One thing that’s necessary in a serial is to make the reader eager for the next instalment. The term cliffhanger comes form the serial device of leaving a hero in desperate predicament just at the end of each instalment. Dicken’s novel uses the cliffhanger device by ending each instalment on a exciting mysterious note. The suspense and mystery keep the reader alert within the instalments, too. There’s the mystery over who the other convict is and if Pip, going to meet the convict for the second time, will be ok
“Then I put the fastenings as I found them, opened the door at which I had entered when I ran home last night, shut it, and ran for the misty marshes.” The reader wants to carry on reading as they would want to know what happens in the next meeting with the convict, and whether he will appreciate the gifts that Pip will bring. They may also want to know if the mysterious young man who the convict was talking about will be introduced into the story and if so whether he is as frightening as the convict makes him out to be.
But people were always paying money to be amused and it was no different in Dickens’ day, and there were many in Great expectations. Its just about finding the balance between the two. For example there is the comedy of the doorstep wedge munching competetion and when Pip put the slice of bread down his pants. This is amusing cause it is extremely unusual as many people would not have stuck bread down their pants especially when buttered. What also is rather amusing in this book is the irony of Mrs Joe beating up her husband. Joe is a blacksmith, who were typical big and powerful. Mrs Joe is presented as a typical woman of the time. She is also presented as “tall and bony,” so we would imagine her as weak but as we read it, Dickens reveals that she is not weak but quite strong in fact. A woman should not have been able to beat up a man in this period as men were seen as the heads of the house hold and clearly superior, people would have found this amusing because of the unequal contest between the two people. We want to read on to see what further odd thing Mrs Joe does.
The novel begins at the church graveyard on Christmas Eve. Pip informs us that he is an orphan and lives in the marsh country. An escaped convict appears and threatens Pip. He commands Pip to bring him a file and vittles or he'll cut Pip's throat. We are introduced to Pip who is portrayed in a sympathetic way by Dickens. Almost without noticing we are concerned about him so that by the time he encounters Magwitch, the convict, we are hooked. Pip is an odd little boy as he has to believe what he is told as there is no other evidence, he gets odd little pictures in his head for example when in the grave yard he imagines what his passed Mother and Father would look like and act like just by the writing on the tomb stone. We laugh at the ridiculousness of all this sense of child perception which pip has. Now pip is on his own in a grave yard, as this is scary enough, a terrifying man appears who has no sympathy for Pip and he strikes horror down the back of Pip’s spine. Now Pip puts on a brave face but the man turns him upside down and threatens him.
““You young dog” said the man, licking his lips, “what fat cheeks you ha’ got.”” This reminds me of a one fairy tale in particular, little red riding hood. Now here we are very concerned about Pip and we read on to see if he is going to be ok. Now at this point Magwitch starts to ask about Pip’s family when he tells him that he lives with his sister, Mrs Joe Gargery and her husband Mr Joe Gargery who is a blacksmith. The convict, after hearing this, puts two and two together and realises that Pip will be able to get the tools to free Magwitch from his chains. Now the convict is desperate and uses more physical strength and more intimidation as he needs Pip. Now as Pip leaves he feels pity for the convict imagining what it would be like in his shoes, as he keeps looking over his shoulder. Then as he is walking home he starts to look at everything in a different light, the world is completely changed as he looks at things with more queries.
“I could faintly make out the only two black things in all the prospect that seemed to be standing upright; one of these was the beacon by which the sailors steered - like an unhooped cask upon a pole - an ugly thing when you were near it; the other a gibbet, with some chains hanging to it which had once held a pirate. The man was limping on towards this latter, as if he were the pirate come to life, and come down, and going back to hook himself up again. It gave me a terrible turn when I thought so; and as I saw the cattle lifting their heads to gaze after him, I wondered whether they thought so too.” This suggest to me is Pip thinking of the convicts fate if he doesn’t help him out or his own if he gets caught trying to help Magwitch, or even worse if the convict finds him as he didn’t bring the things he needed. As Pip is terrified of the convict he run’s home without stopping as he is seeking safety and security.
In chapter two Pip returns home and we meet his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, who's raised Pip "by hand." Mrs. Joe, as she is called, is an abusive guardian who bullies Pip and Joe. Joe, the town blacksmith and Pip's only friend, informs Pip that Mrs. Joe has the tickler, a stick used to beat Pip when he's been bad. Mrs. Joe returns and swats Pip several times. Pip runs to Joe for protection. They sit down to dinner and Pip, although hungry, does not eat so he can sneak food to the convict. Pip snags some food and sneaks into Joe's forge to steal a file. There are lots of jokes in this chapter, it is kind of a contrast to the last chapter. As we can see Pip’s sister is a horror, she has bought Pip up by hand so she says, but this has a double meaning, when saying this you think with love, protection and kindness but it actually means beating him and not just Pip her husband, Joe, too he takes the beatings as he doesn’t want to upset his wife. As joe is explained as a mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow - a sort of Hercules in strength, and also in weakness, this is relevant when we see how he doesn’t deal with is wife. Mrs Joe is a very plain woman and she is not one for smiling. She is not an attractive figure in any sense as there is no flesh on her.
