“fair…undecided blue…mixed with their own whites.”
The colours are calm and pale implying that Joe is a calm and gentle man.
Mrs. Joe also appears somewhat comical:
“had such a prevailing redness of skin, that I sometimes used to wonder whether it were possible she washed herself with a nutmeg-grater”
Although the image is amusing, it still shows Mrs. Joe as being powerful and unbreakable. If she “washed herself with a nutmeg-grater” then she might be more resilient than normal people, making her seem more demon-like.
It also seems as if she is unapproachable from Dickens’s choice of language:
“”a square impregnable bib in front, that was stuck full of pins and needles”
She seems like a fortress that cannot be invaded since she has protection in the form of “pins and needles”. She does not like to show her feelings for fear of being manipulated and weakened.
Dickens uses Mrs. Joe in order to unite Pip and Joe early on in the book by her violent acts. This relationship between the two is very important especially nearer the end of the book when Pip is in trouble. Both Pip and Joe suffered form Mrs. Joe, which is why they felt closer to one another:
“Joe and I being fellow-sufferers, and having confidences as such,”
Pip knew that Joe was the only one he could trust and that Joe trusted him as well. This compassion between the two is seen again when Pip is in debt. Even though he cut himself off from Joe, they still loved each other at heart:
“Joe had paid it, and the receipt was in his name.”
Joe had prevented Pip from being in debt although earlier in the book Pip had made it obvious he wanted nothing to do with Joe. If they had not had such a strong companionship because of Mrs. Joe, then Joe would have never paid off Pip’s debts.
Dickens also uses Mrs. Joe as the main female character in Pip’s young life. Therefore making Pip think that all women are like his sister, so he does not realise how malevolent Estella really is and can only obey her like he is forced to obey Mrs. Joe. Since Mrs. Joe is constantly trying to remind Pip that she is far better than him, Pip is under the impression that women are superior to him and will let them manipulate him.
Pip does exactly as Mrs. Joe says:
“ ‘Tell me directly what you’ve been doing…’ ‘I have only been to the churchyard,’ said I, from my stool, crying and rubbing myself.”
Pip is quick to answer her question and do as he is told. Mrs. Joe speaks to Pip rudely and Pip has obviously been hurt by her and wished to avoid further pain.
“ ‘ Come here! You may kiss my cheek if you like.’ I kissed her cheek”
Pip likes Estella even though she is very rude it is as if she has complete control of him. It was not a direct order for Pip to kiss her cheek but he would not dare to challenge her, he also would not have the courage to kiss her had she not said anything.
Mrs. Joe is always making Pip feel guilty that he is not grateful to her and that he would be nothing without her:
“a pr-r-recious pair you’d be without me.”
She is showing how he is far better than Pip because he would be much worse without her.
Estella is condescending towards Pip making him believe he is nothing:
“ ‘He calls the knaves, Jacks, this boy!’ said Estella with disdain, before our first game was out ‘And what coarse hands he has! And what thick boots!’ ”
Pip takes these comments to heart; perhaps if Mrs. Joe had not been so cruel to him then he would have ignored Estella. Had he not listened to Estella, he would not have been so ashamed of himself and might not have wanted to go to London and ruined his life. Mrs. Joe is the root of all the bad that happens to Pip.
The reason that Mrs. Joe, Estella and most of the women in “Great Expectations” are depicted as being malicious and cruel is perhaps because Dickens might have had bad experiences with women in his life. Mrs. Joe introduces violence and injustice to Pip at an early age, which ties in with Magwitch, who is another parental figure later on in the novel. The bond formed between Pip and Joe because of Mrs. Joe is extremely important to both of them later in the book.
