Great Expectations Rhetorical Analysis

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.

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.

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.

The class system becomes a focal point in young Pip's life. Pip first began to think about his place in society when he was sent to visit the wealthy, old lady, Miss Havisham at her mansion. Through these visits Pip becomes socially conscious and begins to dislike his commonality. Almost instantly he wants to become uncommon. The adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, Estella, becomes a focal point and goal for Pip to obtain. Any morality Pip used to have slips away with each visit. Pip walks in circles in a barely lit room with Miss Havisam holding onto his shoulder and in doing so, Pip is somehow leaving behind all the values he was raised with. Miss Havisham and Estella end up corrupting Pip with the rich life. Greed, beauty and hubris are Pips downward spiral into an immoral life. Pip finds Estella very attractive, but Estella calls him common and this does not sit well with Pip. All of Pip's expectations of becoming a rich gentleman are due to this love of Estella.

A colloquialism is an informal way of speaking or writing. Colloquialisms are often used in everyday exchanges, or when talking in slang. This is a colloquialism because Calpurnia is speaking differently than one would in a formal situation. The words “they’s” and “comp’ny” show us that this is a colloquialism, because they are not what one would consider formal speech.

In an excerpt from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, we are drawn into the part of the story when Pip, the protagonist, visits his friend Magwitch , sick and in prison, before he dies and confides in him his daughter is still alive. There are many different narrative strategies used to create different effects for the reader: dialogue, tone and setting are all used to present a realistic feeling to the reader and pull them into the heart of the story. In another extract taken from the work of literature, Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin, the reader finds themselves in the middle of a musical scene with two main characters Creole and Sonny. Similar strategies are used with the addition of repetition, personification and a narrative style

Once he comes into wealth, however, he selfishly asks Biddy to teach Joe how to write because Joe is “backwards in some things” (143) and needs improvement. When Pip comes into his expectations, Pumblechook, who had treated Pip as an inferior before, continuously asks “May I?” (148) to shake Pip’s hand and treats him well in the hopes of gaining something from Pip. When Pip becomes bankrupt, however, Pumblechook disregards him, leaving Pip bewildered at the difference in the way he is treated. Pip comes to understand the value of friendship when everyone has left him except Joe, who faithfully remains at Pip’s side, still assuming them to be “ever the best of friends” (454). Touched by Joe’s continual and never-ending support despite his pompous and condescending treatment of him, Pip recognizes that friendship is more important than being a

As a “common labouring boy,” Pip lacks the proper surroundings, in which to realize his numerous ambitions, from his “desire to be wiser” to capturing the love of Estella, who is the daughter of “an immensely rich and grim lady” (192) (89). With no access to quality education and rejected by his love interest because of his status, Pip first-handedly witnesses the divide in the society and the disparity that exists between classes. Consequently, his unpleasant memories of domestic abuse, together with experiencing unavoidable social barriers, renders his childhood a traumatic experience and his background a prison that he seeks to

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

Pip feels ashamed of himself and thinks he should leave Estella forever. Later on he had an encounter with Drummle at the inn and it didn't go so well. He goes to Miss Havishams home to see Miss Havisham and Estella one last time before he leaves them

Since the first day Pip and Estella set their eyes on each other, Estella has done nothing but play with Pip’s emotions. Miss Havisham raises Estella so that her heart portrays cold and she can break any man’s heart. Pip comes in the picture and becomes her first victim. On her arrival to London, Pip comes to the train station hours ahead of time and he follows her every move and instructions. Pip accompanies Estella in the house of her hostess Mrs. Brandley and he spends a lot of time with her. While keeping Estella company as a suitor, he witnesses the lack of compassion Estella treats the other suitors and the little attention he receives. Pip sees Drummle and Estella flirting, he confronts her and she informs him that her discussion with

Charles Dicken's novel Great Expectations features a multitude of characters from various walks of life. The diversity of the characters highlights the contrast between wealthy and poor and, similarly, between the law abiding and the criminals present in the novel. Each character demonstrates a recurring theme found in the novel. One can gain insights into recurring themes found in the novel through analyzing Pip's social ambition, Magwitch's revenge, and Joe's empathy. Social Ambition is a theme seen throughout Great Expectations and can most effectively be explored through Pip.

Ever since her rejection by fiancée Compeyson, Miss Havisham-in her own world-has effectively stopped time and all that goes with it. Then, with a manic obsessive cruelty Miss Havisham adopts a young girl whom she names Estella and raises her as a weapon to wreak revenge on the all members of opposite sex. She inflicts her own sourness and pain on to Estella and successfully turns her into the cold hearted yet alluring creature which Miss Havisham had so fervently sought her to become,dressing her in diamonds and jewels to draw men into the trap. Resulting in Pip yearning after the love he so longingly wants yet cannot have from Estella.

The expectations that cause Pip's character to become less likable are those that he develops after being introduced to Miss Havisham and Estella. During his first visit to the Satis House, Estella, who considers herself much too refined and well-bred to

His aspirations start being contoured the moment he leaves the unspoiled countryside for a city of filth, crime and oppression, becoming, in this way, a picaresque hero. The destructive effects of society and wealth are shown in Pip’s emotional and moral deterioration and in his misunderstanding of a gentleman. In London, he leads a purposeless life, with no spiritual values, and for him, the definition of a gentleman restricts only to his table manners, his way of dressing and the accent he acquires. He becomes discontent with his simple, 'ungentlemanly' background and upbringing and even ashamed with his old, poor friends, judging by the external criteria of status and wealth. He even joins the Finches of the Grove, a group of fake "gentlemen" whose only activity and purpose seems to be to spend money and to go into debt. When Magwitch comes along, everything that he believed in disappears and the world he tried to understand from a different perspective comes crushing down on him. There are two distinct voices of Pip which can be heard in the novel between the lines: The Mercantile Voice, of ambitious characters and social climbers. At first, when he realizes that the source of his wealthiness