How Does The Environment Affect Pip's Character?

When Miss Havisham sees Pip's reaction towards Estelle, she encourages her to make Pip fall in love with her, and Estelle happily agrees, and even though she is mean and haughty toward Pip, he can't help but love her, and defend her when she was insulted by

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.

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

In the first volume of the novel Great Expectations a great many characters influenced Pip. The characters who affect him most significantly thus far are Mrs. Joe Gargery, Joe Gargery, and Estella.

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 evidence that Pip is an insecure, impressionable young boy is that Estella opinions in his coarse hands and thick boots made him break down and cry. He blames his sister for his insecurities because of his sisters’ bringing him up had made him sensitive.

However, when Pip pays his first visit to Satis House, his loyalties began to shift (Kappel 116). Like the prodigal son, Pip becomes discontent with his humble origin and longs for a life of prestige. After only one visit to Miss Havisham, Pip already begins to feel discontent and ashamed. Estella’s prideful and scornful attitude makes him feel inferior. Estella derogatorily

One day Pip is taken to play at a large house, the house belongs to the character Miss Havisham who is portrayed as an extremely eccentric person. It is during these visits that the young Pip meets Miss Havisham’s daughter Estella, who never displays any form of affection for Pip and treats him contemptuously. Nevertheless, Pip falls in love and it his dream to become a gentleman and marry Estella.

When one begins to perceive their flaws and imperfections while comparing themselves to others, the individual will begin to have a dissatisfied and despondent look upon life, one will commence to desire more than what they have and will dream of being classified into a different level of social standing, and the individual will lose sight of connections and bonds that were once meaningful. This inner change is demonstrated in different ways in both novels Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. In the novel Great Expectations, the main character Pip is raised by his sister, Mrs.

This shows that Pip unconsciously understands that wealth does not bring happiness to a person. It can make someone a better person if one chooses to be generous and kind towards others. Pip contributed to a poor person’s happiness. He is not happy with his sister’s behavior and his tasks, but he rejoices after seeing the excitement on the convicts

One of the biggest problems that Pip faced was when he met Estella. From Pip’s point of view, it is shown that Pip cannot look past the beauty of her to see her true character. Estella tells Pip “do you want me then…to deceive and entrap you?” (Dickens 332). From this, Pip realizes that Estella is a cold and dark person, but his heart aches because he cannot have her.

Furthermore, he discerns that his wealth caused his dreadful life and states, " As I had grown accustomed to my expectations, I had insensibly begun to notice their effect upon myself and those around me. Their influence on my own character, I disguised from my recognition as much as possible, but I knew very well that it was not all good"(294). Through Estella, and his sorrowful experiences, Pip realizes that wealth is not significant despite the importance society has for

Most readers are appalled at the cold-hearted and cruel ways of Estella, but any criticism directed at her is largely undeserved. She was simply raised in a controlled environment where she was, in essence, brainwashed by Miss Havisham. Nonetheless, her demeanor might lead one to suspect that she was a girl with a heart of ice. Estella is scornful from the moment she is introduced, when she remarks on Pip's coarse hands and thick boots. However, her beauty soon captivates Pip and she is instilled as the focal point of his thoughts for much of the remainder of the novel. The fact that Pip becomes infatuated with her is also not Estella's fault. By no means is there any evidence that she loved him. She does not flirt with

“So throughout life our worst weaknesses and meannesses are usually for the sake of the people whom we most despise” (201). People often wonder if they will have someone to impact their life, whether it is in a good or a bad way. In the novel “Great Expectations” Charles Dickens reveals that Joe, Estella, and Magwitch are the most influential people in Pip’s life. One of Pip’s biggest influential person was Estella that was not necessarily good for Pip.

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