Great Expectations
Charles Dickens makes the reader feel part of the way of life with his descriptions of the forge, the marshes and pips relationship with his sister Mrs Gargery and her husband Joe. Pip had lived with them for as long as he could remember. The way Dickens describes life at the forge, was cold and dark, not cold in the heat sense but the atmosphere in the house was ruled by Mrs Joe who was a cold and forbidding woman, who treated both Pip and Joe as naughty schoolboys. The house was very unwelcoming which the author describes in terms of dark places with only the fire giving out any light or heat.
Pip was a quiet and introverted boy who spent most of his time alone, walking on the moss and also in the graveyard. His parents were buried there with his five brothers. Mrs Joe Gargery Pip’s older sister had taken him in after the rest of the family had died, she didn’t want to but was obliged and never let him forget it. This is what had made Pip lack so much self confidence in himself because of her constant nagging and making sure that he knew was only there under sufferance.
The time he spent alone, he walked and day dreamed and hoped that maybe when he was an adult things would be better for him, and without being aware he had the great expectations that Dickens used in the title of the book.
There was much excitement in the Gargery household Uncle Pumblechook had called with the news that Miss Haversham, who lived in the town with her ward, wanted a boy to come to Satis house and play. The gossip was well known about Miss Haversham, she was a rich and eccentric lady who was never seen outside her house. She asked her solicitor to approach Uncle Pumblechook to find a boy who would come and be company for her ward, Mr Pumblechook immediately thought of Pip. Mr and Mrs Joe Gargery were delighted with the news, and Mrs Joe started making big plans and instructing Pip on how he should behave whilst in the company of Miss and her ward, Pip was sent to bed early that night after being washed and scrubbed thoroughly by his sister, all the time coaching him on the do’s and don’ts of good manners. Next day Pip was dressed in the best clothes that he had and was delivered to Uncle Pumblechook’s premises in the high street. The shop that he owned was a corn chandler and seeds man, Pip was fascinated by all the little draws which held small brown bags which contained seeds of all kinds. Pip spent the day at the shop which was like a holiday for him. The night was spent in a small attic room with a sloping roof. They ate breakfast at eight the next morning, whilst they ate Mr Pumblechook was firing mathematical questions at Pip which continued all through breakfast and the journey to Miss Havershams. They left the shop at ten am and arrived at there destination in fifteen minutes. They drew up at Miss Havershams house which was very dark and dismal, most of the windows were either bricked up or had bars in front of them. After ringing the doorbell a voice rang across the courtyard ‘whose there’ Pumblechook replied with his name. A pretty young lady appeared at the gate with a bunch of keys in her hand. Pumblechook introduced himself and Pip to the girl, she appeared very proud and naughty, she opened the gate to let Pip in but stopped Pumblechook, she locked the gate behind them and led Pip across the courtyard which was clean but had a neglected look about it.
