Charles Dickens' Great Expectations
Charles Dickens is famous for his unforgettable characters. Some of
his most renowned characters are to be found in 'Great Expectations' a
truly classic novel.
Pip is a genuinely nice character. His mother and father, and this is
what it says on his fathers gravestone "Georginawife of the above,
were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias
and Roger, were also dead and buried." This immediately makes the
reader feel sympathy towards Pip because it is very traumatic to lose
one family member let alone seven! So he was left with his sister Mrs
Joe Gargery, who is married to Joe Gargery a blacksmith. She raised
him 'by hand' to keep him in order. She thinks that Pip owes her for
all that she's done for him. She is very sarcastic and vindictive, but
Joe Gargery is a very quiet, kind man who loves and cares for Pip like
his own son. He wants to take Pip under his wing and make him a
blacksmiths apprentice. Similarly it is Pips dream to work with Joe.
Joe is like a father figure to Pip, almost like the father he never
met. This gives the reader a sense of satisfaction knowing that Pip
has someone to depend on. Pip imagined his father to be a 'square,
stout, dark man with curly black hair,' he thinks this because of the
shape of the letters on his gravestone. Alternatively he thinks of his
mother as a 'freckled and sickly woman.' He knows that the assumptions
of the looks of his mother are probably wrong when he says 'I drew a
childish conclusion'. Whereas Miss Havisham is a rich eccentric woman
who has an extremely extravagant personality, with an odd background.
She was in love in her early life and was due to be married but the
day came and her husband to be left her standing at the altar, he also
stole a large amount of money from her. This turned her love to hatred
and made her hate the male race.
The speaker's relationship with her husband had to go over a few changes. At first, she did not want anything to do with her husband, she was still fourteen years old consequently feeling unready on handling such a big responsibility, but she had no other choice but to stay with him as she was a part of an arranged marriage. Later on, the speaker accepts her relationship with her husband and
Pip, on the other hand, shows an internal struggle whenever he has to make a decision. Pip also has an image of a father imposed on other male characters throughout the progress of his life: first his brother-in-law Joe, later the lawyer Mr. Jaggers, and finally his secret benefactor Magwitch. But the relative importance that each of them hold on Pip's opinions is rather little compared to the effect of Pangloss' word upon Candide. Pip is always open to suggestions coming from any of the individuals around him, and he really cares about the judgement of any of these, but he is always left with freedom when concerning an ultimate decision.
really want to marry Tom, and she new that at her wedding. Now, her marriage
Whereas the same setting for Pip is peaceful place to remember his late mother and father, seemingly now he is left with this elder sister who treats him and her blacksmith husband, Joe, terribly.
her husband as well as upon me (…) She was tall and bony, and always
Pip, a person who had loved and revered his uncle Joe as a child, while
Mr Joe because he is poor and Pip is ashamed of Mr Joe. Pip, the
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.
The first fatherly figure Pip ever had was Joe Gargery. Joe was a great father-like influence because he did many things that a father would do for his son. He cared about Pip’s well-being. “I wish there warn 't no Tickler for you, old chap; I wish I could take it all on myself; but this is the up-and-down-and-straight on it,
We see Pips sister, who is a bossy person and her husband, Joe, who is
In the opening chapter, we feel sorry for Pip as we find out that his
makes many new, high-society friends. When Joe Gargery comes to visit Pip in his new way of life, Pip is
Joe's actions are those of a true gentleman. For example, Joe defends Mrs. Joe from Orlick even though he is scared of Orlick himself: "What could the wretched Joe do now...but stand up to his journeyman...so, without so much as pulling off their singed and burnt aprons, they went at one another, like two giants" (773). Joe is intimidated by Orlick and by Joe defending Mrs. Joe from Orlick shows that Joe has courageousness. Joe is a benevolent person by stepping up to Orlick to help Mrs. Joe. In addition, Joe pays off Pip's debts and Pip finds "a receipt for which they had been paid off" (899). Joe paying off Pip's debts shows he is a helpful and caring person. Joe is being considerate by helping Pip become debt-free. It is ironic that Joe helps Pip because Pip hasn't been a considerate person to Joe but he helps Pip regardless.
First, Pip is ambitious to become a gentleman in order to be worthy of Estella 's love. Pip is a young boy and is being raised by his sister. When his sister, Mrs. Joe, forces him to go to a stranger’s house he does not ask questions. Pip 's first
Pip encounters all of the influential people in his life during his childhood. The first and most obvious are his family. Mrs. Joe and Joe Gargery, Pip’s sister and brother-in-law, are the only family that Pip has ever known. Mrs. Joe Gargery is Joe’s wife and Pip’s only living relative. She is a very domineering woman who is always punishing Pip for something. Joe is like a father to Pip, who goes to Joe with all of his problems and worries. They are always truthful with each other and protect each other from Mrs. Joe when she is on the rampage. Despite the fact that Joe is an adult, he is also Pip’s only real friend during his childhood. Joe is the most loyal person in Pip’s life.