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The importance of settings in novels
The importance of setting in a story
The importance of setting in a story
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This is the very end of Chapter 1 and the setting in this passage plays a very important role as it situates the plot within a dramatic line, suggesting that this black and dense atmosphere brings with it a dangerous situation, being almost a connection with this criminal situation we have just witnessed and with the events to come afterwards. In spite of Magwitch’s appearance and first impression, Pip tries to help him without hesitation, giving at the same time the idea of Pip’s humble feelings, and in fact, in Chapter 3, early in the morning, Pip leaves his house in order to attend Magwitch’s needs: “all this time I was getting on towards the river; but however fast I went, I couldn’t warm my feet, to which the damp cold seemed riveted, …show more content…
When Magwitch is caught, Pip tries his best to make the convict know that he is no scapegoat and that he is not responsible of him being caught: “I had been waiting for him to see me, that I might try to assure him of my innocence” (Chapter 5, 37). Pip feels sympathy for Magwitch and vice versa, as Magwitch, in the moment of his capture, lies about someone providing him with food and the lime, saying that he stole them by his own in Joe’s blacksmith: “I took some wittles, up at the village over yonder – where the church stands a’most put on the marshes” (Chapter 5, 38). Chapter 7 opens with Pip attending Mrs. Wopsle’s school, in which he meets Biddy, and ends with the news that Pip’s uncle, Pumblechook, has arranged a reunion at Satis House, a manor nearby inhabited by the wealthy Miss Havisham and a pretty young girl, Estella. When Pip first sees Miss Havisham he notices that she is still dressed in bridal ways and that she keeps her room arranged as if it were a wedding itself. Apart from this, it is seen as a great opportunity to Pip to improve his future and grow as a better man and will be a decisive chapter as it introduces the subplot of the novel which will influence Pip’s
"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 will have a better understanding of Dickens' views on Australian penal colonies.
Magwitch gave to Pip as a gift to thank him for his act of kindness in
Abel had risked his life to come back to England. So out of the good
Magwitch first meets pip at the graveyard on the marshes, from this we see that pip is a lonely child, who has lost his mother and father. Magwitch threatens to kill pip and " rip out his heart and liver" unless pip obeys Magwitch's orders to bring him some "wittles" and drink for him. The relationship as it first blossomed is full of fear and terror and we pick up immediately that Magwitch is in control of the situation, yet there is still the fear lingering over him being seen or handed over to the authorities if Magwitch made any mistake to be seen by anyone else, or if pip told somebody else where he was. Pip and Magwitch's first meeting place is highly ironic, because pip is visiting his parents graves and then ironically Magwitch turns up, who will later be pips benefactor and will act and play the role of Pip's surrogate farther. Pathetic fallacy is used in this graveyard scene as it is set in the marshes at the dead of night with " the cold air whipping" around them, to resemble the scary emotions that pip feels when he is being threatened by Magwitch pip passes a gibbet on the marshes which is also ironic as when Magwitch comes back to see pip later on it the novel there is the fear that he might be hanged. It also sets the setting to resemble death. The night black sky also will resemble death and deep dark fears. The graveyard is a " bleak over grown place, with nettles" the description makes the scene scarier, and the overgrown weeds could be where others are hiding. The setting is very gothic, in true Victorian style and when contemanoray readers read this they were automatically prepared for something unpleasant to happen. When Magwitch orders pip to get him some food and a drink for him from where he lived or where he could, pip could take the advantage of this situation, and tell the authorities or tell his guardians, but he doesn't.
Pip's future is mapped out from the beginning. He unknowingly enters into a life-long partnership with Magwitch that affects every part of his life. The great expectations that were destined to make Pip a gentleman are given from a reformed criminal. The criminal has seen the wrong of his ways and has decided to help the one person who never questioned him, Pip. Dickens uses the imprisonment issue throughout the text, in some cases as a threat and others as fate.
Dickens establishes the theme of corruption early on by forging a link between Pip’s actions and his feelings of guilt. At the beginning of the novel, Pip’s innocence is shown through his excessive feelings of guilt when he is forced to steal for the convict Magwitch (Dickens). By exposing Pip to crime and corruption at such a young age, Dickens seeks to highlight the path that leads to Pip’s lifelong entanglement with guilt. In addition, those around him treat Pip as if he has committed a crime and is deserving of punishment, which is demonstrated when Pip describes his clothing as “a kind of Reformatory,” which “on no account [lets him] have the free use of [his] limbs” (Dickens). Dickens purposely links Pip’s clothing to the idea of prison and criminality, and in doing so, further cements Pip’s connection with guilt.
In the beginning of the section we learn about Abel Magwitch’s Past, his childhood of thievery just to get by, then younger years in and out of prison working odd jobs here and there, and how he made the fortune that supplies Pip’s Expectations. We also learn about Compeyson, the other convict in the marshes, and the crimes and the trial that were brought on by him. This chapter serves to explain how Magwitch came to be in the position that he is in, and that he was the best man that he could be to get there. A bit later we learn about Magwitch’s wife and daughter, and how his wife was to kill their daughter over the jealousy she harboured. She then disappeared, leaving Magwitch. Despite this, Magwitch distanced himself from the case of the child being ‘destroyed’,”he [seemed] to have felt pity for her, and forbearance towards her.”(pg.410) Abel feels bad for what his wife claimed she would do out of jealousy, so he decided he would not play a part in her possible conviction for said crimes. In end of the book, after a daring attempt at escaping from london and Compeyson is captured again and is to be put to death, however because of the sickness that he contracts during the events he ends up dying before, with Pip by his bedside. He says “Thank’ee dear boy, thank’ee. God bless you! You’ve never
She was dressed in rich materials,—satins, and lace, and silks,—all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels lay sparkling on the table. Dresses, less splendid than the dress she wore, and half-packed trunks, were scattered about. She had not quite finished dressing, for she had but one shoe on,—the other was on the table near her hand,—her veil was but half arranged, her watch and chain were not put on, and some lace for her bosom lay with those trinkets, and with her handkerchief, and gloves, and some flowers, and a Prayer-Book all confusedly heaped about the looking-glass.”. As can easily seen by the evidences, in different time of the story, Dickens shows the the readers new totally new characteristics of Pip. In the first chapter, when Pip meets the convict, he is freak out and frighten because he meets a stranger that scares him and forces him to do inappropriate thing, specifically here is stealing; nevertheless, when the convict has gone, Pip is still curious about him a lot, he even turns his head back and see where the convict
In his past, he did “ Tramping, begging, thieving, working sometimes when I could,—,—a bit of a poacher, a bit of a laborer, a bit of a wagoner, a bit of a haymaker, a bit of a hawker, a bit of most things that don't pay and lead to trouble”. He was an orphaned child who grew up committing heinous crimes in order to survive the world. However, Magwitch proved that despite the fact that his life was filed with immorality, a person like him can change to become a better person. He portrayed that being born to a status filled family does not guarantee your nobility. Compeyson was a gentleman who lived out of crime as his choice. In fact, he hired Magwitch as his helper to help him with “handwriting forging, stolen bank note passing and such like” (page 397). After they were caught, although they committed the same crime, he received a much bigger punishment than Compeyson due to his upbringing and social status. Compeyson falsely accused Magwitch of influencing him into committing these crimes. This demonstrates that social status does not guarantee one’s nobility. Magwitch used this as a fuel to prove to the society that an orphaned child like him who survived growing up surrounded by immorality, he can make a gentleman out of Pip who also did not come from a wealthy family with a high status. Magwitch himself managed to turn his fortunes around and accomplished success in business during his time in Australia and came to love and care for Pip as his own son. Upon knowing Magwitch’s history, Pip realized that he has begun caring for this man. Pip then realized the ways he has mistreated the two people who truly cared about him, Abel Magwitch and Joe Gargery, thus; immediately regretted his
In order to make more money Pip’s uncle sends Pip to a psychotic old lady’s house named Mrs. Havisham. Mrs. Havisham is a mean and nasty character who constantly bickers at Pip and tells him of his unimportance. Pip continues to be mild mannered and respectful to Mrs. Havisham yet he begins to see that he will never get ahead in life just being nice. Mrs. Havisham uses Pip as sort of a guinea pig to take out her passion of revenge against men. She does this by using her daughter, Estella to torment Pip.
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.
punishment and social classes. The theme of self improvement focuses on education and moral improvement. A full education is a requirement of a gentleman, which Pip strives to be. Pip becomes a gentlemen to impress Estella, with the help of the convict and Matthew Pocket. Dickens shows that self improvement through education is important to get what you want in the world. The moral aspect of the self improvement theme involves adjusting your own moral compass to fit the world around you as you are growing and changing. Pip works hard to be the best person he can be, so whenever he does something not morally right Pip is hard on himself. The next theme discussed in Great Expectations is Crime vs. Innocence. Magwitch, the convict, is a recurring character who was once a convict. Magwitch scared Pip by the way he looked. Pip helped Magwitch at the beginning of novel because he was scared and because Magwitch was a convict (Dickens [Page 148]). But once Magwitch reappears and shows his true self, Pip learns to not judge someone based on how they appear. As an innocent child, Pip was quite frightened of
Magwitch's identity and status with regard to the empire throughout the text is an important factor in his motivations for returning. In Postcolonial terms, he is seen through the eyes of the empire (and those of the reader) as other. Pip's first encounter marks him thus, firstly as a convict and then through the cannibal references when he threatens to eat Pip's 'fat cheeks' (3 GE) and threatens to have another convict eat his heart and liver. Due to Magwitch's otherness and subsequent inability to function in normative society, he, along with his heart eating fellow cannibal, is being transported, displaced and removed from the centre. the shipment of convicts to Australia was familiar to Dickens and, though never having gone there, he was a firm believer in its benefits for both the convicts and the imperial centre: it was the 'solution for all social problems for England' (Coral Lansbury, Charles Dickens and his Australia).
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 role models who are worthy of the title.
In the beginning of the novel, Pip is characterized as a harmless, caring boy, who draws much sympathy from the reader even though he is at that point content with his common life. The reader most likely develops warm and sympathetic feelings toward Pip after only the first two pages of the novel, which introduce the fact that Pip's parents are "dead and buried" and that the orphan has never seen "any likeness of either of them" (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, New York, Penguin Putnam, Inc., 1998, p. 1). Pip's confrontation with the convict presents his harmless, innocent nature. As Magwitch first seizes the young boy, Pip simply responds, "Oh! Don't cut my throat, sir, Ö Pray don't do it sir" (p. 2). Then, Pip is forced into submitting to the convict's demands, mainly due to his naive fear ...