Rich and Poor Theme in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

836 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Similarities between rich and poor essay

Rich and Poor Theme in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations Throughout the novel, there are many themes, one of them being rich and poor. This theme is introduced by the background description in the opening pages. In this novel the attitudes of the rich relatives, (uncle Pumblechook), are a great contrast to those of lower financial class, - Joe and Mrs. Joe. Special food is reserved for when richer relatives come around; this is a motion of respect. For the duration of the novel, Pip pursues wealth and when he finally attains it he finds it’s useless as he sees its source as ‘tainted’, his wealth is acquired through Magwich. Greed is a significant factor. During the novel, there are a lot of links comparing rich and poor, and we get representatives from both sides. Miss Havisham is rich, but lives a life of disorder, disappointment and dirt. In contrast to this, Joe is relatively poor but is incredibly comfortable and content with his life, however, his wife Mrs. Joe is desires more. Magwich becomes rich to facilitate people other than himself, - i.e. to ring Pip up into ‘a gentleman’. Although Joe is poor and at ease, poor is not good in itself as Magwich lives in atrocious poverty. Joe Gargery provides for and supports his wife and Pip. Joe has given Pip a secure, stable and reasonably happy home. Pip is seen as Joe’s apprentice (while he is working as a black smith and at home), he is treated like a son. Joe is a happy medium in connection with wealth. Before Pip’s meeting with Miss Havisham he is made aware of the state of her wealth. There is a huge dissimilarity between Miss Havisham’s and Joe’s house. Miss Havisham’s house was a dark secluding place covered in cobwebs. “I s... ... middle of paper ... ...ses it create happiness and splendor, for his old father and his ‘castle’. Herbert Pocket comes across as the incompetent type; he has indistinct plans but seems satisfied. Estella’s wealth from Miss Havisham and her mercenary attitudes immediately steer her towards a path of misery and anguish. Pip’s journey throughout life was reasonably tough. He came from a working class background, received riches and became a parasite which leads to numerous mistakes, disclosure and rejection, and thankfully the Courage to help Magwich to escape. Although Pip’s journey began well, it went down hill once a wealthy status was achieved; nonetheless, he still managed to find courage and wisdom, which proves that there is possible hope for the future. This shows that happiness is not always achieved by wealth and being egotistical will not benefit you long term.

Show More
Related

  • Dickens' Use of Characters in Volume One to Present the Themes of Great Expectations

    4577 Words  | 10 Pages

    notices that he is "a man with no hat", the sign of a lower class

    Read More

  • Great Expectations By Charles Dickens

    1069 Words  | 3 Pages

    The famous American comedian, Groucho Marx once said, “While money cannot buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.” Marx believes that money will be the downfall of society because it is corrupt and creates individuals’ own different forms of misery. Throughout the book Great Expectations, Dickens repeatedly shows characters not pleased with their life because money has taken over them and has ‘chosen’ their own misery. Furthermore, Dickens uses Miss Havisham, Pip, and Joe Gargery to show how he develops his characters to define what a true gentleman is which proves how wealth that one inherits oftentimes leads to corruption and discontent in life.

    Read More

  • Wealth and Poverty in Hard Times by Charles Dickens

    2302 Words  | 5 Pages

    love does not exist in this world then the people who live on it will

    Read More

  • Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pip, through spending time with Estella, quickly picks up the desire for social improvement through games, whether physical or emotional, and it is not until he realizes the difference between fantasy and reality that he truly understands the game of life. Just as Estella uses card games to torment Pip, telling him that he is “a common labouring boy” Pip unknowingly begins to see every human interaction as a competition (Volume I, Chapter 8). His physical fight with Herbert represents Pip’s gradual addiction to always winning, never stopping until others are defeated. Pip takes his early, innocent ambition to improve himself and, without even realizing it himself, turns it into a ruthless fight for revenge. Parkinson argues that he sees “the role of chance” influencing his life, forcing himself to submit to whatever life throws at him (Parkinson, 121). Soon, however, Pip becomes the one who forces others, including Joe and Biddy, to simply accept his desire to become an “uncommon” gentleman through his unfailing faith in the wealthy (Volume I, Chapter 8). The problem is not his “fairy-tale expectations,” but his admiration in the wrong people; though he looks up to Miss...

    Read More

  • Dickens' Use of Settings in Great Expectations

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    He experienced what much of the population did; poor working conditions, poor living and poor pay. He realised that the 'gentlemen' of society had all the money and were very selfish. From then on Dickens promoted the under-privileged in society, like Joe and Magwitch. Dickens voiced many of his concerns about society in general through Great Expectations and the character of Pip has many links with Dickens himself; having hopes and dreams that are later destroyed by problems with money.

    Read More

  • Great Expectations: Changes in the Character of Pip

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • How Charles Dickens Portrays Class in Great Expectations

    4551 Words  | 10 Pages

    along with the rest of his family to work in a factory to help repay

    Read More

  • Great Expectations: Analyzed Through A Marxist Criticism

    1124 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...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.

    Read More

  • Heavy Metal

    2132 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the beginning of the story Pip was not wealthy, he was living in poverty. His manners were not as great as a rich person's, he did not own much of anything, and he was treated poorly because of that. Joe was not wealthy, and nor was Mrs. Joe. They treated Pip like they would anyone else, as an equal. When he went to Estella’s house, she treated him like he was a laboring boy. Just by looking at him, she concluded that she was better than him because he looked poor, and she looked rich. That was the first time Pip didn’t look at everyone as an equal. He looked at Estella as being rich, and him being poor.

    Read More

  • Social Class in Great Expectations

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Victorian England, people are assigned to a class, depending on their education, social status, or income. In his novels, Charles Dickens comments about the abuses in Victorian England, such as economics and social class. “Throughout the life of Pip, he is constantly exposed to characters that vary greatly in both characters and social class.” (Zhou). Joe Gargery is a member of a working class, having no education and works as a blacksmith. Joe Gargery had pride being in the working class. Joe Gargery is the idea of the working class. Uncle Pumblechook represents the worst in middle class. Uncle Pumblechook is opinionated and hypocritical in Great ...

    Read More

  • Theme Of Social Class In Great Expectations

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    In a lot of ways, the nineteenth Century depicted in Great Expectations is epitomic of the particular period. A lot of societal aspects correlate with the events in the book and especially the dynamical structure of the society. And even though the picture most people have of a Victorian society is set up in different compartments and highly contrasted one, the actualities of the time speak of an England adapting to industry and the ideals of the Enlightenment period. Dickens’ treatment of England at the time “is based on the post-Industrial Revolution model of Victorian England” (Google Scholar). He ignores the aristocratic air associated with it and instead pursues a standpoint focused on commerce. Still and all, we get the sense of how pivotal, or rather, central, this notion of compartments is to the plot of the story, especially with regard to social class. And this leads to the point; the class system of the nineteenth century. Unlike modern England and the modern world, generally, the earlier 19th century version had more defined social classes because values and beliefs about what made people who they were had, just like the physical structures, been morphing in comparison.

    Read More

  • Great Expectations Analysis

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    Miss Havisham, an eccentric rich spinster, has a profound influence on young Pip. Having been jilted

    Read More

  • Class And Gender Representation In Great Expectations By Charles Dickens

    1528 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Pip's Great Expectations

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pip comes from a lower class family of the Victorian era. The reader first meets Pip around the age of 6, when he explains that his parents, as well as 5 of his brothers, have all passed and he has been raised by his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, and her husband Joe Gargery. His sister continuously reminds Pip about her having brought him up “by hand” (Dickens 7) and even details her regrets about having taken him in as her own child saying “I’d never do it again!” (Dickens 8). Despite the rough upbringing, or perhaps because of the rough upbringing, Pip has high hopes of one day becoming a gentleman and continuously dreams of what his life will be like once he is part of the upper class. These aspirations indicate that Pip has great expectations for himself. He expects to become a perfect gentleman and climb the social status ladder. Soon after explaining his home situation, Pip describes to the reader of his encounter with Ms. Havisham, who he describes as “an immensely rich and grim lady who lived in a large and dismal hous...

    Read More

  • Theme Of Ambition In Great Expectations

    1253 Words  | 3 Pages

    Marcus Aurelius once said, "A man 's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions." It is human nature to desire the approval from the outside world. However, like Aurelius said, ambitions don 't define a person. Throughout Charles Dickens ' novel Great Expectations, Pip 's character integrates ambition to become someone he is not and results in disappointment and sadness. When Pip does not receive a satisfactory outcome, he is quick to blame others rather than his own physiological desires.

    Read More

More about Rich and Poor Theme in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

Open Document