Re-Read Chapter Eight and Compare This Chapter with Other Events in the Novel - Great Expectations.

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James Hooper                03/05/2007

LVE

Re-Read Chapter Eight and Compare This Chapter with Other Events in the Novel

Great Expectations

“My sister’s bringing up had made me sensitive. In the little world in which children have their existence whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and so finely felt, as injustice. It may be small, its world is small, and its rocking-horse stands as many hands high, according to scale, as a big-boned Irish hunter”

Chapter eight is of extreme importance in the expansion of Pip's character. Pip is overwhelmed by the gloom of Satis House, but Estella shines like a symbol of hope. Satis is a Latin word meaning enough. There is enough money, in the house, but on the contrary there is nowhere near enough love. Also the house is connected to the old disordered brewery. This is significant as it shows that there is no more happiness flowing around the house. Beer and ale provides, a lot of happiness for everybody, which is what the house used to feel like before Miss Havisham’s heart was broken, now the house or brewery provides no happiness as everybody living in the house is unhappy, also in the brewery there is no cause of happiness as there is no more beer to be drunk and so resulting in no happiness around the brewery. Miss Havisham is young and beautiful, and Pip is strangely drawn to her. So when she reacts to him so negatively, full of insults and contempt, Pip is crushed. To Estella, he is beneath respect. She makes fun of everything about him, even his boots, and takes delight in attacking his own pride. Pip is left feeling embarrassed and helpless, ashamed of his own existence. It is such a strong, helpless feeling This vented anger is over the injustice of being treated like a dog simply because he is common. It is because of Estella's cruel snubs that young Pip becomes ashamed of is own common-ness. The wish to be "uncommon" is born and follows him most of his life.

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In this chapter we can see that Pumblechook, is taking Pip, to see Miss Havisham and her young girl, Estella. Pumblechook is trying to make the best impression he can on Miss Havisham as she is the highest member of society in the town, and her asking him for a boy, is a great opportunity and responsibility for him and he lets everybody else the town know it.


        Pip contemplates the injustice of life, since he has no choice in his upbringing. First Mrs Joe and now Estella seem to blame him for his lowly position. The injustice overwhelms ...

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