Great Expectations - Charles Dickens How does Dickens create sympathy for his characters in the novel?Focus on Pip and one or two other characters you have studied.
Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
How does Dickens create sympathy for his characters in the novel?
Focus on Pip and one or two other characters you have studied.
An overview of Great Expectations
When Charles Dickens was a young boy he was bought up in poverty and most of his novels have reflected this through its characters. Growing up from a poor start and growing in to an aspiring young gentleman is a recurring central theme. Examples of this have been Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickelby and Great Expectations.
During Dickens time if you did not have money it could lead to a very cruel time in a debtors prison or poor house, where you would work under terrible conditions until you had enough money to pay off your debts.
In the novel Great Expectations we follow the life of Phillip Pirrip (Pip) who is raised by his sister and her husband, the black smith Joe Gargery. We see Pips life from when he is confronted in the graveyard at a very young age to when he moves to London to become a gentleman.
This novel is one of Charles Dickens most famous novels, today and when it was written.
In this novel Dickens uses his own experience to reflect detailed accounts of wealthy middle class people to the poverty-stricken working class families in his characters. We first meet young Pip when he is visiting his parents and brothers' graves in a graveyard. He is confronted by an escaped convict who we later find out is Abel Magwitch who then becomes a great influence on Pip's later life.
Pip is taken to the mansion of Miss. Havisham by his uncle to try and help Pip earn some money and make his fortune.
At Statis Pip meets Estella who he later falls in love with. Miss Havisham gives Pip money to start an apprenticeship with Joe Gargery to become a black smith. A few years later Pip decides he is not happy as a black smith and wants to become a gentleman. When he visits Statis house again Miss Havisham gives him more money to move to London and become a gentleman, but the money is ...
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Pip is taken to the mansion of Miss. Havisham by his uncle to try and help Pip earn some money and make his fortune.
At Statis Pip meets Estella who he later falls in love with. Miss Havisham gives Pip money to start an apprenticeship with Joe Gargery to become a black smith. A few years later Pip decides he is not happy as a black smith and wants to become a gentleman. When he visits Statis house again Miss Havisham gives him more money to move to London and become a gentleman, but the money is not from her, it is the money from a mystery benefactor.
In this essay I will be looking at how Charles Dickens creates sympathy for his characters. I will be doing this by looking at two extracts from the novel.
How does Charles Dickens create sympathy for his characters?
In the first extract we are told that Pip is from a poor background and also that he has never known what his parents looked like or knew them as people "...My first fanaticises regarding what they were like were unreasonably derived from there tombstones".
We also know that Pip had five little brothers who died very young as they "gave up the struggle of life". We first meet Pip visiting the graves of his parents and brothers, which shows he is an orphan, this makes the audience feel sympathy for Pip, as he is so young, and without his parents.
In my opinion I think we are meant to feel sympathy towards Pip, as he is all alone in the graveyard with no one to turn to.
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When Pip first enters the room he makes no eye contact, as he is very un-easy about going in and meeting Miss Havisham.
My final reason why Pip is made to feel uncomfortable on his visit is his treatment by Estella. From the first time they meet at the gates to Statis house she treats Pip with no respect which will put him down and make him feel not very good about him self.
Estella is a very proud, harsh girl who manages to put pip under a 'spell` where he will not do anything to disappoint Estella. Pip is now portrayed as unable to retaliate and defend himself against her harsh words.
I think a part of the reason that Pip is more afraid of Miss Havisham is that the way that Estella has treated him may lead him to think she has learnt it from Miss Havisham, and in that case she will be much more cruel and insulting.
When Miss Havisham addresses Pip she is very direct and intimidating.
"You are not afraid of a woman who has not seen the sun since you were born?" Miss Havisham is now adding to the picture already in Pip's mind of how strange she is. Miss Havisham also asks Pip questions that almost insult his intelligence " Do you know what I touch here? She said, laying her hands, one upon the other, on her left side".
The other information that Miss Havisham gives pip could lead him to believe that she is sick, this worries Pip and this may also be why he feels uncomfortable.
"I sometimes have sick fantasies" she tells Pip, which, by this time is feeling very uneasy. When she asks him to play, he can't. "...And very sorry I cant play just now...its so new here, and so strange, and so fine - and melancholy -", I stopped, fearing I might say to much". This could be explained by the fact that he is nervous because his uncle expects him to empress her, and he not sure how too or that he is to overwhelmed with his new surroundings. Miss Havisham's behaviour towards Pip is almost like she despises what he is, a boy who will turn in to a man.
" Your heart."
"Broken!" she uttered the word with an eager look, and with strong emphasis, and with a weird smile that had a kind of boast in it..." but is enjoying his company as she hasn't seen any man since her wedding day.
When Estella is summoned, she and Miss Havisham both team up against Pip, and insult him, "with this boy! Why, he is nothing but a common labouring-boy!"
" Well! You can break his heart." Miss Havisham is talking to Estella as if Pip is not there and acts as if she did not mind if he heard it or not.
When Estella asks Pip what card game to play he replies, "...beggar my neighbour". Miss Havisham immediately turns to Estella and smirks "beggar him". This is, again, mocking Pip and again makes Miss Havisham's feelings towards men more apparent. Miss Havisham is shown as prejudice towards Pip.
All of the dialogue from Miss Havisham to Pip is in a bitter tone. She is not sympathising with Pip and acts very coldly when with him. But, when talking to Estella she is more comforting and warm towards her.
I think Pip finds it hard to know ho to please Miss Havisham, as he is embarrassed he may not do as she expects, particularly in front of Estella. This is because he has feelings for Estella and does not want to make a fool of himself.
Also I think Pip also has difficulty pleasing Miss Havisham, because he is not sure what she wants from him and does not want to disappoint her, for fear of how his sister and his uncle would react. There is, off course, a final reason to why Pip finds it so hard to please Miss Havisham, which is beyond his control. It is the fault of Miss Havisham and her strong dislike of all men.
Conclusion
DO NOT USE MY ALL MY QUOTES!! IT WILL BE TOO OBVIOUS. DELETE SOME. U NEED TO DO PAGE 2 AND THE CONCLUSION.
Jack Phillips 11/5 11th January 2004
