We start to understand Pip and his background when Dickens first introduces Joe. This guides us into the later chapters of the book when we follow his older, more mature years. Pip went into his house in Chapter Two, whilst there Joe is described as being “a fair man and “good natured, sweet-tempered.” This immediately gives an image of kindness and nothing but a good man. We see this again when Pip says he is used as a “connubial missile” and on the next line Pip shows how Joe protects him – “glad to get hold of me.” This further backs up how Joe is kind as he realises the need to protect Pip.
Joe is also likened to Pip on page 10, Pip treats him in a gentle but loving way – he says “I always treated him as a larger species of child, and as no more than my equal.” This shows he thinks much of Joe as looking to him but doubts his intelligence. This is also shown when he says “At this dismal intelligence.”
There is contrast when Jaggers is introduced by Dickens. There is immediately a sense of authority about Jaggers. “Sharp and suspicious” shows that Pip my feel slightly intimidated by Jaggers. Jaggers is almost in charge of Pip as he says twice “You behave yourself.” It is almost dismissing Pip as if he is common and hasn’t got time to deal with Pip.
The way Joe and Jaggers are portrayed slightly later into the novel is very different. Joe is often given a sense of commonness and plainness, because he is the manual labourer, whilst Jaggers is given authority and importance as well as “well-off” because he is the high-class lawyer.
As we get to know Joe and Jaggers there is a clear difference. Joe is uneducated and simple as page 143 shows and on page 44 Pip narrates “Joe’s education was yet in its infancy.” Jaggers is clever and rich (being rich and a lawyer would presume he’s clever) – he was “swinging his purse” in front of Pip and before n the same page, Pip says he produced the purse “with the greatest coolness.” He seems to be someone who is free to almost play with their money and showing he is well-off.
Also when we are first introduced to Jaggers on page 78 there is a clear difference between his and Joe’s attitude to Pip. On Page 78 – Jaggers says to Pip “How do you come here?” Jaggers looks down at Pip as if he is worthless. At the time when Dickens wrote the book, people were often judged on appearances and Jaggers would have seen Pip as something he wouldn’t normally deal with. However he has to deal with Pip and there is an uncertainty, and an uncomfortable feeling around Pip.
Joe is welcoming to Pip, unlike Jaggers. When Joe first speaks to Pip, he warns him of Mrs Joe in a loving way. Also we immediately see that Pip is defended by Joe. “Joe peeped down at me over his leg.” Joe is being kind to Pip by taking all the flack from Mrs Joe. As Joe is immediately being kind to Pip, the audience feel warmly to Joe and realise that he is and will be close to Pip.
Later in the novel, we see Jaggers more. At this point in the novel, he influences Pip more. Jaggers is very much in charge of anyone he meets or talks to. A clear example of this controlling personality is on Pages 154-155. “The client looked scared, but bewildered too.” This says to the audience that Jaggers is in control of the client by intimidating him. The important thing though is that Pip doesn’t feel surprised at Jaggers’ attitude. This makes the audience feel that Pip has changed from what he once was. Also we see another side to Jaggers but we had seen that previously before on Page 131 (There is a quote from that page earlier in this essay). Then Pip seemed curious at Jaggers’ behaviour. Now Pip seems in tune with Jaggers and questions the clients approach to Jaggers. The audience sees this as a surprise as Pip was almost once in the client’s position and it’s a clear example of how Pip has changed, and how prominent Jaggers is to Pip.
Joe is still an influence on Pip, later on but not in the way that he was when we first meet him. Pip almost has to look after Joe. He realises he is doing this but there is a slight sense of impatience from Pip. You can tell Joe is being looked after when it says on Page 132 “who recognized in Joe the village idiot, and in me his keeper.” Despite Pip only thinking this in his mind, he is still thinking it and this shows the audience that now Pip feels he is looking after Joe, then the bond between the two isn’t as strong and that Pip may even be frustrated that it may look like he does.
By the end of the novel Joe has changed slightly. He realises that Pip is different to what he used to be but there is a still a simple aspect to him. As he is now with Biddy, he sees more sense, and this is what helps him realise he must let Pip go. Also because he has Biddy and his child, Joe fully deserves what he has at the end. He was a hard working person, who did everything how he thought, he should and was honest. Dickens is saying that if you live your life properly, then you’ll get what you’re supposed to.
Also by the end of the novel Pip realises that he shouldn’t be involved with Jaggers. He says on page 375 “I could not submit to be thrown off in that way.” This shows us that Pip has realised that Jaggers is sneaky by avoiding arguments. Also a few lines later he says “to be more frank and manly with me,” this backs up my previous quote, where Pip wants a argument, almost trying to test Jaggers’ patience , and trying to find out what he is actually like. The rest of the paragraph below those lines, show real feelings and how Pip realises he’s been so stupid. It shows the audience that you should be yourself, not something different.
The audience and Pip both realise that we shouldn’t forget our past and that in reality no matter how hard we try to change and get away from what we once we were, it’s impossible to do. The audience recognize this when Joe goes to London, and Pip sees what he has become. We will always be the same person inside and that appearances are just that, and don’t show what we really are. Dickens makes Pip into a classic example of this. Dickens teaches the audience and is saying, don’t be something you are not and be yourself, but at the time these phrases weren’t known and so Dickens is ahead of himself and that is what make the book special
The book was and still is very popular, and the people who read it see the message of it, and that’s what books are written for – to see a message from the author, mainly about the way people live. When Dickens wrote the book he may have thought his message was only prevalent at the time but the message still applies today.