There is a distinct change in the atmosphere when the convict appears. “Hold your noise!” cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves at the side of the church porch. “Keep still you little devil or I’ll cut your throat.” This is Pip’s first meeting with the convict. The word “started” sounds quick and ands to the effect because up until now the narrative has been about Pip as he introduces himself and setting the scene and this abrupt change in the pace and mood as Pip is now in danger makes the chapter more dramatic for the audience and captures their interest. The way that Pip says this makes the convict seem like he has risen from one of the graves which is obviously not true but the impression created is that Pip thinks that one of the graves or dead are talking to him. This shows the imagination of a young child but also creates an image of the convict in his appearance if he looks like he has risen from a grave. The fact that at this point Pip is in tears and is in no way a threat to the man but is still being threatened with death shows that the convict is either a bit mad or is panicked about something. The convict’s behaviour could show that he is insensitive and cruel but could also be a reflection on how he was treated in prison.
Pip’s response is surprising “oh don’t cut my throat sir” I pleaded in terror “pray don’t do it sir”
This may seem odd for the reader because despite the fact that he has just been threatened with death Pip is very polite. He calls this terrible man who he has just described as coming from a grave “sir”. This is both a reflection on the ways of the time period and also on how Pip himself has been brought up to behave. Children in this time period and those featured in Dickens novels were likely to have been beaten if they did not show respect to their elders. As well as this Pip is very scared of this man and by being polite he is trying not to antagonise him.
The convict is made to appear inhuman. “You young dog” said the man licking his lips “what fat cheeks you ha’ got”
Here the convict sounds as if he is weighing pip up for size and contemplating eating him. This creates ads to this supernatural inhuman image of the convict as if he is now an animal studying its prey. The fact that he says this could be to make pip uncomfortable and more intimidated and frightened but if he is seriously considering eating a child it shows how desperate and starving he is and that his life in prison and journey to the marshes has driven him wild.
Remembering this, the adult Pip says “I believe they were fat, though at the time I was undersized for my years and not string”
This begins to give the reader an image of Pips physical appearance. The fact that he is undersized and weak could be because due to the lack of money in his family he is underfed. This creates sympathy for Pip because the reader can see this poor defenceless little child in this awful situation and as he seems so defenceless the readers are interested to know how or if he will get himself out of this situation. This also helps Dickens to project his reasons for writing great expectations to the reader as he is unhappy with the conditions that Pip and other children in this time period are living in. The fact that Pip is criticizing himself could reflect the way he is treated by other people and is unhappy with himself (which becomes clear later in the story with his longing to become a gentleman). This Quote also shows that this is the voice of the adult Pip as looking back on this scene he is very concerned about his appearance as a boy. This could make the reader wonder if Pop is not poor any longer because as a gentleman appearance would be very important. Yet again Pip’s tone is quite light which helps to give the impression that Pip does get out of this situation safely and that maybe the convict isn’t as bad as he seems. This gives makes it seem that Pip is keeping something from the reader which makes the reader interested and wanting to find out what they don’t know.
Pip continues to say “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 and partly to keep myself from crying.” By the explanation it is clear to the reader that this is a past event because it sounds like the words of an adult who is now well educated not those of a young boy who is close to tears. This also shows that the convicts has no consideration for Pips feelings and no respect for him either as he places him on top of a gravestone which could be that of his parents. This lack of care and respect for children is what Dickens is trying to put across and wants changed. This also gives the impression that in contrast to his previous defencelessness appearance pip as a character is quite brave as he is trying to stay calm and not show that he is upset while most children would be in tears. This could be trying to show the audience that you should not judge people by class or appearance which is relevant later on in the story as the convict turns out to be a nice person of lower class while Estella is cruel and snobby because she thinks she is better than Pip because of the class she believes she belongs to. However although the adult Pip seems to be thinking he was brave the first phrase sounds quite light as if pip doesn’t want the reader to think he was weak and is making the tone less serious. This still creates sympathy for Pip because so many terrible things are happening to him.
The convict wants to scare Pip into doing what he wants “ A boy may lock his door may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open.”At this point Magwitch is being very manipulative and is scaring Pip into thinking that someone he cant see or hear can see and hear him. His description is so vivid that it may also make the reader feel uneasy as if they too are being watched. Dickens creates tension with the steady build up of short actions that result in him suddenly being killed. He lists every possible thing that Pip may try to do to escape and explaining how they won’t work and that Pip is unable to escape which will leave Pip feeling completely helpless. The fact that he uses Pip’s home as the setting for this grim death which is the one place Pip should feel safe will make Pip feel trapped and that he is in danger wherever he goes. The convict is looking into the mind of a child and has picked the scenario most children fear. This is very cruel which shows how desperate he is but could also show that magwitch has had contact with children as he knows what they fear. This concept is very disturbing and as was evident from previous descriptions Pip’s imagination is already going wild. The length of the detail could be because magwitch has done what he is describing or has seen someone else do it whilst in prison.
Pip’s imagination and descriptions create more images of the convict “ he looked into my young eyes as if he were eluding the hands of the dead people, stretching up cautiously out of their graves to get a twist upon his ankle and pull him in.” This is pips imagination exaggerating what he sees but still makes the reader picture magwitch as something out of a horror style text. It could be that the look on his face is like he is attempting to escape from the dead and recreates Pips earlier ideas of him coming for the graves. His appearance gives a feel of how much he has been through in the fact that he is covered in mud and starving to death. However the fact that he is not being pulled into the graves proves that he is strong and either not ready or refusing to die making the reader wonder if he has an important part to play later in the story, which he does.
Dickens uses sentence structures to show distance “ours was the marsh country, down by the river, with as the river wound twenty miles from the sea” This creates an instant impression that his home is very far away. The word “wound” creates the image of distance and the repetition of river creates the feeling of length. Each comma between the descriptions could resemble a new twist or turn to the river. The fact that he is so far away from his home (and society) and the sea, makes him seem very isolated and alone. Not only is he trapped in the graveyard but his home seems to be in the middle of nowhere with no place to escape to this adds to the overall feeling of helplessness that the chapter creates around Pip. The commas themselves make the sentence more difficult to understand which symbolises the feeling of Pip being lost and trapped in this place completely separate from the rest of the world.
Dickens uses sentence structures to show Pip’s emotions. Pip tells the reader “ at such a time I found out for certain, that this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard, and that Philip pirrip late of this parish, and also georgianna wife of the above were dead and buried and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias and roger, infant children of the aforesaid, were also dead and buried, and that the dark flat wilderness beyond the churchyard intersected with dykes and mounds and gates with scattered cattle feeding on it, was the marshes and that the low leaden line beyond was the river; and that the distant savage lair from which the wind was rushing, was the sea; and the small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip. Here Dickens successfully; by use of sentence structure, captures the voice of the young Pip.” This sentence shows that Pip is getting increasingly upset with everything he is seeing. He is thinking about the deaths of his parents and brothers and beginning to realise how alone he is in the graveyard and in the world because almost his entire family is “dead and buried”. He seems to be looking around and taking in more and more at once which is shown by the fact that he keeps adding more and more descriptions to the sentence. He repeats the words “and that” after every semi-colon which effectively shows the voice of the young child as he is using limited vocabulary and making it sound like a list. This quote also how small and insignificant Pip is in his surroundings because it is such a long description until all that is left is pip. He is beginning to scare himself because he uses a metaphor describing the sea as a lair as the wind is rushing from it with such force like a wild animal waiting to attack him. This also shows a Childs imagination and fears and makes the reader want to protect Pip as he is a frightened innocent child. The sentence is extended with commas and semi-colons and everything is listed very quickly which makes Pip sound very panicky and this feeling is mirrored by the fact that the reader gets out of breath when reading it aloud. It shows a build up of all of his emotions and when the sentence ends the reader may get a sense of relief which is like the relief Pip feels when he begins to cry. Everything is described very negatively and Pip begins with the focus on the deaths of his family which shows what a depressing setting this is and makes the reader want to help Pip escape from it all.
Dickens uses a long sentence to describe the convict. “ A man who had been soaked in water and smothered in mud and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles and torn by briars, who limped and shivered and glared and growled; and who’s teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.” Here Pip is getting panicked again which is shown by the fast pace of the list describing magwich’s appearance. This also captures the sense of a young boy through the adult pip because although this also sounds like the speech of a child with the repetition of the word “and” at the time pip was unlikely to have noticed everything about the convict. Therefore dickens writes as the adult Pip so as to give an effective description of the convict. It also emphasises how much the convict has been through and proves that he must be strong to have survived everything Pip describes and also that he must have a purpose in his life and in the story otherwise why put himself through so much. The alliteration focuses the reader’s attention on the words “glared and growled” giving an impression that the convict is some kind of wild animal which fits well with the metaphor “distant savage lair”.
Dickens uses repetition to show movement. “you get me a file” he tilted me again “ and you get me wittles “ he tilted me again “you bring em both to me” he tilted me again “ or I’ll have your heart and liver out” he tilted me again.” Here the convict is trying to assert his control over Pip. The fact that to get his message across the convict has to use the physical action of tilting him could show that he doesn’t have a very wide vocabulary or is very eloquent which could show he had a poor or no education. He uses the slang for food bit pronounces it “wittles” giving the impression that he speaks with an accent.The fact that Pip works out what effect the convict wishes to have on him suggests that pip himself is quite intelligent or could possible be used to this kind of treatment when he doesn’t do something at home. Pip would be getting dizzy after being tilted back and forth so frequently and dickens manages to replicate this feeling for the reader using sentence structure incorporating the repetition of the world tilted. It has the effect of making the reader just as dizzy when reading it. This quote also helps to show that magwitch has control over pips situation right now which is relevant to the rest of the book in that he ends up having control over the rest of pips life by becoming his benefactor.
Dickens misspells words to convey the convicts speech “you fail, or you go from my words in any partickler, no matter how small it is, and your heart and liver shall be tore out roasted and ate.”
This shows that the convict speaks with an accent as he is unable to pronounce certain words. He also make several grammatical errors which could show a lack of education and a likeness to pip in that he may come from a poor family. The way he pronounces words makes him seem quite comical and not overly threatening.
The convict seems to be under the impression that pip isn’t frightened by him. He says “ now, I aint alone as you may think I am. There’s a young man hid with me, in comparison with which I am a angel. That young man hears the words I speak. That young man has a secret way pecooliar to himself of getting at a boy and at his heart and at his liver. It is in wain for a boy to attempt to hide himself from that young man.
By calling himself an angel and creating this man who is worse than him magwitch seems to be trying to convince pip that in fact magwitch is the “good guy”. This could be because he doesn’t want Pip to think him to be evil and is trying to tell him that actually he isn’t as bad as he may seem. This is true because he turns out to be good natured and helpful to Pip in the rest of the novel. The fact that he yet again uses death as the consequence if pip doesn’t obey him shows that he is getting panicked and desperate and is running out of persuasive threats. This could also show that the convict is scared of death which makes him appear more vulnerable and dependent on pip. He desperately needs pip to help him or he himself will die.
Dickens also uses imagery in the first chapter to set the scene for the novel. “ the marshes were just a long horizontal line then as I stopped to look after him, and the river was just another horizontal line, not nearly so broad nor yet so black, and the sky was just a row of long angry red lines and dense black lines intermixed.”
Here dickens uses sentence structure to create the effect that this setting is very desolate, dull and long. The only scenery mentioned are the sea and the sky in parallel to each other showing that they are never ending .This shows how far away tiny pip is from home and from the world he seems to be surrounded by fear and emptiness which is emphasised by the repetition of the word line and the colours pip uses to describe the setting. The colours red and black are described to be angry which gives the impression that this place is like hell.
Dickens leaves the reader to ponder the connection between the pip and the convict. “so that his eyes looked most powerfully into mine, and mine looked most helplessly into his”
This quote helps to develop the plot by showing both a clear contrast between pip and the convict in both size and control but also showing a connection between the characters which is implied by the eye-contact. It shows the power the convict has over pip right now and his life late r in the story. At this point neither pip nor the reader knows the significance of this encounter but dickens subtle hints encourage the reader to read on to see what importance it has.
Dickens finishes the chapter leaving the reader questioning as to whether pip survives. “ you bring them to me at the old battery over yonder . you do it and you never dare say a word or dare make a sign concerning your having seen such a person as me and you shall be let to live.”
To have a successful opening chapter it needed to be gripping and in order to make the reader want to read on it needed to raise some questions that the reader would want answered and leave them open. Dickens successfully achieves this by leaving the reader unsure whether or not pip will do what is asked of him. The first impression created of magwitch is that he will not hesitate to harm pip and if the reader believes pip doesn’t not die they will be left to wonder why this meeting with the convict is so important.
The setting gives the impression of the gothic horror genre “ on the edge of the river I could faintly make out the only two black things in all the that seemed to be standing upright: one of these was the beacon by which the sails steered...an ugly thing when you were near it .. the other a gibbet that had once held a pirate.”
The chapter begins with pip alone in the graveyard and it ends the dame way. The whole description and in fact the entire chapter have strong references to death, this gives the reader the impression that this is a horror style story which will make them more inclined to believe that something will happen to Pip. The setting is grim as it is a grave yard, it is raining and one of the only things that pip can see is the gibbet where the bodies of dead criminals would be hung as a warning to others. The fact that everything he sees are associate with death shows that the thought s of what may happen to him are on his mind and therefore will be on the mind of the reader. This entire chapter helps to create a feel of what the rest of the novel will be like. Pip is also in a dilemma because if he doesn’t take the food he has been manipulated to believe that the young man will kill him but if he does then he will be stealing which he will be punished for if he is caught. Either way the consequences could be death. The gothic horror style makes the reader wonder if pip does die and what will happen in the rest of the story.
In conclusion I think that dickens does create a successful opening chapter. This is because he has a clear contrast between pip and the convict and an underlying sense of a connection between them. Pip is a likeable character which was important because if the reader liked the main character they would be concerned about him and more likely to buy the next chapter to find out if he is ok. He also leaves the reader wanting to know more about the convict and whether or not he is in fact the pirate come to life and is going to murder pip. The whole feel of the setting adds to the impact the chapter has on the4 reader and will make them remember it.
