Dickens wrote novels which reflected and commented upon the society in which he lived. In 'Great Expectations' what did he tell us about the treatment of children - at home, school and at work- crime, punishment and the legal system?

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Dickens wrote novels which reflected and commented upon the society in which he lived. In ‘Great Expectations’ what did he tell us about the treatment of children – at home, school and at work- crime, punishment and the legal system

In Great Expectations Pip is a young orphan who lives with his sister Mrs Joe Gargery.  Pip is in love with a girl called Estella.  Pip has a mysterious benefactor who wants him to move to London.  A gentleman, Charles Dickens wrote novels, which reflected society in his time, and in this essay I am going to write about the treatment of children, crime and punishment and the legal system.

Children in Dickens time were treated very badly, this was because they were regarded as a source of cheep labour.  Pips childhood was a time of abuse, under nourishment and beatings.

“Tickler was a piece of cane and was worn smooth by collisions

with my tickled frame”.

This quote is talking about the cane that Pip used to get beaten with by Mrs Joe. Dickens uses humour here to describe this by calling the cane the ‘tickler’ as if it tickles but it does the complete opposite. Dickens quite often expresses the serious aspects of childhood in humour. I think that he does this because he is trying so show us that it is not that serious to children in those days and the fact that this type of cruelty happens all the time. Mrs Joe Gargery was proud of the fact that she had brought Pip up by hand.  

“My sister, Mrs Joe Gargery was more than 20 years older than I, and had established a great reputation with herself and the neighbours, because she had brought me up by hand”.

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This illustrates that Mrs Gargery has chosen to put a lot of time and effort which she easily could not have to deal with. By hand meant keeping Pip in order by hitting him.  This behaviour was happening all over Britain at this time, children had no rights. They had no rights because adults wanted to victimise them and make profits from them and if children had no rights it would make it a lot easier for adults to do this. Pip was an orphan, so he was looked down on by society.  Orphans were very common then because ...

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