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Social class in great expectations
class system in great expectations
Social class in great expectations
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There are reasons why novels become classics, and “Great Expectation” by Charles Dickens is certainly a beloved classic with an exceptional plot and a great deal of rich themes and symbolism. This classic is filled with eccentric characters, themes and symbolism.
Themes play an important part in “Great Expectations”, there are a few major themes in this novel. Dickens explores the England social class system thoroughly, criminals (the lowest end of the system) to high aristocrats are described. We also even get to see a working class boy (Pip) get turned into an aristocrat. Also, the injustice of the penile system is also explored, how innocent people such as Magwitch can be unfairly put into the system. Dickens gives a wonderful symbol on how the penile system drowns spirits and hopes. “The ends of the torches were flung hissing into the water, and we out. (28)” The ends of the torches symbolize the blazing and high-spirited men, and the water symbolizes the prisons. When the torches go out, it symbolizes the spirits and hopes of the men that were drowned when they were thrown in the system.
One particular theme resonated in me, mainly because I find this to be the theme that drives the plot the most, it is the most important theme in the novel. Pip’s actions are driven by ambition and self-improvement. Pip is a very ambitious person, when he first sees the Satis house, he immediately wanted to become wealth, when he learnt that he can’t read, he wanted to learn, when he saw Estella, he immediately fell in love with her and longs to marry her. Pip has great expectation about his future: he expects great things to happen to him, and he tries hard for those things to happen. There are three forms of self-improvement (ambitio...
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...scovery that Magwitch gave Pip the money shattered his childish and idealistic mind. Near the end of the story, Pip realizes that one’s social position is not as important as one’s quality, and he also realizes his behaviour as a gentlemen has hurt the people that cared about him the most (Joe, Biddy).
This novel is essentially about social class and money. The lesson learnt is that money and social class do not change a person. Joe is one of the kindest and most loving person in the story, and he doesn’t need to be rich to be good. Pip slowly learns this as well, he isn’t any better being an aristocrat than what Joe is. He learns to judge people by their outer appearances, class and wealth, but rather by their inner qualities. This problem was existent in Dicken’s time, and is still existent today, people are carried away by matters that don’t really “matter”.
The settings of Great Expectations are Pip’s homes, one home that he lives in during his childhood in Kent, England, and the other that he lives in when he is grown in London, England. Social status was a big deal in the mid-nineteenth century. The rich were highly respected and liked by all, and the poor were treated unkindly and were sometimes made fun of. The rich could have any job that they liked, but the poor would almost always take over the job that their father had. The narrator of Great Expectations is Pip. If the novel were narrated from any other point of view, it would not have the same effect as it does now.
This progression of Pip’s life tests him many over. He tries again and again with haste to move towards his one true goal borne upon a children’s folly that grows to be his all consuming desire. He resents his current status as mere orphan smithy boy, common in all respects to his eyes, and fails to recognize his own strangeness in rejecting his allotted path in life. His father figure, Joe, advises that his own questioning is uncommon enough but he simply disregards fulfilment in being himself, believing himself to be the one true, harsh, judge of his character, he is simply not one to back down on his ideals.
Overall, Pip transforms morally throughout the book by realizing the limitations to fortune, the truly transcendental nature of social class, and understanding the balance of self-interest and consideration essential to a good life. Some may argue that this is no longer relevant, as the world has come to transcend social class. However, the reality is that money is still a symbol of worthiness. It is not until wealth and nobility are separated that true progress can take place in the world.
When he met the man who had been providing him with the money to become so wealthy, they became great friends. However, Magwitch, his benefactor, unfortunately died leaving Pip with debt piling to the roof. When Joe came, he paid all of Pip’s debt and in response, Pip said, “I had never dreamed of Joe’s having paid the money; but Joe had paid it, and the receipt was in his name. What remained for me now, but to follow him to the dear old forge, and there to have out my disclosure to him, and my penitent remonstrance with him--” (Dickens 431). After the death of Magwitch, Pip realized how fortunate he was to have Joe in his life. When Pip had no one to help him when he needed it, Joe showed him that true friendship prevails in the end. Pip learned that he never should have left Joe, and that friendship was something he needed in his life. Then, Pip decided to go home to the forge where he would reunite with Joe and his life would be changed for the better. Branching out and reaching for one’s dreams is ideal. However, pushing aside those that helped one to get where she is is wrong. When something goes wrong, one may realize what she lost and can often fix it, improving her
First, Pip has great expectations Joe. At the beginning of the novel, Pip expects Joe to be a fatherly figure, and protect him from Mrs. Joe and Pip "looking up to Joe in [his] heart" (Dickens 86). Joe and Pip are friends and rely on one another to survive their home life by warning one another when Mrs. Joe "went on the rampage" [173]. However, after Pip receives his benefactor and money, he expects Joe to be a different person than himself. He expects Joe, like himself, overnight, to go from "being co...
At the start of the novel, Pip is a poor uneducated orphan boy unaware of social classes, or even the existence of such things. As a result, he is content with what he has and who he knows. Moving on in life, he comes across new people from all spectrums of social classes, and his content turns to shame and greed, as he longs to be “better”. All of a sudden Pip becomes ashamed of both his family and his social class. As Pip begins to understand the true meaning of life, his childish attitude does however change. “Pip learns as he grows older, however, that having money and power and being of a higher social class is not necessarily better than having true friends that care about him - even if they are of a lower social class” (Bloom, “Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations” 236). As the aforementioned quote suggests, in the final stages of the story Pip’s mindset changes for the better and Pip is able to give up having the “money and the power” and focuses ...
In the first stage of Great Expectations, Pip begins as a contented boy, happy with his own way of life, but soon becomes humiliated by the ones he loves, and starts to morph into someone who is very status-conscious. At the start, Pip looks up to Joe, and even says, “Joe and I (were) fellow-sufferers…” showing that Pip regarded Joe as an equal (Dickens 7). At this stage in Pip’s life, he has not yet realized what social class is, and so he is perfectly happy being with Joe. Joe and Pip are good friends at this point, and Pip really appreciates him as a person. This all changes after Pip’s first visit with Estella, especially when he says, “Her contempt for me was so strong that it became infectious, and I caught it,” showing that he is beginning to take into account other people’s thoughts about himself (62). Although Estella looks down upon Pip for being ‘common’, there is irony in his statement, because Estella comes from an even lower class than him. Throughout the whole novel, Pip tries to impress her, thinking that she is well above him, when she is actually the daughter of a convict. Finally, Pip shows betrayal to Joe when he says, “I was truly ...
There are so many important characters in this book that it would take me longer to describe the characters and there importance than it would to summarize the book. So I will keep it to a minimum with just a few crucial people. First there is Pip he is the main character in this book. When he was very young his parents died and know he is raised by his sister and her husband Joe Pip is a very innocent and caring person who wants to have a greater fate than the one presently owned. But is burdened by the fact that he lives in poverty. Next there is Mrs. Joe who raised Pip but is very mean to him and controlling of everyone in her house. Then Joe he is the person that gives Pip help. They play games and explain a lot of things to Pip he is about the only nice person in Pips life. Mrs. Havasham she lets Pip come over to her house and is very wealthy and the people around him think that she will raise him to be a gentleman. But hates men and never changes out of her wedding dress. She also has a daughter named Estella that was adopted and is very beautiful. But is being raised to hate men as well and is using her looks to break there hearts. Magwitch escapes from prison at the beginning of Great Expectations and terrorizes Pip in the cemetery. But out of Kindness Pip still bring the man what he asks for. Pip's kindness, however, makes a deep impression on him, and he subsequently devotes himself to making a fortune and using it to elevate Pip into a higher social class. Herbert pocket who is a good friend of Pip's and gives him advice throughout the book.
The main character, Pip, is a gentle character. His traits include humbleness, kindness, and lovingness. These traits are most likely the cause of his childhood poverty. In the beginning of the story, Pip is a mild mannered little boy who goes on with his own humble life. That, though, will change as he meets Magwich, a thief and future benefactor. Pip’s kindness goes out to help the convict, Magwich when he gives food and clothing to him. Magwich tells Pip that he’ll never forget his kindness and will remember Pip always and forever. This is the beginning of Pip’s dynamic change. Throughout the novel, Great Expectations, the character, Pip gradually changes from a kind and humble character to a character that is bitter, then snobbish and finally evolves into the kind and loving character which he was at the beginning of the story.
The most important theme throughout the book can be said to be ambition and self-improvement. Pip at heart is an idealist; whenever he is convinced that something is superior to what he has, he immediately desires to obtain that improvement. This is best illustrated when he sees Satis house, which puts him into a state of mind of desiring to be a wealthy gentleman. In this novel, Pip’s ambition and self-improvement takes three forms: moral, social, and educational. Firstly, he desires moral self-improvement and is very hard on himself when he feels that he acts immorally, by trying to act better in the future. This can be noticed when Pip leaves for London and is disappointed with his behavior towards Biddy and Joe. Secondly he desires social self-improvement, after having fallen in love with Estella, who demands Pip to act according to high society. His fantasies of becoming a gentleman are further fueled by Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook. These fantasies prove to be very significant throughout the plot, since the author uses these ideas of social class to explore the class system of his period. Thirdly, Pip desires educational improvement, which is deeply connected to his social ambition and dream of marrying Estella. Ultimately, through the examples of Joe, Biddy and Magwitch, Pip learns that social and educational improvement are irrelevant to one’s real worth and that conscience and affection are to be valued above social ranking.
Suffering is perhaps the biggest theme or idea of the book Great Expectations. The whole story is about Pip suffering throughout his life and what he seeks to discover that ultimately leads him into more pain. All of the people he is closest to in life suffered their whole life, such as Miss Havisham, Magwitch and Estella. The book ends with some hope that resolves all of the pain throughout all of the main characters and even secondary characters lives. Throughout Pip's childhood he and the ones he was closest to, his process of becoming a gentleman he had suffered as well, and when his journey comes to its end he still deals with more pain in him of lost love and curiosity. If the book would have tone renamed its best title for it would be "Suffering Expected".
Charles Dickens utilizes his life for inspiration for the protagonist Pip in his novel Great Expectations. They both struggle with their social standing. Dickens loved plays and theatre and therefore incorporated them into Pip’s life. Dickens died happy in the middle class and Pip died happy in the middle class. The connection Dickens makes with his life to Pip’s life is undeniable. If readers understand Dickens and his upbringing then readers can understand how and why he created Pip’s upbringing. Charles Dickens’ life, full of highs and lows, mirrors that of Pip’s life. Their lives began the same and ended the same. To understand the difficulty of Dickens’ childhood is to understand why his writing focuses on the English social structure. Dickens’ life revolved around social standing. He was born in the lower class but wasn’t miserable. After his father fell into tremendous debt he was forced into work at a young age. He had to work his way to a higher social standing. Because of Dicken’s constant fighting of class the English social structure is buried beneath the surface in nearly all of his writings. In Great Expectations Pip’s life mirrors Dickens’ in the start of low class and the rise to a comfortable life. Fortunately for Dickens, he does not fall again as Pip does. However, Pip and Dickens both end up in a stable social standing.
While living in the Satis Mansion, Pip begins to realize how different he is from the people living inside of it. Pip reflects, "I took the opportunity of being alone in the court-yard to look at my coarse hands and my common boots. My opinion of those accessories was not favourable. They had never troubled me before, but they troubled me now, as vulgar appendages" (102). This quote specifically proves that Pip is ashamed of appearance. He had not once thought about himself as common but looking at himself and seeing his "common boots" impacted him. Pip seems almost angry at himself for the way he dresses. He compares his boots to "vulgar appendages" that he is embarrassed of. Pip 's image does not meet the standards of the higher class. When Pip receives news that Joe, his former best friend, is coming into town he is not excited. As he is becoming accustomed to the high society he is living, Pip only thinks of himself. Pip thinks, “Not with pleasure, though I was bound to him by so many ties; no; with considerable disturbance, some mortification, and a keen sense of incongruity. If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money” (285). Pip 's thoughts depict how his great expectations made him superficial. Rather than spending time with someone who raised him, Pip worries about Joe 's commonality staining his upperclass image. Pip 's "mortification" of Joe was so strong he "would have paid money" to keep him from coming to London. This verfies that Pip 's social class is more important than family, whom he once loved and cared so deeply for. Towards the end of the novel, Pip 's ambition to be an upperclassmen becomes less important to him when he it is revealed that Magwitch, the convict, is his benefactor. Pip
“Charles Dickens: Great Expectations.” (2 Feb, 2006): 2. Online. World Wide Web. 2 Feb, 2006. Available http://www.uned.es/dpto-filologias-extranjeras/cursos/LenguaIglesaIII/TextosYComentarios/dickens.htm.
Perhaps the most important message that Dickens emphasizes in the book is that social standing has no correlation to a person’s inner character. Pip, the protagonist of the book, fails to see this until he has successfully shunned away the most important people in his life, and wasted most of time chasing his dreams of being a gentleman. Pip goes from living in the marshes of Kent, destined to be a blacksmith, to the busy streets of London, as a wealthy gentleman in a large home.