How Far Can Pips Childhood Be Described As a Traumatic One?

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HOW FAR CAN PIPS CHILDHOOD BE DESCRIBED AS A TRAUMATIC ONE?

Charles Dickens Portrays Pips life as a harsh struggle to survive against his cruel sister and the intimidating events unfolding around him. Although this appears to be traumatic in the modern sense of the issue, society has changed since the Dickensian era and Pip’s early years would be far less scarring to a young boy when set in context to the common attitudes of the time. However, with the fearful encounter with Magwitch and the diminishing experience of Estella, is pip subjected to much worse suffering than the average Victorian lad?

We learn almost immediately that pip leads a sad life and was orphaned at an early age. Dickens cleverly uses the opening page of the novel to display Pips isolated situation, which he builds the rest of the story upon. We quickly learn about Pips great imagination, which is an important factor in his disturbing life ahead as it causes his problems to become exaggerated and far worse than they actually are in reality. Pips imagination is shown by his ability to picture his parents from the inscriptions on their tombstones. The opening chapter is a very important event in Pips life as it is the basis of his future and is certainly a traumatic one.

Magwitch’s appearance is described as being ‘coarse’ and ‘muddy’ with ‘leg irons’. To a young impressionable child this is a very disturbing image and would easily scare him. Also, Magwitchs horrific threats about the ‘young man’ that is capable of tearing Pip apart, even in the safety of his own bed, and removing his liver to eat. To Pip, this is terrifying as it means he is never safe from the evil animal-like beast that is after him. It also plays havoc with his imagination and causes him to become an even more brutal creature than he really is.

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Pips home life is by no means a safe environment due to Mrs. Joe harsh upbringing ‘by hand’. This means Pip has been brought up by the stick more than the carrot and has subsequently been on the receiving end of many thrashings with ‘tickler’. Tickler represents more than a disciplinary tool but symbolises the brutality with which he has been raised. As well as the ‘tickler’ Mrs Joe also uses ‘tar water’ to punish Pip. Mrs Joe does not show any compassion towards Pip and regrets bringing him up:

“Its bad enough being a blacksmiths wife without being ...

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