uncertainties. Philip “Pip” Pirrip of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations, however, is an orphan reared in a provincial and simple life. He lacks an intellectual father figure to answer these questions, so he is forced to elucidate his own solutions. The closest substitute to a father is Joe Gargery, Pip’s genuine and well-meaning brother-in-law. Pip’s lack of a father leads to uncertainty in his identity and questions regarding where his major influences should lie. In determining these influences, Pip seeks to redeem himself from Joe to higher society, but later does an about-face as he wishes to be redeemed by Joe.

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

There are salient junctures in Pip’s upbringing that make him who the person he was; this is a tale that in which Pip was soliciting for awareness of himself, as well he realized that his life had major elements of obscurity; due to the fact, he was presented clearly, two radical different lifestyle choices; one, involving a life as a blacksmith and the other; involving the path as life as am affluent prosperous gentleman. Dickens carefully wrote in the periods of Pip’s life and how those set of circumstances; affected by choice, as well affected Pip’s later choices he had made. The temptation of class and wealth perverted the actions of Pip and other people around him; Pip is therefore contemplating on how he was saved by reminiscence of the stages of his life. In the first stage; Pip encounters Magwitch; by accident, this affects the outcome of later events of his life; Pip is than introduced to Miss Havishism and Estella, he fell in love with Estella, and was dramatically persuaded by the promises he made to himself, from his encounters with Miss Havhishism and Estella. Dramatically; Pip than learned the truth about his wealth and that Magwitch was Estella 's father; this collapsed Pip’s vision of reality and forced him to alter his exceptions concerning the truth; Pip than had to save himself from his own selfishness, as well as his malice actions, to the ones who were faithful to him; finally, at the end Pip is a full grown adult and had gain

His world used to be the marshes and Joe but now he perceives himself as inferior to the wealthy Miss Havisham and Estella. His new position of wealth and delusive power has outgrown his love for Joe. Pip evolved an obsession with the infamous Estella. He desired becoming a gentleman only to become worthy enough to win Estella’s heart. To Pip, there was no question that Estella would love him as a poor, common blacksmith’s boy. It was Pip’s duty to make his fortune or in this case, have a fortune made for him. He came to a realization that wealth and becoming a gentleman are the only two things that will make a relationship with her feasible. In addition, not only does Pip’s behavior change toward others, but other's behavior changes towards Pip. When Pip finds out about his expectations, people in town, including Mr. pumblechook no longer treat him as a common boy, in the hope that they too will