Great Expectations

For this piece of essay, I am going to write a comparative analysis of chapters one and thirty nine for the Characters Pip and the Convict of Great Expectations.

Great Expectation was written in 1860 by a really famous author named Charles Dickens. Not only being famous for writing great expectations Charles was also famous for such books called Oliver twist, A Christmas Carol, Hard Times and David Copperfield. Oliver Twist is still read by children in the 21st century. But sadly ending Charles Dickens life he died in a terrible rail crash. However Charles Dickens is still one of the most famous authors in English history.

England was a really different place in the 19th century. At this time there was no free education for poor children they had to work hard at a young age to keep food on their table. Most children worked as coal miners which wasn’t suitable for their age. Where as the rich people in those times were spoilt they had school and were treated as little kings by their parents. If people were really rich they would have had education at home, they had private teachers and the boys were taught to be gentlemen. The girls were taught how to sing play the piano and sew.

In the 19th century if a person committed a crime they had to face time in prison and then suffer a terrible death by being hanged or getting executed. But in a new scheme in the 19th century people were also sent to serve time in the new world in the 21st century it is known as Australia.

Great Expectations start with a young orphan boy named Pip, who lives with his sister and brother in law. Pip was in the graveyard once visiting his dead parents and siblings. Surprised by a Convict who needed help, Pip was threatened to give the Convict food, drink and a file. A day later Pip stole a pork pie, drink and a file. He gave it to the Convict. He needed the file to escape from the English soldiers who were after him.

Later on, the Convict gets caught by the soldiers. He helps Pip by saying to the blacksmith (Pips brother in law) and soldiers that he stole a pork pie and file from the blacksmith. The Convict helped Pip because Pip had given him food and a file.

A year later Pip goes to Miss Havisham’s house, to play with her daughter Estella.

Pip Grows up. Starts to work as a blacksmith with Joe his brother in law. Pip doesn’t like it. One day a man named Jaggers visited Pip. He tells Pip that some one is giving him money to become a gentleman in London (this happen often in the 19th century, that someone was called a benefactor). Pip goes to London. He visits Jaggers who works as a London lawyer. Jagger’s is not allowed to tell Pip who his benefactor is.

Now that Pip is a gentleman he is a bit of a snob. A stranger once visited him. That stranger was the Convict who Pip helped at the start of the story. The Convict tells Pip that he is the benefactor. The Convict gets in Danger. He is in danger because another Convict is after him and wants to kill him. He dies. Pip later on falls in love with Estella.

In chapter one Pip is cold. A quote that proves this is ‘small bundle of shivers’. When they talk about small bundle it means Pip is gathered up together and is quite scruffy. Pip is scruffy because he is poor and hasn’t got a mother to provide him with clothes as his sister is a bit of a witch. ‘Small bundle of shivers’ is a metaphor and shivering means Pip is cold. Pip is scared of the Convict. ‘O! Don’t cut my throat, sir’ favours this. Pip is scared because he is being threatened by the Convict and he has always been on his own, also he hasn’t got a shoulder to lean on. Pip is vulnerable. ‘I pleaded in terror’. Pip is always vulnerable because he is an easy target and he has always been picked on as he hasn’t got power over anyone he is very more like a wimp. Pip is respectful to his elders. To prove this it says ‘please, let me keep upright sir’. This shows Pip is respectful because he is using the word ‘Sir’. Pip is fragile. ‘Small bundle of shivers’ is in favour of this. This proves he is fragile because he felt insecure. As you can see that small bundle of shivers is used as a quote by me twice this is the reason that it is a very strong quote because it shows a lot about Pip’s character.

Charles Dickens is trying to inform us that Pip is a poor, ragged orphan boy, who dresses scruffy, some one who is defenceless and is easily picked on.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Charles Dickens is trying to inform us that Pip is a poor, ragged orphan boy, who dresses scruffy, some one who is defenceless and is easily picked on.

In chapter thirty nine Pip is a different Character. Pip is a young wealthy gentleman. ‘I read my watch on the table’ this proves my point. This proves Pip is a gentleman because now he is able to afford a watch in addition he can read to. Pip doesn’t recognise this stranger. To support this it says ‘a face that was strange to me’. This is evident as it is showing Pip doesn’t recognise this stranger anymore because it is a face he has forgotten. Pip is a bit of a snob. ‘Recoiled a little from him’ supports my point. He is acting like a bit of a snob because he is backing away from the Convict who is being affectionate towards Pip. Pip isn’t too comfortable with the Convict after he finds out who he is, he pushes him away. To prove my point it says ‘I laid a hand upon his breast and put him away’. He is pushing him away, since he isn’t feeling comfortable with the Convict, he is being very judgemental because of the way the convict is dressed. The convicts dressed very ragged and scruffy which doesn’t show a good impression towards Pip. Pip is nervous. To favour this quote it says ‘I tried to keep my hand steady while I did so’. This is evident to my point as it shows Pip’s hands are shaking.

Pip is starting to feel sorry for the Convict. To support my point I have two quotes the first ‘I was softened’ shows Pip is lightening up, and the second ‘felt a touch of reproach’ this shows Pip is starting to regret how he treated the Convict earlier on, Pip in these last two sentences is showing a sign of apology. Pip doesn’t know that the convict is the benefactor. To support this ‘let me pay them back’ backs it up. He doesn’t know that he is the benefactor because the Convict hasn’t told him yet. Pip is scared and nervous. ‘With my heart like a heavy hammer of his disordered action’ favours this. Pip is scared and nervous at the same time because the Convict is starting to take control of him more and more. Pip is panicking. A quote that proves this is ‘struggle for every breathe I drew’. He is panicking because he is scared of what he is hearing from the Convict, the Convict is telling him that he is the benefactor.

Pip is shocked and can’t speak. ‘I could not have spoken one word’ favours my point. This is evident to my point as it shows what Pip is finding out from the Convict, because he thought Miss Haversham was his benefactor and he had a chance to get married to Estella. Pip feels used. ‘Mechanical heart’ proves this. He feels used because he realises he was used by Estella and Miss Haversham didn’t have any intentions of Pip Getting married to Estella.

Pip feels bad. ‘Never, never, never, undo what I have done’ this quote has a device called repletion which is link to my point. This is showing how bad Pip feels for treating Joe and Biddy badly earlier on since they loved him ever so much.

Charles Dickens is trying to get the point that Pip is a whole new person now; he is selfish and cares a lot about him self. Charles is pointing also that Pip always judgemental as now he is very rich and well known in his area.

In chapter one the Convict is threatening Pip. ‘I’ll cut your throat’ proves my point. He is being threatened because the Convict wants food and a file of Pip he needs these to key item to get away from soldiers. The Convict looks disrespectful. ‘A man with no hat’ favours this. In those days a man wearing no hat was disrespectful as it showed no sign of respect to the person you were talking to. The Convict has a regional accent. ‘Pint out the place’ supports my point. His accent is regional because the word pint should be pronounced point. The convict is in total control of Pip. ‘Tell us your name, quick’ favours my point. He is in control because Pip is very worthless and has no power to stand up to the convict.

The convict is hungry. ‘He ate the bread ravenously’ shows this. He is hungry because he hasn’t had anything to eat after he had broken out of prison. The Convict is physically taking control. ‘Took me by both arms’ favours my point. He is taking control because he is threatening Pip to give him something he wants which is food and a file, so he can escape from the soldiers as you can see the convict is in desperate for these items as it will help him escape from the soldiers. The Convict is threatening Pip once again. ‘He tilted me again’ repetition used over and over again shows this. He is threatening Pip more so he is sure Pip is going to get him what he wants.

Charles Dickens is pointing how scheming and careless the Convict is and how tragic it is to blackmail a young vulnerable orphan boy, who has no family that loves him.

In chapter thirty nine the Convict is building suspense as he is coming towards Pip. There are several quotes to show this but I will only use one ‘heard the footstep stumble in coming on’. Its is building suspense as it make the readers more fascinated by what is going to happen between Pip and the Convict. The Convict is pleased to see Pip. ‘Being touched and pleased by the sight of me’ supports this. He is pleased to see Pip as Pip gave him food and file at the opening scene in the book and he wants to thank him for that. The Convict is being affectionate towards Pip. ‘Holding both hands to me’ proves my point. He is being affectionate because he loves Pip for an unusual reason.

The convict respects Pip. To support this, a quote says ‘I wish to come in Master’. This quote shows he is respectful to Pip because the word Master is used. The Convict is happy. To support this the quote ‘an air of wondering pleasure’ is used. He is happy to see Pip because he wants to tell him about his life in the new world, also known as Australia. The Convict is Once again being Affectionate. ‘Holding out both his hands’ chains this. He is being affectionate because he loves Pip and he is very gaily.

Pip was in control now the Convict has stolen back some of that. Pip is starting to tremble this favours my point. Pip is showing weakness towards the Convict. The convict really cares about Pip. ‘I’m your second father. You’re my son- more to me nor any son’ supports my point. This is evident as it shows that he loves Pip he is treating him as his own flesh and blood.

Convict has risked his life to see Pip. To prove my point he says ‘It’s death to be back’. He risked his life just to tell Pip he is his benefactor. The convict shows Pip how much he loves him. To support this, there’s a quote that says ‘I lived rough…you should live smooth…I work hard… you should be above work’. This shows a lot of contrast as it shows how different both their lives have been.

Charles is pointing out how kind and respectful the Convict has become since he went to the new world to start a new life and rehabilitate his sins. This chapter showed how loving and affectionate the Convict has become. The convict has become a new person. The point I think that Dickens is giving is that people change you just have to learn to give the a chance.

Setting and atmosphere

Charles Dickens shows emotion of the Characters in the atmosphere or setting their in. He does this because it makes his stories, poems and novels more effective.

At the beginning of the story Pip is in a dark environment. A quote that links to this is ‘dark flat wilderness’. This implies that Pip is in the graveyard, visiting his dead siblings and parents in the dark, this is quite threatening and horrifying. The type of environment Pip is in is a bit like a house of deadly animals. A quote that favours this is ‘distance savage lair’. When Charles Dickens is talking about savage he means words like violent ad brutal, and when he says lair he means where wild animals live. The point is that this quote is saying that Pip is in a type of place he shouldn’t be in, in shorter words it means he is in DANGER. Pip walks past a gloomy river. ‘Low leaded line’ supports my point. This quote has a devise called alliteration where all of the beginning letters of words are the same in short sentences. What I am implying is that Pip is walking past a gloomy dark river which is giving readers the impression that Pip is lost. Pip is in a Dangerous place. A quote that links to my point is ‘long angry red lines’. This is meaning that Pip isn’t safe and something could happen to him, this quote also shows that the sky quite frightening. This shows the readers that Pip once again isn’t safe and he should get back home quickly.

Pip in chapter 39 is inside his flat. He is warm inside as the weather outside is out of control. A quote that links to this is ‘stormy and wet, stormy and wet’. This quote is alliteration and proves my point that Pip is inside as outside is very violent atmosphere of the weather, the weather is an impression of threat. There is a lot of violent weather. I have several quotes to prove this ‘furious’, ‘violent blasts of rain’ and ‘rages of wind’. All these quotes favour that the violent weather is quite frightening, and Pip is quite glad that he is safe inside; it shows how awful it is outside and how threatening the weather can be.

There is a quote that shows death imagery.’ ship wreck and death’ is that quote. This quote is a type of omen that is informing that something awful might happen to the Convict. There are several amounts of quotes that show a lot of ship imagery. ‘Discharges of cannon’ this quote is implying on about the cannons in a ship are setting off. This quote to me is something to do with the sounds surrounding Pip. ‘Breaking of a sea’, ‘stormy beating light house’, and ‘smoke came rolling down’. All this ship imagery is linking something might happen to the Convict something bad. All these imagery quotes are showing a lot of suspense and is building up a lot of rhythm to the story. When Dickens talk about the storm and smoke he is implying that it doesn’t want to go it wants to hang about their and be violent.

The weather is scary. A quote that links to my point is ‘opening them ever so little, was out of the question in the teeth of such wind and rain’. This long quote is saying how scary the weather is but also how safe Pip is indoors. This is implying that Pip has nothing to worry about. The chapter ends with the atmosphere being a black darkness. ‘Thick black darkness’. Favours my point. This quote is saying how the chapter ends in darkness its effective as it satisfies the reader.

The setting and atmosphere in these two chapters are really similar. Dickens shows how similar the atmosphere in chapter one and chapter thirty nine because these two scenes have the characters Pip and the Convict. I think he made the atmosphere similar because it is a symbol when the two characters meet. In both scenes there is a lot of darkness because Dickens is pointing out danger and death imagery.

The difference in the atmosphere and setting in both chapters is that the first chapter Dickens shows darkness when the two characters are outside. In chapter thirty nine dickens shows darkness in the outside when Pip and the Convict are in the inside of the flat. This is showing contrast.

I personally think Dickens has done this so he makes the readers realise that the atmosphere of the novel also shows the personality and characteristics of Pip and the Convict.

Conclusion

These two chapters of the novel are highly important since it describes the personality and characteristics of Pip and the convict. It also shows what type of impact the Convict has on Pip in chapter one since the Convict acts like a bit of a bully and threatens Pip to do terrible things. It also shows the type of impact Pip has on the Convict, being as he acts like a bit of a snob in chapter thirty nine of Great Expectations. Chapter thirty nine of Great Expectations is really important as it shows the how the relationship between the Convict and Pip has changed.

The character of the Convict is really important because Dickens shows how conniving and threatening the Convict is at the start and how gentle and loving he turns out later on. The Convicts character shows a lot of contrast.

The message Dickens was giving out to the Victorians is that being a criminal doesn’t mean you will always stay as one. People change and they do it themselves for the better of it. Everyone has a good side in them they just have to let it out. This is what Dickens shows with the Convict in chapter thirty nine as an example. All these quotes show what Dickens didn’t like about Victorian society.

An eye for an eye. This is wrong because people should learn to forgive one another. Once a criminal always a criminal. This is wrong because some people want to change and do bad things against the law because they might have a reason. Humans should learn to trust.

Children should be seen not heard. This is un-acceptable because some children are talented and play an important part in society.

Bring back the cane. This is harsh because some children got hit by a cane for just saying a word, or telling their mates how they feel. Adults thought that hitting children will make them respect people, yes it is true but it leaves a mark of hatred later on those children’s lives. Children have rights too. Education is for the rich. This is wrong because every one should be treated equally.

All these quotes show what Dickens did like about Victorian society.

Every one makes mistakes. This is true because Dickens is showing no one is perfect.

Prison is for punishment. This is true because the individual has done the wrong thing and has to suffer for it.

Prison is for rehabilitation. This is true because it reflects the individual to think about what they have done and what can be done to not do it the next time round.

Dickens made the Victorians realise all this by making the characters in his novels live it out the truth in British Victorian society. Making the characters show all these problems in society. I personally think Dickens showed a huge part in political society.

All these messages are important today, because we don’t want these mistake to happen again, we don’t want history to repeat it self.