Finding Happiness In Charles Dickens Great Expectations

Success is interpreted differently by anyone who has the opportunity to encounter it. Some view the amount of monetary wealth one has to be the primary factor of success, while others feel they’ve succeeded if they have happy relationships with those close to them. Charles Dickens illustrates this vast spectrum in his serial novel, Great Expectations. Each and every character experiences differing levels of success, and in various forms. Some strive for large figures of money, while others find happiness in the basic experiences of life. By maintaining this more compassionate and gratuitous lifestyle, Joe and Wemmick both find the key to happiness and reap success.

Joe Gargery, Pip’s brother in law and father figure, is shown throughout the

Joe carries his morals into Pip’s adulthood, when he pays off Pip’s debts to save him from an arrest, because although Pip had mistreated Joe since his becoming a gentleman, Joe remembers Pip’s roots and their family and friends. Joe also recognizes when Pip changes, and understands him well enough, so Joe tells Pip “I’m awful dull, but I hope I’ve beat out something nigh the rights of this at last. And so God bless you, dear old Pip” (Cp. 27, 183). Joe understands Pip won’t want him around, so he chalks this up to the last time he will see Pip outside the forge, and hopes Pip’s life goes on successfully. Not only does he always remember Pip’s beginnings, but he also forms a close relationship with Biddy and ends up with a happy marriage. They name their child Pip, in honor of the main character Pip, who Joe gives an apprentice to at his forge, showing again how Joe looks out for Pip, because although Pip ends up despising being a blacksmith, it is his original dream job. Joe’s work at the forge demonstrates his success. He is a skilled blacksmith who has been a master of his trade for many years. It is clear he

Additionally, Wemmick cares for other people regardless of their conditions, and is content with the cards he’s been dealt. While working with Jaggers, he is very professional and cold, which is necessary to do a proper job at a lawyer’s firm. He has a strong understanding of how the job works, and knows when to turn down a potential client. Jaggers trusts him as the man in front of his business, and the two have a mutual respect for each other. However, Wemmick knows that he must act differently at home to please his father, as well as any guests of his home, and is very relaxed and enjoyable to be around. He lives in his “castle” with the Aged P., and has an overall more laid back view on life, as made apparent during Pip’s visit to the castle when Wemmick says, “At nine o’clock every night, Greenwich time, the gun fires. There he is, you see! And when you hear him go, I think you’ll say he’s a stinger” (Cp. 25, 169), describing how Wemmick always performs this enjoyable ritual for his dad, the Aged Parent. Wemmick’s treatment of his elderly father shows how loving and caring he is for other people. He does whatever he can to make him happy, including nodding all the time because it amuses the Aged Parent. Not only does he care for the Aged P., but he is