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Great Expectations
Whether his name is Phillip, Pip, or Finn or whether he grew up in the 1800’s or the 1990’s, the dreams of wanting a life that seems out of reach resonate rather similarly. Alfonso Cuaron’s film “Great Expectations” set in 1990’s Florida did a nice job of showing that the themes in the Dickens novel are just as relevant today as they were in the 1800’s. Cuaron changed the character names to avoid creating a literal remake, and so a 90’s audience was introduced to Finn and Mrs. Dinsmoor, as similar as they are to Pip and Mrs. Havisham. Pip/Finn is a young, poor and naïve boy who dreams of love and wealth as a means of elevating his social status so that he can find love from the unattainable Estella. “Great Expectations” also deals with greed, selfishness and human behaviour as Dickens shares a powerful view surrounding the “wants” and “needs” of the main characters. It is Pip’s perception of his own poverty in his society that are the motivation behind his “green” envy. What’s interesting is that his greed was a product of his desire to find acceptance from people that maybe didn’t deserve his love and respect in the first place. Although Pip develops into a selfish young adult, he is still an extremely sympathetic character because some of his misfortunes have been inflicted on him by others, especially by his sister Mrs. Joe, Miss Havisham, and Estella.
Pip’s problems stem from the injustice and harsh upbringing from Pip’s older sister, Mrs. Joe. Pip says, “My sister’s bringing up had made me sensitive…there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt, as injustice…I had known, from the time when I could speak, that my sister, in her capricious and violent coercion, was unjust to me” (63). She prev...
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...ed as a powerful and important individual within his community. The effects of the other characters’ decisions have a long lasting and devastating impact on Pip. It could be argued that Pip loved the idea of being with Estella more than he actually loved Estella personally. It also might be why in the end there is no clear answer as to whether or not Pip and Estella end up together. He later realizes that money does not secure happiness and he recognizes his abandonment of those he truly cares about. In both the novel and film he realizes that he gave into the pressures of a capitalist society and that he made choices based on self-interest which created conflict with those around them. One can only feel sympathy for a young boy who was devalued and taught to be ashamed of himself.
Works Cited
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. London: Penguin Books, 1996.
‘Great Expectations’ showcases the variety of ways in which Pip discovers a sense of belonging and makes us question our own choices in life and how belonging is not always apparent at the time. Relationships and places are closely intertwined with a person’s sense of acceptance and can make all the difference in being fulfilled mentally in life which is shown in both a negative and positive note in ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Pleasantville’.
Many people strive for things that are out of their reach. In the novel Great Expectations, Charles Dickens shows the themes of personal ambition and discontent with present conditions. The main character, Pip, shows early on in the story that he is unhappy with his current situation. Throughout the story he strives for the things that are beyond his reach, and is apathetic to the things that he can obtain. Pip demonstrates this by striving for Estella when he could have Biddy, and yearning to be a gentleman when he could be a blacksmith.
As a young child living in England’s marshes, Pip was a humble, kind, and gentle character. He lived an impoverished life with his sister, Mrs. Joe, and her husband, Joe Gargery, the neighborhood blacksmith. Pip was grateful for everything he had, including his few possessions and his family’s care. When he was offered the chance to play at The Satis House, the home of the wealthy Miss Havisham, Pip went in order to make his family happy.
In his early existence, extraordinary young Pip lives in impoverished house in Kent, England with his sister, Mrs. Gargery and her husband, Joe Gargery, a blacksmith. Here he is constantly beaten into submission by his caring sister. When these beating fail to correct Pip he is then subjected to the atrocious tar water. Then one evening while masquerading as a pleasant hostess, Mrs. Gargery learns of a splendid opportunity for Pip, the privilege to travel to a wealthy mistress’s house, Mrs. Havisham’s house.
In Great Expectations, Pip was one of lower class. Although he did not have the fortunes, Pip was happy. Once he was introduced to the rich Miss Havisham and her daughter Estella, he fell in love. Estella became the object of his affection, yet because she was considered high class, there wou...
In the opening of the novel, Pip encounters the convict who was in dire need of help. Pip, innocent and unexposed at the time, did the right thing and helped the dangerous stranger. As he scales the steep cliffs towards gentility, however, his innocence and rectitude fades. The hustle and bustle of London transforms Pip into conceited, shameful, snob. "Let me confess exactly with what feelings I looked forward to Joe’s coming.
In the opening chapter, we feel sorry for Pip as we find out that his
Later on in the story, and later in his life, Pip meets a young girl named Estella. He secretly has a crush on her. Estella does not care much for Pip. She thinks he is not very gentlemen like. She also thinks that he is coarse and common. Estella and Pip do talk though. She is like a mother to Pip, she kind of disciplines him. Pip is in love with her, but she would have nothing to do with him. She thinks that his is nothing spectacular.
Starting out straight from the beginning of Pip's life he is already in pain from losing his parents. He then must live with his older sister Ms.Joe who puts him through a great deal of torture during his childhood. Such as when he went to the graveyard without her approval, she filled his mouth with tarred water just to prove a point to him. Not only was it Ms.Joe though, but the convict as well who put the dark image in his head of the certain someone who would come to kill him if he didn't bring him what he wanted which Pip eventually could not stop being concerned about after he came back from the graveyard. Once Pip starts to visit Miss Havisham though it is obvious the way she has designed the Satis House is in such a low, dark, depressing emotion because of the experiences she's had to suffer during her past. Miss Havisham's suffering has defined her character though. "Miss Havisham herself, of course, is the big victim of the novel, abandoned on her wedding day ...
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 ...
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.
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.
In the novel, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens the principal character, Pip, undergoes a tremendous change in character. I would like to explore with you the major incidents in Pip’s childhood that contribute to his change from an innocent child to someone consumed by false values and snobbery.
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.
Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations (1861) has great significance to the plot. The title itself symbolizes prosperity and most importantly ambition. The main character and the protagonist, Pip (Philip Pirrip) was born an orphan and hand-raised by his sister Mrs. Gargery and her husband Joe Gargery. Pip was a young boy when he was threatened by a convict, Magwitch, at his parents’ grave to aid him. Pip nervously agreed to lend him a hand and was haunted day and night of the sin he committed which involved stealing food and tools from his Mr. and Mrs. Gargery’s house. Later on, he is called for at the Satis Manor by a rich woman, Miss Havisham. There he met a beautiful young girl, Estella, to whom Pip falls in love with. The novel being divided into three volumes, Pips great expectations arise soon after visiting the Satis Manor.