Magwitch's Manipulations of Pip in Great Expectations Essay

Throughout Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, the character, personality, and social beliefs of Pip undergo complete transformations as he interacts with an ever-changing pool of characters presented in the book. Pip’s moral values remain more or less constant at the beginning and the end; however, it is evident that in the time between, the years of his maturation and coming of adulthood, he is fledgling to find his place in society. Although Pip is influenced by many characters throughout the novel, his two most influential role models are: Estella, the object of Miss Havisham’s revenge against men, and Magwitch, the benevolent convict. Exposing himself to such diverse characters Pip has to learn to discern right from wrong and chose

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 attitude changed towards Magwitch in the chapters read. Pip is mostly focused on whether or not he will be recognized. Pip has become a more aware character, not just of his surroundings, but also of people's feelings. Magwitch's commit to change has really had an affect on Pip. Pip is not selfish and thinks of others, and shows that in the reading.

at first "A fearful man, all in coarse gray, with a great iron on his

Great Expectations was a novel written by Charles Dickens. It was first published in serial form from 1st December 1860 and then further on was released in book form in August 1861, although was previously issued by David Copperfield in 1849. This novel reworks his own childhood as a first-person narrative; Dickens was fortunate and had an advantage of writing Great Expectations due to him living in the Victorian times, and he related his life experiences with the main character of the play, ‘Pip’. Charles opened the play with the character Pip; his name was short for his Christian name Philip. In the Victorian times there were 3 different classes, these were known as the upper class, middle class and lower class. Pip belonged to the

The paragraph above just explains of one of the numerous ways Magwitch influences Pip. Not only does Abel support Pip as a benefactor, but he also supports Pip as if he were his own son, "more to me nor any son [Magwitch]" (Dickens 340). Although Magwitch seemed to have been a criminal who bullies Pip at the marshes just for "wittles", he isnt as shallow or cold as the reader views him. For when he thanks Pip for the food he shows the reader that he isnt just a simple heartless criminal, but a kind hearted individual pressured by the circumstances he's in. After seeing that Compeyson's smooth, gentleman-like talk "softened" his sentence, Abel learns, then "makes himself a gentleman" working hard as a benefactor so that Pip can succeed in making

Beginning in the second stage, Pip goes off to London with his newfound fortune to become a gentleman, though all that he would truly become is a rich, wealthy snob. Upon arriving at Barnard’s Inn, Pip rudely talks about the shabby conditions of the place, even saying, “So imperfect was this realization of the first of my great expectations that I looked in dismay at Wemmick,” showing that now that he is rich, he feels he should be treated like a king (181). Wemmick even mistakes his look of contempt, demonstrating that already he is becoming a snob, but at this point others don’t take him to be one. Although this passage only talks about the ‘first’ of Pip’s expectations, one can see that they are already set too high. Pip accompanies Wemmick to Newgate prison, but afterwards says, “I wished Wemmick had not met me, or I had not yielded to him and gone with him,” because he feels he is too far above the prisoners there (279). This is very ironic, because the person who has made him ‘rise’ above all these people is a convict. Pip didn’t want Newgate to be ‘on’ him because he felt it would detour Estella, when in fact her father was a convict as well. When Pip finds out that Magwitch is his benefactor and not Miss Havisham he says, “The abhorrence in which I held the

it is so significant. It is at the heart of the book mainly for the

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.

In the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Pip was an orphan living with his sister and her husband Joe Gargery who was a blacksmith. Pip was met by a convict. The convict scares Pip into stealing food and a file for him. Pip meets Miss Havisham and Estella. Pip falls in love with Estella, but she can’t love anyone. Miss Havisham raised Estella to degrade men because she was left at her wedding, so she’s getting payback. Pip wants to be a gentleman because of how Estella is rich and silky and not dirty. One day Pip got an anonymous enormous amount of money so he decides to leave for London to be trained like a gentleman. Pip’s wealth and position changes him to a dissipated life of idleness.

Magwitch is one of the first characters introduced into Great Expectations, although he later resurfaces as the protagonist’s benefactor. He is initially described as an escaped convict who terrorizes Pip, and is recalled as, “A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars; who limped, and shivered, and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin” (Dickens 2). This description helps to paint a vivid picture of the convict, and leaves the reader with a negative impression of Magwitch as he scares the protagonist. Furthermore, after Magwitch is revealed as Pip’s secret benefactor, he defends his previous actions

   "A warmint, dear boy" is the answer that Magwitch gives Pip when asked what he was brought up to be (305; ch. 40). This is what any person would expect from a man who has lived a life of crime. With further exploration, however, one will see that it is deeper than petty theft and prison. By using a character such as Magwitch, Dickens suggests the implications of using the Australian penal colonies as a way of rehabilitation for criminals. It is quite possible that Dickens has portrayed a view of penal colonies in a very positive way. After all, Magwitch is a successful, even famous, ex-convict who is responsible for Pip's wealth. By exploring the character Magwitch, one

In the novel Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, there are multiple minor characters who are not able to be classified as good or bad that have a large influence on Pip’s development. One of these characters, Abel Magwitch, has the largest effect on Pip due to being his benefactor. Magwitch was able to be seen as a convict who had committed several crimes, however the actions he took in helping Pip’s life, made amends for his past actions. Throughout the novel, Magwitch plays a minor role that has a substantial effect on Pip coming of age.

In the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is about a man named Pip, whom is telling us his experiences from when he was a boy. Pip was adopted into the blacksmith’s family, after his parents died he lived with his sister Mrs. Joe Gragery. Pip is a small town boy living in a lonely world, he was poor and uneducated. Soon Pip visits the “Satis House” and meets Miss Havisham after a few years, Pip is visited by Mr. Jaggers and informs Pip that he now had great expectations because he earned a monthly allowance. Great expectations for Pip means to get educated to become a

out of his pocket to stir his drink. The file he uses is identical to