Great Expectations: Pip

In this novel Pip is the one who develops the most, he starts as a "small bundle of shivers" and transforms into a mature man with a string sense of loyalty, justice and honesty. His role as the narrator in the novel is of fundamental importance to the way we learn about Pip. As a child he is intelligent and imaginative but is also sensitive, timid and guilt-ridden. His contacts with Miss Havisham and Estella and his 'great expectations' create a dissatisfaction, which leads to snobbery and embarrassment by Joe. In spite of this he retains the sympathy of the reader because of the cruel and twisted ways of Miss Havisham and Estella.

The main point that I would criticise about Pip is becomes embarrassed of Joe on two occasions. The first time was when Joe and Pip visit Miss Havisham about Pip's indentures. Pip is ashamed of Joe's appearance in his clothes Pip describes him as, "Some extraordinary bird…with tuft of feathers, and his mouth open, as if he wanted a worm." Also when Miss Havisham asks Joe a question he addresses Pip and Pip is clearly humiliated. This is because says, "I am afraid I was ashamed of the dear good fellow…I was ashamed of him when I saw that Estella stood at the back of Miss Havisham chair, and that her eyes laughed mischievously." This is very disappointing in Pip's character because he determines his mind because of what Estella thinks of Joe and she also makes him ashamed of home." Also when Pip is in London, Joe comes to visit him but Pip was still ashamed of Joe. Pip is embarrassed of Joe's grammar because Joe says, "As it is there drawd too architectooralooral." I think Joe's grammar is so bad because Pip is making him feel uncomfortable like Miss Havisham did. Pip criticises Joe's clothes again and the way he eats, this is shown when Pip says, "he…sat so far from the table, and dropped so much more than he ate, and pretended that he hadn't dropped it." At this point Pip is somewhat reminds me of Jaggers because he judges the way the person acts before he meets them. At the end of the chapter Pip realises that he has judged Joe unfairly and after Joe says, "God bless you!" Pip then says, "The fashion of his dress could no more come in the way when he spoke these words, than it could come in its way in Heaven." He realises that it does not matter how people dress it is what is inside that counts.

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On many occasion Pip thinks that Joe and Biddy are jealous of him. Firstly when Pip realises that has great expectations he thinks that Joe and Biddy are jealous of him when really they are just sad that he will be leaving home. This is shown when he says, "They both heartily congratulated me; but there was a certain touch of sadness in their congratulations that I rather resented." Another time was when he leaves home he says to Biddy, "You are envious, Biddy, and grudging. You are dissatisfied on account of my rise in fortune, and can't help showing it." I think this is the worst of Pip here because he thinks that he is superior to Biddy. Even the older Pip criticises himself saying that he was speaking "in a virtuous and superior tone." Again he thinks Biddy is jealous of him, after the funeral of Mrs Joe Biddy keeps calling Pip, Mr Pip and I think that she does it out of polite and also she is uncomfortable with him. Then Pip replies, "You calling me Mr Pip …appears to me to be in bad taste." He thinks that she is saying it in a sarcastic when she is not. It also shows that Pip thinks he is superior to Biddy when he tells her not to have anything to do with Orlick. He says, "I should have no opinion of you if he danced at you with your consent." This here is very elitists because he thinks that he can tell Biddy what to do, but she is not his.

After Mrs Joe's funeral Pip promises that he will visits Joe more often and will not leave him alone then Biddy questions him by asking, "Are you quite sure, then, that you WILL come to see him often?" And Pip replies, "This really is a bad side of human nature! Don't say any more, if you please, Biddy. This shocks me very much." Again I get the impression that Pip is like Mr Jaggers here because he seems to bully Biddy and he is shocked that she or anyone would dare question him. Then Pip has the audacity to say, "I reflected what an unkindness, what an injury, what an injustice, Biddy had done me." At the end of the chapter the older Pip says, "I walked away…I should not come back, and that Biddy was quite right." Here I admire Pip because he criticises himself saying that Biddy was right and that he could not keep his promise to visit Joe.

I admired the younger Pip when him and Joe went on the hunt to find the convicts and Pip said, "I hope, Joe, we shan't find them." This shows how caring and understanding Pip is because he Pip does not judge them on how the dress and probably understands that they have been badly treated. It also shows that Pip does not hold rancour against someone because he does not say that he hope that Magwitch should be put in jail. Pip's kindness is also shown again when he forgives Miss Havisham although he does not say the words 'I forgive you' I get the impression that he forgives her anyway. This is because it says, "I learned over her and touched her lips with mine." The most admirable quality in Pip is that he is a great friend to Herbert because he spends his birthday money on a business for Herbert.