Deception's Role In Great Expectations

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Deception influences people’s decisions and outlook on life. Internal deceptions occur when someone tricks themselves into thinking something that is not true. External deceptions occur when a person or character tricks another person or character. Internal and external deceptions occurs in day to day life as well as in literature. Deception plays a significant role in Great Expectations because it both internally and externally affects characters.
Deception plays a significant role primarily because it internally affects characters. Pip demonstrates internal deception by deceiving himself about his living conditions, economics, and feelings for Estella. The main character that is internally affected is Pip. Pip deceives himself into thinking …show more content…

One of the problems Pip is facing is that he is economically struggling and extremely high in debt. Pip and Herbert exercise the action of “leaving a margin.” For example, when Herbert's debts equal 164 pounds, Pip says to Herbert, “Leave a margin, and put them down at 200”(492). Again 50 seats himself about his status. Each time, Pip and Herbert would get into more debt by meeting the margin then making the margin larger. He makes himself think that he is in a better situation than he actually is. The margins and their effects exemplify how deception plays an internal role in Great Expectations and how it affects him. In addition to Pip deceiving himself about his conditions and economic standing, he to see some self about his feelings of a Stella. Estella frequently puts Pip down and has even made him cry, yet still says he loves her. At Miss Havisham’s house, Estella makes Pip cry after beating him in the cards. “‘You have been crying till you are half-blind, and you are near crying again now.’ She laughed contemptuously, pushed me out, and locked the gate upon me”(113). Not only does Estella make Pip cry, she mocks him …show more content…

Deception causes characters to feel pain and to have lowered self-confidence. It also causes people in real life pain. Therefore, deception versus reality needs to be recognized in real life and its effects on people can be seen from characters in Great

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