In the novel, Great Expectations, two of the main characters, Joe Gargery and Pip, have a very close relationship that, rather than resembling a father-son relationship, functions as more of a close friendship. Joe is constantly looking out for Pip and trying to make him feel loved and cared about through all of the hurt and abuse that Mrs. Joe inflicts on them both. One evening, when Pip and Joe are talking by the fireplace, their relationship becomes a little deeper. Pip narrates, “‘I [Joe] said to her, ‘And bring the poor little child. God bless the poor little child,’ I said to your sister, ‘there’s room for him at the forge!”’ I broke out crying...and hugged joe round the neck… ‘Ever the best of friends; an’t us, Pip?”’(7.46.2. & …show more content…
As Joe shares bits and pieces of his past with Pip, it becomes apparent the extent to which Joe contributed in regard to the bringing up of Pip and the life that he has. As Joe states in the last sentence of that quote, rather than a fatherly-figure, joe serves more as Pip’s “Best friend.” Another, more discrete example of Joe’s love and fondness towards Pip was at the Christmas meal and Pip narrates that “He [Joe] always aided and comforted me when he could in some way of his own, and he always did so at dinner-time by giving me gravy”(4.22.2). Pip and Joe are mutually affected by the abuse inflicted by Mrs. Joe, so when the company arrives for Christmas dinner, they both understand the vitality of being on their best behavior. Although Joe cannot directly chastise the guests and Mrs. Joe for the way they are speaking about Pip, he offers his comfort and affection to Pip by giving him gravy. The similar circumstances that Joe and Pip face on a day to day bases has somewhat coaxed them into a close
After gaining his wealth, Pip becomes snobby and lets everything go to his head. Now, after losing his wealth, we, as readers see a new change in Pip's personality. As for himself, Pip appears to feel ashamed of himself and his new class. In Great Expectations, explaining Pip's feelings, Pip thinks, "Next day, I had the meanness to feign that I was under a binding promise to go down to Joe; but I was capable of almost any meanness towards Joe or his name." (Dickens, 391) Pips thoughts here, represent how he starts to realize how he has changed since moving to London. In his childhood, Pip was practically best friends with Joe, then becoming a gentleman, he has this sense that he is above Joe and essentially wanted nothing to do with
Joe armed with wrath and “Tickler” (Dickens 7). Joe wishes that Pip would not have to bear the brunt of “Tickler”; he wishes that he could “‘take it all’” himself (Dickens 51). Joe takes a kindly, brotherly interest in Pip; he and Pip share a “good-natured companionship” (Dickens 9). When Pip refrains from eating his bread and butter, which he intends to save for the convict, Joe believes that Pip has lost his appetite. Joe becomes “uncomfortable” and does not “enjoy” his food (Dickens 9). Joe often encourages and motivates Pip. When Pip presents Joe with his first specimen of writing, Joe declares that Pip is a “‘scholar’” (Dickens 73). When Pip complains about his commonness, Joe says that Pip is “‘oncommon’”. He wisely observes that “‘you must be a common scholar afore you can be a oncommon one’” (Dickens 73). Joe’s kindness and generosity also extends beyond his family. When the convict confesses that he stole some food from the blacksmith, Joe says that he is “‘welcome to it’”; he would not want even a convict to be “‘starved to death’” (Dickens 40).
As most main characters, Pip had humble beginnings, with a misconception of even his own name; “My father’s family name being Pip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer of more explicit than Pip.” (Dickens 9). Most would agree that not understanding one’s own name, even as a child, can be described as “common”. And yet, that is why Dicken’s gives the main character a name like that, so he will carry it with him as he grows and leaves his home. It serves as a reminder to the reader of Pip’s humble beginnings. However, humble beginnings aren’t as impressive without an achievement later in life. Pip’s achievement of growing into an impressive gentleman is most evident when a friend from his childhood refers to him as a superior, in the quote, “‘Which do not overdo it, Pip,’ said Joe; ‘but I shall be happy fur to see you able, sir.’ The last word grated on me; but how could I remonstrate!” (Dickens 436). In this quote, Joe shows that Pip has grown into a full fledged gentleman, and that while seemingly repaired, his relationship with Joe, and in turn his childhood, is not undamaged. Indeed, all journeys include some sort of damage, and one is never complete without the main character attempting to repair said damage by beseeching the family they had once turned their back on for forgiveness, as Pip does when he says, “And now though I
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.
Just as we sometimes turn away from God, Pip turns away from Joe. When Pip meets Estella and the "glittering alternative to life at the forge that she and Satis House represent, he can't ever again enjoy the idea of working with Joe at the forge."4 When he acquires his fortune, Pip totally pushes Joe out of his life. Because Great Expectations is written in first person (and Pip is a very honest storyteller), we can observe that "while Pip the narrator recognizes Joe's goodness..."5 and great love for him, "...Pip the character goes on
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
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.
When Pip was a small boy, he felt close to Joe, as Joe was like a
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
effect on Pip through his love. Pip loves Joe for what he is and in
4). Even though he aids the convict, the reader's sympathy for Pip soon increases, as his robbery of his own home weighs greatly on his conscience. For example, when Mrs. Joe leaves the Sunday dinner to retrieve the "savoury pork pie," which Magwitch had enjoyed heartily, Pip is tortured by the thought of his actions, while his mind screams, "Must they! Let them not hope to taste it!" (p. 27). He seems to sincerely regret his actions and the fact that he "had been too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong" (p. 40). Approximately one year after his encounter with the convict, Pip is still shown to be an innocent, caring boy. One night, when Pip and Joe are alone at the forge, Joe explains his various reasons for enduring Mrs. Joe's constant abuse. After their conversation, Pip realizes that he cares deeply for Joe and appreciates everything that the blacksmith does for him. Also, he develops "a new admiration of Joe from that night" and "a new sensation of feeling conscious that I was looking up to Joe in my heart" (p. 48). Unfortunately, as Pip develops unrealistic hopes and expectations for his life, these positive characteristics are replaced by undesirable ones.
would be apprenticed to Joe as soon as I was old enough". What Pip did
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
Prosperous or impoverish, given Joe's humane mind and good nature, he is willing- under any circumstances- to help those in need. Another example of a humane deed committed by Joe is as follows on page 74, chapter 9 when Joe lectures Pip about deceit after he confides in Joe about the lies he told to his family about Miss Havisham's: "`There's one thing you may be sure of, Pip,' said Joe, after some rumination, `namely, that lies is lies. Howsever they come, they didn't ought to come, and they come from the father of lies, and work round to the same. Don't you tell no more of 'em, Pip. That ain't the way to get out of being common, old chap.'" This illustrates that Joe is not only Pip's friend, but more like a father figure in Pip's life; Pip feels comfortable confiding in him, and is open to listen to Joe about what is right and what is wrong. Without Joe, Pip would be lost; he would not have anyone to guide him, tell him what is right and wrong, constantly remind him what is important in life, or to occasionally knock some sense into him. He stands out as a loving figure in Pip's life. Joe and Pip share a relationship based on love and trust, easily likened to the relationship between father and son, or brothers. Without Joe, Pip would not be the same character or share any of the characteristics that he does now; he would be a despondent, ignorant, perplexed orphan.
The Scottsboro boys consisted of nine young men, from the ages of twelve to twenty, living in Scottsboro, Alabama during the 1930s. The racial injustice in South Alabama was at an all time high during this decade. While the public derived various opinions on the boy’s innocence or guilt, the Scottsboro Boys Trials presented a blatantly obvious verdict.