Look again at chapter one and eight where Pip first meets Magwitch and Miss Havisham. Look at chapters forty four and fifty six, Pips final meeting with Magwitch and Miss Havisham. Compare Pips relationship with these two characters.
Look again at chapter one and eight where Pip first meets Magwitch and Miss Havisham. Look at chapters forty four and fifty six, Pips final meeting with Magwitch and Miss Havisham. Compare Pips relationship with these two characters.
Great expectations the story of an orphan boy and his adventures is one of Charles Dickens best loved novels, written in 1861.
In this essay I am going to analyze and compare different aspects of the novel including the relationship changes between Magwitch and Pip and Havisham and Pip.
The first character we are introduced to is Pip, who is also the narrator.
The narration shows that it is an older more intelligent Pip telling the story as it is written in past tense and first person, the sentences are quite long and well structured and the language used is very formal as if it is written by a mature adult with experience.
At the start of the novel Pip is just an innocent little orphan boy, a kind and friendly child even though he has such a hard life.
The first paragraph informs the reader that Pip is an orphan. 'As I never saw my father and mother and never saw any likeness of either of them (For their days were long before days of photographs), my first fancies regarding what they were like, were unreasonably derived from their tombstones.' This is an obvious indication that Pip is an orphan.
Pips life relates to the real conditions of orphans in Victorian England although they were not as harsh. Normally orphans were made to go to a workhouse, or like Pip they could live with other relatives.
We realise that Pip is a kind child in the first scene where Pip helps the convict and brings him the file and food.' You know what a file is', 'Yes, sir', 'And you know what wittles is', 'Yes, sir.' This shows Pip is polite and willing to do whatever he is told. Pip believes that the convict will rip out ...
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Pips life relates to the real conditions of orphans in Victorian England although they were not as harsh. Normally orphans were made to go to a workhouse, or like Pip they could live with other relatives.
We realise that Pip is a kind child in the first scene where Pip helps the convict and brings him the file and food.' You know what a file is', 'Yes, sir', 'And you know what wittles is', 'Yes, sir.' This shows Pip is polite and willing to do whatever he is told. Pip believes that the convict will rip out his liver, unless he does what he is told. ' You fail, or you go from my words in partickler, no matter how small it is, and your heart and your liver shall be tore out, roasted and ate. This suggests that Pip is also very gullible.
Although Pips character eventually changes and he soon becomes a different person. He begins to change when Estella refers to Pip as common. 'He calls the knaves, jacks, this boy! And what coarse hands he has! And thick boots!' This comment makes Pip dissatisfied with his life.
We find out about Magwitch the convict in chapter one. Magwitch is a common, working class criminal. His accent tells us this, 'Now lookee here' and 'You get me a file' suggest he is a commoner with no manners. He is obviously not a gentleman as he isn't well spoken. '
Dickens own experiences made him sensitive to poverty and injustice; this is why his writing skills are so good. The use of accents allows the reader to realise what the characters are like and it creates better reading.
The language used to describe the first meeting is very effective. Firstly pathetic fallacy is used to create the mood. Words and sentences like Bleak place overgrown with nettles, Dark. Flat, wilderness, and evening create a negative atmosphere and make the reader believe something bad may happen. Bundle of shivers, dead and buried, raw and beginning to cry do a similar thing, making a better impact so the reader feels sad. The graveyard symbolises death and the overgrown deserted environment makes it seem like a lonely place, which also make the reader believe something will happen to Pip.
Magwitch is in control throughout the whole scene, 'O? Don't cut throat, sir,' I pleaded in terror.' Pray don't do it, sir. 'Tell us your name!' said the man. 'Quick!' 'Pip, sir.' 'Once more,' said the man, staring at me. 'Give it mouth!' 'Pip. Pip sir.' This shows that Pip is frightened as he always abruptly answers and calls him sir.
'I earnestly expressed my hope that he wouldn't, and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me; partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.' This also indicates Pip is weak, not in control and scared of Magwitch; this is also shown when Pip stutters 'Goo-goodnight, sir'.
Miss Havisham who we are introduced to in chapter eight is one of the other main characters in the novel.
Pip goes to visit her at the house, 'We came to Miss Havisham's house which was of old brick, and dismal, and had great many irons bars on it. Some of the windows had been walled up; of those that remained, all the lower were rustily barred.' This shows that the house is old, run down and looks abandoned.
Miss Havisham is a bitter old woman who sits in her wedding clothes in her room where everything is aged and faded like her. All the watches and clocks in the room have stopped at twenty to nine.
I know this from reading 'She was dressed in rich materials-satins, lace and silks all of white. Her shoes were white...all confusedly heaped about the looking glass. From this we think that the room looks nice and we expect something positive to happen. Although this changes 'It was not in the first few moments that I saw these things...Now, waxwork and skeleton seemed to have dark eyes that moved and looked at me. This paragraph tells us that Miss Havisham has been sitting there for some time and is obviously a distressed woman. This makes the reader now expect that things may not be so positive.
The description of the surroundings and Miss Havisham shows that Dickens is a skilled writer as he can also use descriptions to trick the reader and make you expect something which doesn't happen.
Miss Havisham is in control in their first meeting as she is of a higher class than Pip. Like Magwitch when she tells him what to do he does it. Miss Havisham asks Pip to play 'Play, play, play' but he declines saying 'I am very sorry, I can't play just now'. This seems as if Pip is in control and shows he wants to be in control, as he decides what to do and says no, but she soon asks him again and he does it. When pip decides to go home, Miss Havisham orders him to stay until he finishes the game, so he does.
'I think I should like to go home'. You shall go soon,' said Miss Havisham aloud. 'Play the game out'. This also shows Pip is powerless.
Estella says many mean things to Pip and Miss Havisham supports what she is saying. When Miss Havisham tells Estella to play cards with Pip, Estella is shocked and says 'With this boy! Why, he is a common labouring-boy!' Miss Havisham then adds 'Well, you can break his heart.' This makes it seem as if Miss Havisham doesn't care about the opposite sex, I think this is because she was jilted at the alter and wants revenge.
