Great Expectations By Charles Dickens

In the work environment, Wemmicks character is much like that of Jaggers’. They work at a law firm together and this allows Wemmick the opportunity to study Jaggers’ character. Jaggers often appears harsh and impatient with his clients, Wemmick tries to mimic this behaviour. Jaggers is a highly respected and powerful man within Little Britain and Wemmick seeks the same for himself, thus, he moulds his character around Jaggers’ character. Much like Pip was apprenticed to Joe, so, too, is Wemmick to Jaggers. He mimics Jaggers attitude at work so that, within his

Pip is later told by the well-known lawyer Mr. Jaggers that he is to join him in London to receive the education needed to become a gentleman. Pip’s opportunity is set up by a mysterious unknown benefactor, who Pip believes to be Miss Havisham.

Mr. Jaggers and Miss Havisham are both examples of how there is a refusal to respect the autonomy of other people. Mr. Jaggers threatens Molly so that she will give up her daughter and give her to Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham then turns Estella into a cold hearted person who goes around breaking people’s hearts, especially Pip’s, without noticing the pain she has caused upon Estella

Dickens places washing hands & Pip & his friends next to each other to show that Jaggers may find Pip& his friends criminal-like

It is said that right before someone dies, they see their life flash before their eyes. They are said to see the things most dear to them. However, no one on their deathbed regrets the amount of money that they have. In the moment of clarity, most realize that a number on a paycheck is not as important as emotional and mental possessions. People always tell each other that money can not buy happiness, yet most end up spending every waking moment thinking about money. Why do people waste their time and energy pursuing something that is not what they truly need? Often, they use social class to fill a void in their lives that can not be filled by materialistic possessions. Many people realize this, but it is often too late. Charles Dickens demonstrates the effects of social climbing in his novel, Great Expectations. This novel explores the connections and effects of human nature and society, which are the two most powerful forces that guide people’s decisions. Some may say that social climbing is good, but as will be proven, pursuing social class for the wrong reason can result in disastrous consequences. The motivation to obtain higher social status leaves those who pursue it dissatisfied with reality and with a wider void in their lives as shown by Pip, Estella, and Magwitch.

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.

Monsieur the Marquis to represent the tyrannical French aristocracy. The Marquis recklessly runs over and kills a peasant child. Dickens shows his lack of any sympathy and mercy for the peasants at this scene by stating, “Monsieur the Marquis ran his eyes over them all, as if they had been mere rats come out of their holes.” He thinks of the peasants as nothing more than rats as do the entire French aristocracy. However, the revolution does not result in any positive change. After the peasants obtained power, they have the same lack of sympathy and mercy toward the aristocracy or enemies of the Republic. In Lucie’s conversation with the Wood-Sawyer, we see he is no better than Monsieur the Marquis, as he takes joy in the execution of aristocrat children. “I call myself the Samson of the firewood guillotine. See here again! Loo, loo, loo; Loo, loo, loo! And off HER head comes! Now, a child. Tickle, tickle; Pickle, pickle! And off ITS head comes. All the family!”

Monett, after reading your post this week, I agree with you that it we should all help one another Jesus said it like this according to Matthew 25:40 “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me”. Having a heart for the less fortunate is a Kingdome principle and one we should all have. I do believe that Dickens was adamant in pointing that out, especially with the effective use of ghost of Christmas future, that particular apparition was able to put the fear of God in the man, so much so, that he truly embrace the Christmas spirit, however the Union workhouses Scrooge referred to, based on my limited research were not all that helpful they seemly took advantage of the people situation rather

The Victorian era class system was founded upon three distinct social classes – upper, middle, lower – with marginal upward mobility granted to those of the lower and middle classes. Society in 19th century England determined an individual's value largely by the social class that individual belonged to, and by extension how much power and wealth that individual held. Naturally, primitive lower classmen such as Pip would struggle to find a respectable identity in a society founded upon social titles. Through a refusal to accept that social worth is determined at birth, Pip defies the predated victorian-era class system and proves to himself that hard work and self improvement is the true measure of self worth.

Charles Dickens, author of Great Expectations, provides a perfect example of the hope of class mobility. The novel portrays very diverse and varied social classes which spread from a diligent, hardworking peasant (Joe) to a good-natured middle class man (Mr. Wemmick) to a rich, beautiful young girl (Estella). Pip, in particular, elevates in the social pyramid from a common boy to a gentleman with great expectations. With his rise in society, he also alters his attitude, from being a caring child to an apathetic gentleman. During this process, Pip learns how he should act and how to become a real gentleman. Social mobility and wealth, furthermore, carves a disposition and how a character is looked upon.

So contaminated I feel… And yet I was not free from the soiling consciousness” (Dickens 325). The criminal background Pip has encompasses every aspect of his life, and no amount of shaking or beating will cleanse him of this degenerative part of his consciousness. Thus, In turn, Pip does everything he can to make up for his sins. (transition) The contrast between Wemmick’s home and workplace highlight his feelings towards the line of work he is in. He mentions to Pip “No; the office is one thing, and the private life is another” (Dickens 256). Jaggers only takes clients he knows he can profit from, rather than those who have fallen to faulty judicial system. This method of choosing clientele leads to Wemmick’s guilty conscience, which is why he establishes such clear boundaries from his castle to office. In an attempt to even out the sins he’s committed, Wemmick does everything to make others’ lives pleasant (especially the Aged). ‘“You’re as proud of it as Punch, ain’t you, Aged?’ said Wemmick, contemplating the old man, with his hard face really softened” (Dickens 255). Rather than being punished by a judicial system for his law firm’s unfair actions, Wemmick labors to help those around him. Likewise, the criminal Magwitch

Mr. Jaggers plays a pivotal role in the novel, Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens.  We are first introduced to him in Chapter 11, where Pip encounters the rather condescending lawyer on the stairs of Satis House. Pip describes Mr. Jaggers as "a burly man of an exceedingly dark complexion." We cannot help but notice that he is extremely pontificating, by virtue of him holding Pip's chin and being almost sure that Pip was of "a bad set of fellows" although he had scarcely known Pip for two minutes.

As the novel progresses, we have a notion that Mr. Jaggers seems to find Bently Drummle a peculiar person. However, weirdly enough, Mr. Jaggers told Pip not to have a close relationship with Drummle while secretly admiring him. After Mr. Jaggers first encountered Drummle, he calls himself a “fortune-teller”(217) and claims that something extraordinary will happen to Drummle, calling him “one of the true sort”(217). Without a clear vision of the true meaning of Jaggers’ remark, Pip as a writer now realizes “[Drummle] had a blockhead confidence in his money and in his family greatness”(310), which might explain why Jaggers has interest in him, because of his family fortune and power. Mr. Jaggers continues on his opinion on Drummle, he agrees,

Great wealth can easily corrupt a person. In Charles Dickens' Great Expectations , the reader can see how the characters' moral compasses are putrefied by immense wealth and money. With Mr. Jaggers' great wealth, he became a callous and odious man. He will only help someone if he is paid a great sum. Next, we see how wasteful Pip is with his benefactor's money. He is far from frugal when he buys a boat, for he does not even know how much a boat costs. Finally, after the fugitive convict reveals himself as Pip's benefactor, Pip realizes that Miss Havashim was not setting him up for Estella. Pip mourns about having an avarice heart and being used by Miss Havashim. Worst of all, he wasted all of this time and money trying to impress Estella and

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