Great Expectations - Is Pip a gentleman? - How successful is he as a gentleman?

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Jaja Yue 10c4                Tuesday 11th June 2002

English        

Great Expectations

Is Pip a gentleman?

How successful is he as a gentleman?

“Great Expectations”, written by Charles Dickens and set in mid-late Victorian era; is about a boy named Philip Pirrip, better known as Pip and his “great expectations”. As a child he lived with his sister and brother in-law Joe. Luck brings him to the aid of a convict, and to the house of a wealthy society lady. After many encounters with her in “Satis house”, he seeks a life as a gentleman.

A Victorian society gentleman is a man of high social status, and is expected to be wealthy, well educated, come from a wealthy background, and have enough money not to work. This is all Pip’s perception of what the precepts of being a gentleman are. Drummle sets a good example of this for him; he was born into wealth, well educated and doesn’t work for a living. Although Drummle has these qualities, he embraces an unpleasant personality; he is described, by Pip, as “sulky”, “Heavy in figure, movement and comprehension”, “sluggish”, “idle, proud, niggardly, reserved, and suspicious, and has a “large awkward tongue”.” Bentley Drummle doesn’t seem very pleasant to Pip, the only word Pip uses, that maybe a positive quality, is  “proud”, it maybe good, but Drummle may only be proud of his wealth and social status. Drummle is very wealthy, but yet he is very particular with it, “I wouldn’t lend one of you a sixpence. I wouldn’t lend anybody a sixpence.” His speech indicates how he treats people and his money; it implies that he cares more for his money than to have friends, it also shows how unhelpful and uncaring he is. Drummle gives Pip a negative impression of high social society.

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A moral gentleman would be hard working, you would expect him to have friends, not be afraid to admit his wrongs, and be respected and respectful. Joe fits this perfectly, but because he is in the Victorian era, he isn’t classed as a gentleman. Affluence is unimportant for a moral gentleman; the importance is how you treat and respect others. Victorian gentlemen seems to be more about themselves or rather what is around themselves, like wealth; moral gentlemen are more about their inner qualities, personality and the way they behave.

The expectations of a moral gentleman are more naturally come ...

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