In chapter one Magwitch is described as being “Fearful man,” but to the reader you can actually see that Magwitch is suffering and you should pity him. His “teeth chattered and he is “smothered in mud.” Pip is scared of Magwitch, because he is a young boy. Dickens used humour in this part of the chapter, when Magwitch asks where is your mum, to Pip, Pip says over there, and Magwitch starts to run away. Pip was actually pointing to his mum’s grave. So the reader can see that Magwitch is scared of being caught.
Victorians had an obsession. They wanted to remove crime from society. The punishments were harsh and severe. Criminals in the Victorian era were often sent to Australia, more than one hundred and sixty thousand convicts were deported. Magwitch is trying to avoid punishment, but ironically Pip becomes a thief to help Magwitch. Dickens does not approve of the justice system, because he describes Magwitch sympathetically, and he shows that Pip became a thief to help Magwitch, so Dickens is trying to explain, anybody can make mistakes.
Chapter one is significant to the rest of the novel because Pip helps Magwitch by bringing him food and tools: later on in life Magwitch becomes Pip’s benefactor. The money that Magwitch sends helps Pip become a gentleman. The source of Pips is of significance throughout the novel, with Pip believing that Miss Havisham is his benefactor.
Dickens has written this novel as retrospective, from Pips point of view. This is done by using a first person narrative, Dickens allows the reader to see events from Pip’s point of view. An example of this in chapter one is “He gave me a most tremendous dip and roll, so that the church jumped over its own weather-cock.” Events in chapter eight take place one year later. Pip is sent for by Miss Havisham to play with Estella. When Pip arrives at the decaying crumbling Satis House, he meets Estella and Miss Havisham inside. Miss Havisham has adopted Estella to break men’s hearts, because Miss Havisham’s groom did not appear on her wedding day, and she wants revenge on men. Estella makes Pip feel like he has lack of manners. “I was a common labouring boy” This shows that Estella makes Pip fell hurt and humiliated, and inferior to her.
Chapter eight is set at ‘Satis House.’ Many of Dickens’ characters, names and place mean something. Satis means it is satisfactory, but it also means that the house has had enough. ‘Satis house’ should be grand, but it has not been looked after. ‘Satis house’ is crumbling with an overgrown and neglected garden. “…but the grass was growing in every crevice.” When Pip enters ‘Satis House’ he describes it as the “passages were all dark.” Candles have to be used to light up the house. All the clocks have stopped, “…her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine.” It is as though time has come to a stand still. “The cold wind seemed to blow colder here, than outside the gate.”
Miss Havisham is described as a mysterious woman, the “strangest woman I have ever seen.” Miss Havisham is old, she is half dressed as a bride rotting away like the house. The bridal dress “…was faded and yellow.” Miss Havisham is described as a ghastly waxwork. Pip was taken to a fair and the waxwork reminded him of Miss Havisham. Her name, means that her life is a fake or a sham. Miss Havisham is a sad and pathetic character, she has given up on her life she has not got over her groom not showing on her wedding day.
Dickens shows Estella as being “…beautiful and self possessed.” Estella seems older than Pip, but they are the same age. “She called me boy…” Estella comments on Pip’s clothes and hands, suggesting he is not as good as Estella. Estella makes Pip feel like he was living in a common way, and she treats him like “a dog in disgrace,” Estella’s name is relevant, because her name comes from a constellation, she brings light into the house physically and metaphorically. She does it physically by lighting the rooms with candles, she does it metaphorically because it makes Miss Havisham happy and she is keeping her alive. Estella is distant and cold like a constellation, or a star which cannot be reached.
Chapter eight shows us several important issues. Marriage was very important in Victorian times because it was respectable. Miss Havisham was devastated when her marriage did not take place. We also learn about how important your category of class was. The lower class would have been working in factories, the middle class would have owned small factories and shops, but the upper class would have owned large companies. This was similar to chapter eight were Miss Havisham and Estella were upper class and Pip felt that he was lower class. “Common labouring boy.” During 1830-1901, being a gentleman was vital, and it depended upon your wealth. In chapter eight Pip wanted to be a gentleman to impress Estella, he later does this with the money Magwitch provides.
Chapter eight is significant to the rest of the novel because it shows the relationship between Pip and Estella, and how it motivates Pip. There is also a mystery surrounding Miss Havisham, and whether she is Pip’s benefactor. Pip thinks its Miss Havisham because she’s the only person he knows who is rich, and he and the reader thinks that Miss Havisham is his benefactor, but later on in the novel we realise that it is Magwitch.
Both chapter one and chapter eight are significant because they both introduce significant characters, who play an important role later on in the novel. We meet Magwitch: Magwitch is a convict but he is kind towards Pip; the reader feels sympathy for Magwitch. We also meet Miss Havisham: she leads a strange life, she has been affected by her failed engagement and, again we are supposed to feel sympathy for this character. Both chapters have a similar setting, they are dark and cold. The author creates a frightening atmosphere with references death and decay. Dickens achieves memorable characters and setting through his use of language and imagery, which is a crucial feature of his writing as he had to keep his readers interested from week to week.
