Name
Great Expectations
Essay
Lessons
Everyone can teach something, whether to do or not to do. Each character has a purpose and a role to play in the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Miss Havisham can teach what not to do with being a negative role model. From her others can learn to think before they act. Joe teaches how to be kind and to judge favorably. Magwitch shows the importance of gratitude and how it can change people for the good. Miss Havisham, Joe, and Magwitch teach negative or positive lessons throughout the text.
Miss Havisham is someone in teaches how a person can affect others by their actions. Miss Havisham is always in Estella’s life because she brings Estella up by herself. The way Miss Havisham acts is the way Estella will see and act similarly. The saying of “monkey see monkey do” is similar to Miss Havisham and Estella. Estella is the “monkey” and she sees Miss Havisham act one way so she copies it. Miss Havisham makes Estella into who she is now: cold, heartless and cruel towards others.
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Estella exclaims “I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me”(86). Estella is a cruel person because that is how she was brought up by Miss Havisham. Estella begins to pull away from Miss Havisham because Estella is exposed to other people besides her. Miss Havisham becomes upset with Estella for being cruel to her by pulling away. Estella says, “You should know... I am what you have made me. Take all the praise, take all the blame; in short take me”(85). During Estella’s childhood she does not separate herself from Miss Havisham, so everything Miss Havisham does Estella sees and acts similarly. Miss Havisham is a negative role model towards Estella because she influences her to be cruel towards others. Magwitch teaches Pip gratitude when he gives Pip money because Pip saves him in a time of need.
Pip sees a convict in the marshes, the convict asks for food and Pip gives it to him. Mrs. Joe is very upset with Pip when she catches him sneaking food for the convict. Even though Pip is scared of Magwitch and being caught for thievery; Pip still has some goodness in his heart to steal for Magwitch. Magwitch says, “You get me a file... and you get me wittles...you bring ‘em both to me... or I’ll have your heart and liver out”(2). Magwitch is an escaped convict and has no money to his name. When Magwitch is caught and sent to Australia, he makes a nice living and since he has gratitude he sends it to Pip. The money is used to make Pip into a gentleman because Pip has always wanted to be someone of the upper class. Magwitch says, “You acted noble, my boy...and I have never forgot it”(88). Magwitch is forever thankful to Pip because of his
actions. Joe teaches Pip how to judge people favorably. Pip steals a file and some food for Magwitch. When Joe finds out that food was stolen from his house, he does not become upset with anyone. Joe says, “‘God knows you’re welcome to it--so far as it was ever mine...we don’t know what you have done, but we wouldn’t have let you starved to death for it...’”(13). Joe did not judge Magwitch by his actions, but he thinks of him as G-d’s creature. Joe believes that nothing belongs to him but to G-d. He is not angry at Magwitch and he does not think of him as a thief. Another example of Joe judging people for the good is his thoughts of Mrs. Joe. He thinks that Mrs. Joe is a nice woman even though she is not the most beautiful. Joe marries her because she brought up Pip by herself which is very kind of Mrs. Joe to do. Joe is talking to Pip about his lonely past and his thoughts about his wife. Joe exclaims, “Your sister is a fine figure of a woman”(15). Even though Mrs. Joe hits Pip and Joe, Joe does not think of her as a bad person. He looks for the good in people. He finds in Mrs. Joe the goodness in her heart of taking care of Pip because his parents are not alive anymore. Joe shows Pip how to care for someone even though the person does not care back.Joe teaches Pip to be kind to everyone no matter who they are. Joe stays by Pip side no matter what he does because they will always be friends according to Joe. Once Pip is a gentleman he does not want to be acquainted with Joe because he is in a lower class than Pip is in. Joe understands that Pip would rather not be near him so he leaves Pip alone. Pip does not show gratitude towards Joe for bringing him up with Mrs. Joe and resents Joe for just being who he is. Joe is coming to tell Pip some news, but Pip is dreading every minute of it. Pip thinks to himself, “As the time approached I should have liked to run away, but presently I heard Joe on the staircase”(68). Pip feels ashamed of Joe and wants to be far away from Joe as possible. Even though Pip dislikes Joe, Joe is still kind to him. He comes back to care for Pip when he is sick because he cares about Pip. Pip says, “O Joe, you break my heart! Look angry at me Joe. Strike me, Joe. Tell me of my ingratitude. Don’t be so good to me!”(124) Pip feels bad that Joe has stayed by his side for a long time, but Pip has never thanked him for anything he ever did. Pip feels regret after seeing the lengths of friendship Joe goes through. Characters are important in every text because each of them has a purpose and a role to play. The characters teach so many lessons to learn from. Miss Havisham, Joe, and Magwitch teach negative or positive lessons throughout the text. Miss Havisham shows the importance of role models. A role model is someone who is looked up to by others as an example. People do not know what their actions could do to affect others around them. Joe shows the importance of kindness and judging favorably. Magwitch shows the importance of gratitude.
In Great Expectations, Pip is set up for heartbreak and failure by a woman he trusts, identical to Hamlet and Gertrude, but Pip is rescued by joe who pushes Pip to win the love of his life. Similar to Gertrude in Hamlet Miss Havisham becomes a bystander in Pip’s life as she initiates the play that leads to heartbreak several times and she watches Pip’s life crumble due to her teachings. The next quote shows Miss Havisham explaining to Pip the way she manipulated his love Estella to break his heart every time. “‘but as she grew, and promised to be very beautiful, I gradually did worse, and with my praises, and with my jewels, and with my teachings… I stole her heart away and put ice in its place’” (Dickens, 457). This quote makes it clear the Miss Havisham set Hamlet up for failure by making him fall for a woman he could never have.
Magwitch states, “As I giv ' you to understand just now, I 'm famous for it. It was the money left me, and the gains of the first few year wot I sent home to Mr. Jaggers—all for you—when he first come arter you, agreeable to my letter.” (Dickens 300). By stating this, Magwitch demonstrates that increasing his wealth and notability permits Pip and himself to be able to escape their social classes, and thus allows him to endeavor to become a gentleman and obtain what he was told was impossible. Magwitch does this so that like Compeyson, he can have a better life and less trouble with law enforcement, adding to his motivation to switch classes as he desires to seek revenge with Compeyson by progressing beyond his tailored lower class. Magwitch uses his position as benefactor to subtly compose himself to receive fame off of Pip’s success, bitterly attempting to show Compeyson that he can make a gentleman and redeem himself after his twofold jail sentence. By utilizing his position in this way, Magwitch overcomes injustice and achieves
Miss Havisham passes along this jadedness to her adopted daughter, Estella, by teaching her to hurt boys and not become emotionally attached to them. Miss Havisham stays this was nearly until the end of her life when she realizes what she has done to Estella as well as Pip, whose heart was broken by Estella.... ... middle of paper ... ... In conclusion, in the novel Great Expectations, Charles Dickens points out that there are many people who are imprisoned within themselves.
ing his time living with Herbert, Pip learns from him and evolves into a more gentlemanly figure, although he still lacks certain things. When Magwitch arrives, Pip plans for him to leave the country, putting his own life at risk. Pip also sets Herbert up in business, without his knowledge. At the end, after losing Magwitch's money, he is quite content in moving back to the forge to live with Joe. These three things show that Pip has completed his personal evolution from a simple country by into a gentleman.
After being forced to face the dark and humble reality of his "great expectations" and his behaviour, Pip is never. the same as the other. From this point onwards, Pip finds freedom in trying to help. Magwitch escapes and, also, begins to grow quite fond of him. The separate voices of the narrator and the leading character in the novel.
...eturning from the penal colonies, Magwitch wants to start anew and chooses Pip as his benefactor.
Another human characteristic which Dickens appreciated was generosity. This trait appeared in Magwitch and Pip. Magwitch , the starved convict, was forever grateful to Pip for bringing him food in the opening of the book. Magwitch repaid Pip's kindness by opening a door to the young man's dreams. Pip suspected his dear friend, Herbert, would never become prosperous so Pip took some of the money he was receiving from Magwitch and used it as a stipend in Herbert's behalf. By doing this, Pip precipitated Herbert becoming a partner in a prosperous business. Having characters donate money and benefit from it, Dickens conveyed the goodness of generosity.
Magwitch first meets pip at the graveyard on the marshes, from this we see that pip is a lonely child, who has lost his mother and father. Magwitch threatens to kill pip and " rip out his heart and liver" unless pip obeys Magwitch's orders to bring him some "wittles" and drink for him. The relationship as it first blossomed is full of fear and terror and we pick up immediately that Magwitch is in control of the situation, yet there is still the fear lingering over him being seen or handed over to the authorities if Magwitch made any mistake to be seen by anyone else, or if pip told somebody else where he was. Pip and Magwitch's first meeting place is highly ironic, because pip is visiting his parents graves and then ironically Magwitch turns up, who will later be pips benefactor and will act and play the role of Pip's surrogate farther. Pathetic fallacy is used in this graveyard scene as it is set in the marshes at the dead of night with " the cold air whipping" around them, to resemble the scary emotions that pip feels when he is being threatened by Magwitch pip passes a gibbet on the marshes which is also ironic as when Magwitch comes back to see pip later on it the novel there is the fear that he might be hanged. It also sets the setting to resemble death. The night black sky also will resemble death and deep dark fears. The graveyard is a " bleak over grown place, with nettles" the description makes the scene scarier, and the overgrown weeds could be where others are hiding. The setting is very gothic, in true Victorian style and when contemanoray readers read this they were automatically prepared for something unpleasant to happen. When Magwitch orders pip to get him some food and a drink for him from where he lived or where he could, pip could take the advantage of this situation, and tell the authorities or tell his guardians, but he doesn't.
Dickens portrays Miss Havisham in a very unique way. There is a dramatic irony between Miss Havisham and Pip. It is ironic how she wanted to watch him become miserable, just because he is of the male gender, and ironically she grew to like him. She even paid for part of Pip's expenses for the partnership. Yet what is more ironic is that Miss Havisham does not praise herself for the good deed. In the beginning of the novel, Miss Havisham displayed a harsh, cold attitude toward Pip. This is displayed in her deceptive act on page 69, where she says, "Well, you can break his heart?" As the novel ends Miss Havisham's attitude completely changes. She realizes the pain she has caused Pip and apologizes to him. Because of her positive change, she becomes more likeable to the audience.
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.
meets Estella, the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, an old lady who is bitter and eccentric. Estella
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.
Dickens originally introduces Magwitch in the opening scene and as a result this can suggest the large impact that Magwitch will have on Pip’s life. To reinforce this Pip, the narrator of the story as he reflects on to his life as a young child, introduces the convict before characters which he is suggested to know well or have a strong bond with such as Joe Gargery. However the reader only knows the convict to threaten Pip as a small innocent child and there are no other indications on the relationship with Pip up until Magwitch is taken back to prison consequently leaving the reader in suspense of the relevance of introducing the convict at the particular time. Although a reason could be to demonstrate the harshness and home life of Pip and
In order to make more money Pip’s uncle sends Pip to a psychotic old lady’s house named Mrs. Havisham. Mrs. Havisham is a mean and nasty character who constantly bickers at Pip and tells him of his unimportance. Pip continues to be mild mannered and respectful to Mrs. Havisham yet he begins to see that he will never get ahead in life just being nice. Mrs. Havisham uses Pip as sort of a guinea pig to take out her passion of revenge against men. She does this by using her daughter, Estella to torment Pip.
In the sheltered, cut-off village, the young Pip has not experienced society; however, it still manages to reach him. The first experience is a chance encounter with an escaped convict, who scares Pip into stealing some food and drink (Hobsbaum 223). Pip has no way of knowing, but the convict will turn out to be one of the most im...