One of the best ways to create a first impression of a person, especially like Magawitch, is through language. Magawitch’s Description gave a violent yet sympathetic impression of him. His language towards Pip creates no sympathy towards him whatsoever; more of a disliking. His first words to Pip are “Hold your noise.” The command shows how Magawitch tries to frighten and intimidate Pip by showing authority over him. This creates more of a disliking towards Magawitch because of how uneven and unfair it is between the two of them, considering the age and height difference. Magawitch also commands Pip to bring him food, and a file to get rid of the chains around his leg. To make sure that Pip obeys him, Magawitch manipulates him into thinking that there is a young man with him, hiding away, and that the young man has no problem with opening up children’s stomachs if they don’t obey him. This scares Pip terribly, as he has no idea if Magawitch is lying or not. The readers develop more hatred towards Magawitch because of his threatening behaviour.
The theme which is introduced in this extract is the theme of cruelty. There are two main things that trigger this theme. They are the setting and actions towards Pip and the setting. The actions committed towards Pip can be seen as cruel because he is a young boy all alone in a graveyard visiting his families’ tombstone. However, to make things worse for him he is violently threatened by Magawitch who is an escaped criminal. This can be seen as cruel because of the complete mismatch between the two of them which then leads to Pip giving in to the demands forced upon him. The setting can also be seen as cruel because of the way it is described. Because of the setting we find put that Pips family has died and this seems cruel as he is only young yet suffered so much. Descriptions of the setting like “A long black horizontal line,” and “A distant savage lair,” make the setting seem dire and uncomfortable. Specific words like “Black” or “Savage,” are what make the setting seem cruel because they give an impression of death and violence. Because of the cruelty in this scene Pip becomes sad and scared, which creates sympathy towards him but the complete opposite for Magawitch.
Extract two is set soon after extract one. Pip has been asked to come and play at Miss Havisham’s house with her daughter Estelle. Miss Havisham is very rich and therefore this is a very new experience for Pip. One way that Miss Havisham is introduced in the story is through her appearance. The first thing that Pip says to describe her is that she was “The Strangest woman I have ever seen or shall ever see.” He then describes her as, “waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved and looked at me.” The metaphor “creates an impression of Miss Havisham as if she is lifeless and macabre. This makes her seem bizarre and somewhat daunting, thus sympathy is created towards Pip as he must be quite fearful.
Dickens also uses Miss Havisham’s actions to create a first impression of her. Pip was already quite scared by her appearance but when he notices that “Her watch had stopped at twenty to nine and her clock had stopped at twenty to nine,” he could have become quite bemused. The fact that both her clock and watch had stopped at twenty to nine gives the impression that she is frozen in time. This makes her seem ghostly as she has no idea what time, day, or year it is. When she puts both hands on her heart and says to Pip that it had been “Broken,” you start to get a strong idea of why she has frozen herself in time. She has been so badly wounded inside that she cannot seem to carry on with life, but instead just wasting away waiting to die. This could possibly create sympathy towards Miss Havisham as she has been so badly hurt and seems to have nothing to live for.
Miss Havishams speech also creates an impression of her. The way she speaks to others tells us how horrible or kind she can be to others and even what status she has in society, compared to others like Pip. The way she spoke to Pip made him sound inferior. She repeatedly gave him commands like “Look at me,” and “Come to me,” These show the gulf in class between them because Pip, each time, obeyed with no argument. Also, when she asked Estella to come in and play with Pip, she told Estella to “Break his heart.” This is probably because she hates all men since her heart was broken, but maybe she thinks that because of the huge gap in class between them, that Pip is a toy for her to do with what she pleases.
The final way that Dickens uses to introduce Miss Havisham into the story is through the setting that she is in. The way that Pip that describes it makes it sound like quite a depressing place. Everything has faded in colour and there is no natural sunlight. We know this because Pip says “I saw that everything that ought to be yellow had lost its lustre and was faded yellow.” This makes us feel sorry for Pip because he is in such a depressing place with people who seem to hate him and they are forcing him to play cards.
The second character to be introduced into extract two is Estella who is Miss Havisham’s daughter. Pip starts to judge her as soon as he meets her and this is one way that she is introduced. Pip has conflicting views about Estella. Firstly, he thinks that she is somewhat horrible to him, speaking to him as if he were less of a human being than she is. She constantly calls him “Boy,” and then even calls him a “Common labouring boy,” each time saying it with distain or in an uncomplimentary way. But despite her insulting language, Pip seems to develop affection towards her. He thinks about her as being “Beautiful,” and when asked by Miss Havisham what he thinks of her he tells her “I think she is very pretty and I think she is very proud.” Despite Pips affection towards her, this will not affect the readers disliking her. This is because, as soon as the two of them are playing cards, she starts to insult him more and more and starts to point out his flaws like his coarse hands and thick boots. Then when they are finished with the cards and have gone outside, she provides a knockout blow as such. She brings Pip some food and Pip says that she serves it “Without looking at me, as insolently as if I were a dog in disgrace.” One of the reasons for her doing this could be that she was brought up to hate men by Miss Havisham. Another reason could be that she wants Pip to think that she is more important, especially, since she knows that Pip will not respond. This makes the readers disliking towards her increase because she is bullying Pip.
Social Hierarchy is the theme that is introduced into the story in extract two. Social Hierarchy is your ranking/rating in society. For example, if you have a higher social hierarchy, you are more important, rich or well respected in your society. In the case of ‘Great Expectations’, examples of contrasting social hierarchies within the main characters can be found with Estelle and Miss Havisham, and then Pip. The problem with the difference in social class between them is that Miss Havisham and Estelle act towards Pip as if they are better than him. This was done through their speech and actions like, for example, the many commands given to Pip. Despite this, he seems to be a bit jealous that he is not of the higher social class. This is because he says “They had never troubled me before but they troubled me now.” He also says that he feels sorry for being the way he is and the fact he likes Estella all make me think that he wants to be rich, possibly to marry Estella. Pip now realises he wants to climb the hierarchy chain and has raised his expectations. He has ‘Great expectations.’
Extract three is set much further ahead in the future than the previous extracts. Pip is now around the ages of 15/16 and is an apprentice to his half brother, the blacksmith, Joe Gargery. Only one new character is introduced into this extract: Jaggers. The first way that Dickens introduces him is through his appearance. As soon as Jaggers initiates conversation with Pip and Joe in the bar, Pip recognises him. Pip notes his appearance like a checklist. “I checked off again, in detail, his large head, dark complexion, deep-set eyes, bushy black eyebrows, large watch chain, and even the smell of scented soap on his great hand.” The many adjectives create a very detailed description of a serious and formal man who doesn’t like to be messed with. When Pip says “I checked off again,” the word “Again makes Jaggers sound as if he has not changed since the two last met. This gives an impression that he has a certain routine that he sticks with every day and also makes me think he does not like change.
Jaggers’ actions are another way that Dickens can create a first impression of him. After Jaggers acquaints himself with Joe and Pip, he asked if they can discuss business elsewhere. The three of them are on their way to Joe’s house when Pip notices that Jaggers “Occasionally looked at me, and occasionally bit the side of his finger.” Usually, these actions would be a sign of nerves and for Jaggers, who it seems does not like change, this could be the case. Each time he looks at Pip, it could mean that he could be looking at his poorer clothes with distaste and, each time he looks, he could be becoming less sure of what he is about to propose to Pip. The constant biting of his finger could mean that he is thinking hard about something, probably similar to why he kept looking at Pip. When Jaggers says “If my advice had been asked, I should not have been here. It was not asked and you see me here.” This gives the impression that maybe he is not as high on the hierarchy chain as his appearance suggested because he was not even asked an opinion about what he was about to do. All these things tell me that he has opinions on things but would discard them to make money. This makes him sound as if he is a greedy man. The language that Jaggers use is another way that he is introduced. He tends to be very cautious about what he says and how he is portrayed to others. When he says “I do not recommend him, observe; because I never recommend anybody,” this emphasises that he tries not to show favour towards anybody, possibly to make more business. This strengthens the idea that he is quite a greedy man but also show that he is quite a cautious man as well.
Joe Gargery is the second character to be introduced in extract three. He is not a new character but this is where we can really make judgments and create a first impression of him. One of the first ways that we can create a first impression of him is through his language. Compared to Jaggers, he is very low in the social hierarchy and therefore he is not to have had much of an education if he had one at all. We can tell because he uses words and phrases like “a-going,” and “Meantersay.” Despite this, he still speaks from his heart. He says “Pip is hearty welcome to go free with his services, to honour and fortune … but if you think money can make compensation to me for the loss of the little child – what come forge –and ever be the best of friends!” When he says this, the impression of a very sensitive man is created. This makes the readers feel sympathy towards Joe as he is losing a person who is his best friend and half brother.
Joes appearance in a way creates a false impression of him, it is more his personality which gives us a better understanding of him. As he is the blacksmith, he would be expected to be a large, muscular man with a coarse personality, but that is only a stereotype. Joe is much different. It was established through his speech/dialogue that he is a caring loving person. When says “I have often thought of him since like the steam hammer that can crush a man or pat an egg shell, in a combination of strength and gentleness.” The image of a gentle giant is created. This is because he cares much for Pip but can develop a temper. Like at the end of the extract when he starts shouting at Jaggers, “If you come into my place bull-baiting and badgering me, come out!” Despite his burst of anger, Joe seems to keep his emotions bottled up unless pushed too far, as he was by Jaggers. We know\this because Pip sees him wipe a tear form his eyes but stop himself from crying. The fact that he bottles up his emotions makes me think that he is emotional but seems afraid to show his emotions and he is trying to keep his blacksmith image in front of people he does not know, like Jaggers. The readers would feel more sympathy towards him because losing Pip would mean that he represses even more emotions.
The final theme that is introduced into the book, ‘Great expectations,’ is the theme of ambition. In the last extract, Pip realised that his quest in life is to become rich and marry Estelle. He had visited Miss Havisham every week until he became 14 and took on his apprenticeship with Joe. Pip spent time waiting for his ambitions to be realised and when Jaggers arrived, his ambitions were realised. Jaggers tells Pip he can have fortunes only if he keeps his name (Pip) and does not tell anyone who he thinks is giving him the money. When Pip hears this he seems lost for words. He says “My heart beating so fast … I could scarcely stammer that I had no objection.” Pip is going to get everything he wanted but there is still a downside. He is leaving his life behind, which wouldn’t be so bad except for the fact that he is leaving his best friend and half brother, Joe, behind. Pip says, “Oh dear Joe, whom I am so ready to leave and so unthankful to.” This makes Pip sound guilty and sorry that he is leaving as he is breaking up what family and friends he has left and what friends and family Joe has left. So, despite Pip being able to fulfil his ‘Great expectations’, his life is being torn apart and, because he will soon be the highest of social hierarchy, he may never see Joe again.
In the book ‘Great Expectations’, Charles Dickens introduces many main characters into the story He uses a wide range of techniques, for example, adjective, metaphors and similes to show a characters appearance, actions or even the setting that they are in. These all helped give an introduction of the characters and give us some idea their background on which we could base our judgment of them on. There were also themes introduced into the story which all affected the main protagonist, Pip. In the first extract, where the theme is cruelty, the theme represents how bad Pips life was and is at that point of the story. In the second extract, the theme of social hierarchy represented Pip realising that he wants to be rich and marry Estelle because he no longer wanted to be treated badly. Then in the final extract, the theme of ambition represents how Pip finally gets his chance to realise his ambition as he is presented with a fortune. In the third extract, Pip thinks that Miss Havisham is the one supplying him with the money. This makes the readers change their opinion of her to think that she is kind. This leaves the question that maybe first impressions are not always accurate and that you should learn more about the person first.