In contrast to this rigid disciplinarian, Pip’s brother in-law Joe is more of a friend than a father figure. “I always treated him as a larger species of child and as no more than my equal.” He teaches him the importance of companionship and even goes so far as to stand up to Mrs Joe for him. The problem with having Joe as a friend is that Pip has no father figure to whom he can turn for advice. This results in Pip thinking to himself about his problems more, making him a more pensive character and also someone in search of someone to trust.
Another person who affects Pip is the convict and the events surrounding their meeting, although he spends very little time with him. His threats of an accomplice stealing Pip’s liver and heart draw attention to the fact that Pip has been brought to believe what ever adults tell him is true, however unlikely. Another example being when Pip asks Mrs Joe why people are put in Hulks, “People are put in Hulks because they murder and rob and forge and do all sorts of bad and they always start by asking questions.” The threats serve to make Pip feel even more insignificant and helpless.
Uncle Pumblechook is a very influential character. He is the one who provides the first opportunity to visit Miss Havisham; however, he seems to be in the same mindset as Mrs Joe in that he believes Pip to be an expensive and difficult burden. He likes to put Pip down constantly and remind him that he should be grateful to those that brought him up by hand. His constant complaints serve to cause a break down of trust, such as when Pip tells him and Mrs Joe about what happens at Miss Havisham’s. However he feels a moral obligation to tell Joe the truth because he is his friend.
Possibly the greatest influence on Pip is his mysterious visit to Miss Havisham’s. Before his visit, Pip was quite content with his life but just spending a matter of hours in the company of Miss Havisham; he is discontented with himself and desperately wants to be a gentleman. Firstly his attraction to Estella causes him to be very self-conscious. This is not made better when Estella begins to mock him for being common and having coarse hands and thick boots. This makes Pip want to become a gentleman so that he can be equal to Estella and live the kind of life that she lives. After this Pip begins to notice common things that he and his family do, the fact that Joe is uneducated, them eating in the kitchen. He seems to become something of a snob still trapped in a commoner’s body. When he takes Joe to Miss Havisham to discuss his apprenticeship, he is deeply embarrassed of the way that Joe insists on addressing him when answering Miss Havisham. “I am afraid I was ashamed of the dear good fellow-I know I was ashamed of him- when I saw Estella stood at the back of Miss Havisham’s chair, and that her eyes laughed mischievously.” It is these two characters that affect Pip the most because it is they who make him want to become a gentleman.
Part of Pip’s plan to become a gentleman is that he would be a “scholar.” Although he attends classes at Mr Wopsle’s aunt’s shop the students really learned nothing but paid to watch Mr Wopsle’s Aunt sleep for an hour each week. The real educator is Biddy who swears to impart to him all her knowledge so that he can be a gentleman. His friendship and lessons learned from Biddy are his first foothold on the way to being a gentleman.
When Pip visits Miss Havisham’s house on one occasion it is her birthday. There are several relatives trying to gain good favour with Miss Havisham. Whilst waiting in the same waiting room as him he thinks almost talking to himself. “they were all toadies or humbugs, but that each of them pretended not to know that the others were toadies and humbugs; because the that he or she did know it, would have made him or her out to be a toadie or humbug.” This shows that Pip has learned that if he keeps his thoughts to himself he can be as critical and rude as he wants. This is another show of Mrs Joe’s speak when spoken to ask no questions and I’ll tell you no lies attitude to conversation with Pip.
When Pip takes Joe to see Miss Havisham he is embarrassed by Joe’s insistence in addressing him instead of Miss Havisham when questioned by her. This upsets Pip because he wants to appear elevated in the eyes of Estella. However, he loves Joe and he hates to see the way Estella smiles at his inadequacy. This is problem faced in the time between receiving his mystery funds to become a gentleman but still living with common Joe, I think that at this point a rift appears between them because Joe had always thought that Pip just wanted to work in the forge with him for the rest of his life.
Pumblechook and Mrs Joe seem almost too interested in the money that Pip gets from going to Miss Havisham’s. While only a year before when Pip was visiting Miss Havisham Pumblechook is rude, disdainful and derogatory towards Pip but as soon as he comes into his handsome sum of money from his mystery benefactor, he is friendly and goes out of his way to accommodate Pip’s every need.
In conclusion the influences on Pip are mainly characters from his immediate family but perhaps the most influential are the ones he meets after his visit to Satis house. The way in which he is brought up and the way in which he is treated by those he meets all serve to shape the character of Pip young man of great expectations.
