Chapter 39 is a Pivotal One, Why? How does Dickens communicate the
importance of the drama of the chapter to the reader?
In chapter 39, Pip's benefactor is revealed. It is around this person
that the mystery of Pip's expectations is built. It is a pivotal
chapter in the way the plot develops. In this chapter Pip finally
accepts that the way he acted in London was wrong and that chasing
Estella was very pointless. The importance and drama of this chapter
can be seen from the beginning. Dickens shows this to the reader in
many ways, such as the build-up of atmosphere between certain people,
the drama and the mystery behind Magwitch's behaviour and the way he
acts, and Pip's often fluttering state of emotion. The first couple of
lines from the chapter read: "I was three and twenty years of age. Not
another word had I heard to enlighten me on the subject of my
expectations, and my twenty-third birthday was a week gone." It also
makes the reader think about where Pip's wealth is coming from. This
makes the reader very curious, and also possibly provides a clue that
something relating to the mystery about the wealth may soon be
answered. Pip describes the absence of Herbert as leaving him
"dispirited and anxious, and long disappointed", and "the day just
closed as I sat down to read had been the worst of all." Nothing has
happened, but there is the feeling that everything is not as it seems,
which is then made clearer by Dickens' description of the atmosphere
of London: "It was wretched weather; stormy and wet, stormy and wet:
and mud, mud, mud, deep in all the streets. Day after day, a vast
heavy veil had been driving over London from the East, and it drove
still, as if in the East there were an eternity of c...
... middle of paper ...
...im. Before
falling asleep, he locks Magwitch in Herbert's room, fearing for his
own safety and when he wakes up the next day he is in "thick black
darkness". The chapter's ending is a cliffhanger, where Dickens'
creates intense drama leaving the reader in suspense, not knowing what
to expect next. Chapter 39 is a pivotal one - highly-charged with
drama and emotion. After being forced to face the dark and humble
reality of his "great expectations" and his behaviour, Pip is never
the same. From this point onwards, Pip finds freedom in trying to help
Magwitch escape and also, begins to grow quite fond of him. The
separate voices of the narrator and the leading character in the novel
soon become almost unnoticeable and Pip eventually realises that truly
"great expectations" involve not wealth, London or even Estella, but
living simply, honestly and sincerely.
allow easy access to his gun as he came out of the building. A group of black
Charles Dickens Pip’s character’s importance to the plot of the novel “Great Expectations” is paramount. Charles Dickens uses an ongoing theme over the course of this novel. Dickens creates Pip to be a possible prototype of his own and his father’s life. Pip’s qualities are kept under wraps because the changes in him are more important than his general personality. Dickens created Pip to be a normal everyday person that goes through many changes, which allows a normal reader to relate and feel sympathetic towards Pip.
doesn't see why she had to take him in and "bring him up by hand", she
bread and scoffs it as if he hasn't had anything to eat for some time.
The Relationship Between Pip and Abel Magwitch in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations In this essay, I am to observe the changes in the relationship between
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.
for if they get arrested then they will not be able to rescue him. At night he heard someone
...rity, and the ending of his story he has sealed with pain and hardships of life. From losing his parents and sister, his best friend, being treated cold hearted by the love of his life Pip still manages to make it out in an okay way with the little hope with Estella and his close one's child who looks just like him in a scary way. It is not the best ending but it could've been worst for the young man. Pip's idea of life is truly suffering from the worst and getting only a little bit of resemblance from it.
influenced by various people. Pip experiences tough times as a boy and a young man, but at the end he has
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.
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.
On the surface, Great Expectations appears to be simply the story of Pip from his early childhood to his early adulthood, and a recollection of the events and people that Pip encounters throughout his life. In other words, it is a well written story of a young man's life growing up in England in the early nineteenth century. At first glance, it may appear this way, an interesting narrative of youth, love, success and failure, all of which are the makings of an entertaining novel. However, Great Expectations is much more. Pip's story is not simply a recollection of the events of his past. The recollection of his past is important in that it is essential in his development throughout the novel, until the very end. The experiences that Pip has as a young boy are important in his maturation into young adulthood.
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.
Great Expectations is essentially a novel of the education of a young man in the lesson of life. Pip is analyzing himself through his memories and from the point of view of maturity (“Charles Dickens” 1).
In conclusion, Dickens portrays the novels title, Great Expectations, through Pip’s desires and dreams and luck. Once he finds out his secret benefactor was Magwitch, he is surprised. Pip has had many great expectations which he was able to fulfill through the aid of Magwitch. Apart from Pip’s expectations of riches and importance of being a gentleman, the readers have expectations of the novel having many turning points due to Dickens ability to craft a consistent plot in which there is a fluency in all angles. Pip had high hopes, or Great Expectations, for everything which blindly seems right to him were not carried out.