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Literature poverty essay
Literature poverty essay
Literature poverty essay
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ENG10090- Coming of Age Narratives Essay. Alan McPartlan (14347141) Tutor- Katie Moten Essay Title- Examine how either text represents EITHER class OR gender. Are these representations problematic or contradictory? How do they relate to the plot and structure of the novel? The Following essay will examine how class is represented in the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Both in this novel and many others, which are based around the time of the 1800’s, class is a major part of life which in turn made your life’s path completely dependent on what class or background you were brought up in. This was majorly the case in Great Expectations and especially in the life of Pip. After reading Great Expectations there are many arguments …show more content…
Many people of the time had large houses filled with many pricey and elaborate décor. This is another major aspect of the differences between classes and how they are presented. A big example of this in the novel is when Pip is walking up to Ms Havisham’s house and sees the sheer size of it, although run down. Straight away Ms Havisham is represented as being a wealthy woman and in the higher class just by the manor of her abode. This is a trend throughout this novel, the first house we read of is Pips, where he grew up in, which is described as quite a lower classed house with not many expensive accessories in it. This is a clear parallel to the house Pip receives when he moves to London which was ten times the size. This is a point you could refer back to the thesis statement on that Pip received this house and didn’t have to work for it at all so would he have got such a nice house if he hadn’t helped Magwitch, that cold windy day in the graveyard. The houses were a clear representation of your class throughout this novel. As well as houses, clothing was another large give away of what class you belonged to. The higher classes would have elaborate and expensive clothes which they would change three or four times a day, while as on the other hand the poor, if they were lucky, had three or four outfits in their whole wardrobe. The representation of this is clearly seen in the novel when Pip goes to buy new presentable clothes and is startled by the difference in the quality of clothing that the higher classes would wear. Throughout the novel it is clear of the social classes just by how Dickens describes their dress style. The representation of class through the theme of possessions and assets is clearly evident throughout this novel in many shapes and forms and sometimes prove problematic for Pip and his understanding of the
notices that he is "a man with no hat", the sign of a lower class
Strained Relationships, Resentment and Indignation Between the Classes in Great Expectations Great expectations is a profound story. It contains the theme of love,
At the start of the novel, Pip is very low educated and unaware of his social class , or even that he belongs to a social class. Because he does not know of any "better" lifestyle, Pip is content with what he has and who he knows. As life goes on, he meets new people from both higher and lower social classes and his content turns to greed and shame, as he immediately longs to be better educated. He is suddenly ashamed of his family and origins. Pip learns as he grows older, however, that having mone...
“Charles Dickens preferred workers the way he preferred Victorian women: grateful for favors received, humble, patient, and passive.” (Scheckner) Charles Dickens entered this world on February 7, 1812; he was born in Lindsport, Portsmouth, England. The time period in which he lived and the location in which he dwelled are both important because they had a great effect on his writing. His works were very gender-biased, full of symbolism and irony, and reflected the social structure of his time/place he lived.
In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses diction and imagery to illustrate how if one bases their dreams and aspirations on the values of a society that prizes materialism over character, they will face a life of devoid unhappiness through the character of Pip. In the novel, Pip finds it impossible to change social classes when Joe declares, “That ain't the way to get out of being common. . . as to being common . . . You are uncommon in some things. You're uncommon small . . .
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.
In Charles Dickens Great Expectations, public image provides a standard by which each character is judged and treated. Public image drives the characters to climb the social ladder, and do whatever is necessary to obtain a high class reputation. Throughout Great Expectations, public image controls the thoughts and actions of the characters. Dickens uses a variety of characters, expanding from dirt poor to rich and snobby, to determine how they live their lives. Great Expectations guides us through Pip, the main character’s, long journey of realizing that no external standard of value can replace the judgements of one’s own conscience.
Society has evolved over the years in many ways. Including advances in technology, and enriched education . Within the novel Great Expectations, there is a strong contrast between the rich and the poor. Similarly, in the short story, The Doll's House, the 'lower class' or poor children were displaced amongst the rest and were avoided. Although society has progressed in other ways, social class injustice is still present today. In the following essay, I will compare the existing social class injustice that is portrayed throughout the two stories set in historical periods, to those seen today by exploring the relationship between wealth and class, interaction between upper and lower class, and the social class structure.
Much can be said about Dickens' view of women according to the way he constructs his female characters in Great Expectations. There are many of them in the novel. However, none of them are deeply focused on throughout the novel. Estella, who is one of Pip's "great expectations," does not even have a major role. Nevertheless, his attitude concerning women is still reflected through his female characters as well as his word usage towards them. Of course, studying his life is also helpful. A great deal of criticism has connected Dickens' female characters in novels with women in his life. It should be noted that Dickens' novels go beyond characterizing the people he knew. His words also bring to light his views on the women of his time. In Great Expectations one can see how the women who fit Dickens' ideas were rewarded with happy lives, usually in the form of marriage. On the other hand, the women who did not conform to these ideas were punished in one way or another. Even though not all of Dickens' attitudes reflected what was typical of the period, many did. Great Expectations is a reflection of those attitudes that were most likely encouraged by the women in his life.
In the novel ‘Great Expectations’ there are three women who Dickens portrays differently to his contemporary’s, writers such as Austen and Bronté, and to the typical 19th century woman. These three women go by the name of Mrs Joe (Pips sister), Miss Havisham, and Estella. Mrs Joe who is Pips sister and Mr Joe’s wife is very controlling and aggressive towards Pip and Mr Joe. ‘In knowing her to have a hard and heavy hand’. This shows Dickens has given Mrs Joe very masculine qualities, which is very unusual for a 19th century woman. Mr Joe has a very contrasting appearance and personality to Mrs Joe. ‘Joe was a fair man, with curls of flaxen hair on each side of his smooth face, and with eyes of such a very undecided blue that they seemed to have somehow got mixed with their own whites.’ In many ways Dickens has swapped the stereo type appearances and personalities of 19th century men and women. Dickens portrays Miss Havisham to be rich but lonely women. ‘I should acquit myself under that lady’s roof’. This shows Miss Havisham owns her own property which is Satis House. This woul...
...ntation of the distinctions between the social classes. Dickens uses Pip’s relationships with Estella, Joe, and Magwitch to show how the lower class is judged by social status or appearances, instead of morals and values. The lower class is looked down upon and taken advantage of the upper class, and this is prevalent in the novel Great Expectations.
Dickens criticized the world of his own time because it valued the status of being a gentleman over someone doing a useful job. Those who thought they were gentlemen often mocked ordinary citizens. Show how he achieved these aims through the language used and his description of the way Pip and the other characters behaved in the novel.
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 Estella’s love working as a lowly blacksmith at the forge. The gloomy realizations that Pip is undergoing cause him to categorically despise everything about himself, feeling ashamed for the life he is living when illuminated by the throngs of the upper class.
"I must entreat you to pause for an instant, and go back to what you know of my childish days, and to ask yourself whether it is natural that something of the character formed in me then" - Charles Dickens
Social class played a major role in the society depicted in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. Social class determined the manner in which a person was treated and their access to education. Yet, social class did not define the character of the individual.