Great Expectations - Explore the ways in which Pip's character changes and develops during the course of the novel.
Explore the ways in which Pip's character changes and develops during the course of the novel.
Introduction.
This novel deals with the way Pip changes and develops during the course of the novel because of his experiences throughout his life; he is changing from a child into an adult, which takes time. During this time Pip experiences big emotional changes. This novel was successful because it dealt with Pip growing up. It also created tension and entertainment, which made it more interesting. A novel needs changes because otherwise no one would read it and it would be boring.
Charles Dickens has written this novel to criticize the Victorian people because of class prejudice and the justice system. He disapproves on the way people are classed such as snobbery, wealthy, class and justice. He also thinks that the prison systems are unfair and strict. Dickens has written this novel to express his views and the way he sees the Victorian society.
Pip, as we first see him.
At the beginning of the novel, when we first meet Pip, he is a quiet and polite young boy. Pip is common and naïve because he has had no education. He is confused with his family because his mother and father, with five of his little brothers are dead. He is an orphan living with his sister Mrs. Joe, who is married to Joe Gargery a blacksmith, Pip is terrified of his sister.
When Pip first meets the convict (Magwitch), his reaction is startling, Magwitch frightens Pip but he doesn't hurt him, although he threatens Pip by saying that there is another man who will take his liver and heart out if he doesn't help or tell anybody about meeting Magwitch,
"That young man has a secret way pecooliar to himself, of getting at a boy, and at his heart, and at his liver".
Pip is sympathetic and caring because of his help for the convict. He looks after Magwitch by getting him food, drink and a file, and he doesn't tell anybody. He doesn't care if Magwitch is a convict; he feels sorry for him Pip is a caring person
"Pitying his desolation, and watching him as he gradually settled down upon the pie, I made bold to say, 'I am glad you enjoy it".
Pip now feels good about himself because of what he has done to help Magwitch.
He is upset and sympathetic for when Magwitch is captured
"I hope, Joe, we shan't find them".
All of this tells us that Pip is a good (positive) person and narrator of this novel.
How we see Pip, when he visits Satis house.
Twelve months since Pips meeting with the convict, he is now a teenager leading a normal, happy life. Pip looks up to Joe and respects him a lot. Pip's ambition is to become a blacksmith and work alongside Joe later on in life. Pip is very obedient, kind and friendly towards everybody. Pip is very happy with his life at moment until he starts to visit Satis house (Satis means enough). Uncle Pumblechook (Joe's uncle) and Mrs. Joe demand that Pip visits Satis house even though he ...
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How we see Pip, when he visits Satis house.
Twelve months since Pips meeting with the convict, he is now a teenager leading a normal, happy life. Pip looks up to Joe and respects him a lot. Pip's ambition is to become a blacksmith and work alongside Joe later on in life. Pip is very obedient, kind and friendly towards everybody. Pip is very happy with his life at moment until he starts to visit Satis house (Satis means enough). Uncle Pumblechook (Joe's uncle) and Mrs. Joe demand that Pip visits Satis house even though he doesn't get a choice about whether he wants to go or not, he has to go. When Pip first meets Miss Havisham, he is quite surprised because she is sitting in the dark in a wedding dress and the clocks have stopped at twenty minutes to nine. Miss Havisham makes him play cards with Estella who he falls in love with but Estella teases Pip by saying that he is common and can't play properly. Pip still likes Estella even though she is very cruel towards him. After his first visit to Satis house, Pip has learnt about class, and he now knows that he is common, this is because of the way he dresses, the way he speaks, and that he is poor. This leads to Pip becoming very unhappy, he becomes ashamed of his life,
"It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home",
his family brings embarrassment to him
"Now, it was all coarse and common, and I would not have Miss Havisham and Estella see it on any account".
Because of all this, he doesn't want an apprenticeship with Joe. Pip has now discovered a new ambition, which is to become a gentleman, and have prospects.
Pip, when he is told, he has great expectations.
Pip is Joe's apprentice now but it's making him very miserable and he keeps thinking of Estella, which makes him even more miserable. When Pip is talking to Biddy, he tells her that he doesn't like his life and that he really wants to become a gentleman, so that he can marry Estella. He says that he is disgusted with his life,
"I am not at all happy as I am. I am disgusted with my calling and with my life"
Biddy tells Pip not to become a gentleman but he doesn't listen. Biddy and Joe don't understand why he wants to become a gentleman.
When Pip meets Mr.Jaggers for the second time, he is told that he has great expectations, that he has a benefactor who is giving him a large sum of money to be educated as a gentleman, and that he has to leave for London soon. Pip is excited with this news and he can't wait to leave Joe, Biddy, and his life.
Pip doesn't respect Joe anymore, he is becoming very selfish thinking about himself and his new life, and he doesn't care about Joe anymore. Pip is very naïve when he thinks that Miss.Havisham is his benefactor and goes to thank her. Pip's character has changed rapidly from a very happy, caring, polite, and friendly person to a very ungrateful, selfish, disrespectful and very miserable person. He is being ungrateful towards Joe when Joe has helped Pip a lot with his upbringing.
Pip, when he starts his new life in London.
When Pip arrives in London, his first thoughts of are that it's too big, it's dirty and grim. Pip isn't able to manage his money at first so Wemmick and Jaggers help him. Pip has to live with Herbert Pocket (the same boy he fought with, when they were younger). Herbert has to teach Pip how to behave like a gentleman.
Herbert tells Pip about Miss Havisham's life, when she was jilted at the alter by Compeyson. This has badly effected Miss Havisham because she wears the same clothes, she hates daylight and she never does anything except from talk and walk around. She now wants to seek revenge on all the male sex and she has brought Estella up with no heart so that she can break men's hearts. Estella now shows no affection because she doesn't know what it is. Pip becomes very ignorant and naïve because he still thinks that Miss Havisham is his benefactor even though he knows what Miss Havisham has been through.
When Pip gets the letter from Biddy, he is very unhappy because he is a high class compared to Joe and Joe will embarrass him and he is ashamed. Pip doesn't want Joe to visit him but it's too late to say "If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money".
Pip is very horrible to Joe because Joe is common. Joe starts calling Pip, sir and it annoys him. Pip treats Joe with disrespect now and he has become a snob because of money and class and it's making him ignorant towards Joe and Biddy.
Pip changes again, when his dreams are shattered.
Pip is beginning to have money problems and he is getting into debt because he keeps spending his money. Pip and Herbert join a drinking and dining club, though they do try to sort out their finances. Pip and Herbert keep running up into debts. Pip is told very often now that Estella will bring him
unhappiness and that she has no affection for anybody. Estella warns Pip of this often but he never listens "You ridiculous boy' 'will you never take warning?" Pip is very convinced that Miss Havisham is his benefactor and that she intends that he shall become a gentleman, so that he may marry Estella. When Pip finds out that Estella is encouraging Drummle, Pip becomes more and more jealous of him and Drummle becomes his competitor. When Pip gets his last sum of money from Jaggers, he spends it on something worthwhile and good by setting Herbert up in a business. Pip doesn't want Herbert to know because Pip knows that Herbert might not accept what he is doing for him.
The night that Pip finds out that Magwitch is his benefactor; he has lost all of his dreams. Pip's dream of marrying Estella is almost gone. Pip is confused and quite devastated that Magwitch is his benefactor, and Miss Havisham isn't which means she isn't intending Pip and Estella shall be married. Pip had just followed a dream, he had believed it was Miss Havisham.
Pip is changing because he is now starting to see how he has been treating Joe and Biddy. Pip feels guilty of how he has treated people, just because of a convict and an obsession over Estella. Pip was quite surprised when Miss Havisham begs for Estella's affection, but Estella can't show affection because she was never given it herself. Pip has changed a bit because he is regretting the way he has treated people.
Pip, when he00 becomes happy and caring again.
As Pip gets to know Magwitch, he wants to protect him. Pip has changed slowly because he is now becoming kind again. Pip realizes that Magwitch has risked his life just to see Pip. Magwitch is in trouble and Pip wants to help him. Orlick and Compeyson are both spying on Pip and Compeyson is looking for Magwitch. Pip is worried that people will suspect something with Magwitch. Pip comes up with a plan, which is to get Magwitch abroad, so that he will be safe. Pip has become very generous and kind, he is affectionate and he is a positive person.
When Pip finds out that Estella is going to marry Drummle, he goes to Satis house to plead with her not to marry Drummle. Pip begs her to marry anyone else but Drummle, as long as it's not Drummle "Put me aside for ever-you have done so, I well know-but bestow yourself on some worthier person than Drummle". Pip keeps telling her not to marry Drummle but she doesn't listen to him "even if I remained in England and could hold my head up with the rest, how could I see you as Drummle's wife!" Pip has dreamt of Estella and he has wanted to care for her and to protect her all his life. Pip tells Estella how much he is in love with her and that his love will never fade for her.
When Pip goes to see Miss Havisham, he tells her that she is damaging Estella's nature and Miss Havisham sees that she has just created Estella to be like this and now she is regretting what she has done to Estella "What have I done! What have I done!' 'She wrung her hands, and crushed her white hair, and returned to this cry over and over again. 'What have I done!" Pip forgives Miss Havisham for what she has done to Estella (Miss Havisham took a small girl and slowly took her young heart away and left her with nothing, no affection, no care or love). Pip forgives Miss Havisham because she is old and she is dying. Miss Havisham and Pip reconcile and they both agree to forgive one another. When Pip saves Miss Havisham from the fire, it shows us that Pip has forgiven her and that he cares because he went back up to check that she was okay because he had a vision of her hanging, this shows us that he cares. In Pips last meeting with Estella, they are both sorry and they continue to be friends apart.
Conclusion.
During the course of the novel, Pip's character changes and develops. At the start of the novel, Pip is very happy, polite and caring but when he visits Miss Havisham, he learns about class and he starts to worry about his class (common) and the society he lives in. After a few years when Pip is apprenticed to Joe, Pip becomes very unhappy and dissatisfied with his life, and with Joe.
When Pip is told he is to become a gentleman, he ignores Joe and becomes very selfish and horrible to the people he loves. As Pip becomes a gentleman and he becomes wealthier, he changes and he becomes naïve because he thinks that Miss Havisham is his benefactor, when she isn't. Pip becomes very unhappy and ashamed of Joe and he doesn't want to bother with Joe and Biddy anymore.
Pip's lowest point in time was when he finds out that Miss Havisham isn't his benefactor and that Magwitch is.
All of Pip's good and bad experiences teach Pip a lesson and because of this Pip has matured, he wise and he has developed a lot. Pip's character changes from happy and caring to a very unhappy, selfish character but he manages to become happy and caring again because of Magwitch. We assume that Pip and Estella shall be together and married "I saw no shadow of another parting from her". At the end of the novel this is a reward for Pip because he has helped Magwitch.
