Quotes:
"We were equals afterwards, as we had been before; but, afterwards at quiet times when I sat looking at Joe and thinking about him, I had a new sensation of feeling conscious that I was looking up to Joe in my heart." Chapter 7, page 56.
Pip describes his dependence on Joe, that the only reason his life has been worth living is because of him, both Joe and him endured the cruelty of Pip's sister, they dealt with the same things and were there for each other. The only thing that Pip has every felt close to an actual friend is Joe. He realizes that Joe is not only his brother-in-law, but he has grown to love him as a person, much more than he could ever say about his sister. Joe was like his true brother. He could never have the close relationship he had with Joe, with any other person.
"... it [felt] very sorrowful and strange that this first night of my bright fortunes should be the loneliest I had ever known." Chapter 18, pg. 169
Pip does not find comfort or happiness in money, how could he ever, if he lost everything to have it? Pip has realized that money does not bring happiness, but rather it just creates emptiness and need for love. People of like you because you have money, not as a person. You could have hundreds surrounding you when you are wealthy, but it does not actually mean a single thing. You are surrounded by random people, not those who love you or actually care.
"'So,' said Estella, 'I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me." Chapter 38, pg. 356
Estella has realized that her image has already been made, no matter what she does, people will always remember her from what is already told. She does to have a right to do a good, because mistake have already been made, but if she makes a mistake, success has already been made. She has no control of her life, she is manipulated by how she must act or be, not as she pleases.
"I took her hand in mine, and we went out of the ruined place; and, as the morning mists had risen long ago when I first left the forge, so, the evening mists were rising now, and in all the broad expanse of tranquil light they showed to me, I saw no shadow of another parting from her." Chapter 59, pg. 566
Pip has finally achieved his greatest dream, to be with the woman he loves. He now swears that no will ever take her away from him, because she too loves his, the only thing that was missing in the perfect puzzle peace, but is now settled and affirmed. He feels no need to compete for her love, but only secure it with more, to ensure their never ending departure form one another.
" Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts. I was better after I had cried, than before--more sorry, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle." Chapter 19, pg. 185
Pip has finally realized that he was a pompous and arrogant man after having gotten to be a gentleman. He neglected his only friends, Biddy and Joe and for that reason he feels remorse and guilt. How could he have been so cruel, when he swore to never be like how others treated him? He was just like then, a hypocrite. His only relief was to wallow in sadness and let his tears shed his anger and emotions that were walled by arrogance.
Plot Summary:
A young boy named Pirrip, but nicknamed Pip lives in the English marshes with his evil sister and brother in law. One day on Christmas eve, while Pip was visiting the tombstone of his parents, he encounters a escaped convicted that forces him to bring him food and a filer for his iron leg. However, when Pip returns he is stunned to find that the convict had been caught. One day he is taken by his Uncle, to the Satis house to play, where he meets Miss Havisham. She is an elder woman, wealthy and strangely wears a wedding dress and never takes it off. Miss Havisham's adopted daughter, Estella, meets Pip and is very rude and cold with him, but nevertheless, this does not stop him from falling in love with her. Pip gets the idea that if he is to grow up like a gentleman and becomes rich, that maybe he will have a chance to become noticed by Estella. First, Pip begins as an apprentice to his brother-in-law, in blacksmith, but Pip hates it. Mysteriously one day, he is given a fortune from a unknown person, he takes the money and goes to London in hopes of learning how to be a gentleman. His caretaker becomes Mr. Jagger and it is a honor to be in his presence, people kill to even stand near his greatness. In London, he becomes best friends with Herbert Pocket, which unexpectedly comes to be known as the cousin's son of Miss Havisham. Pip is left is shock, when he realizes being a gentleman is harder than it seems. Pip's life is filled with gentleman like parties and activities and so when he returns back home, he feels to educated to even speak to his brother-in-law Joe, even after Pip's sister died. The one strange day, Pip's benefactors shows himself to Pip, he is the convict who Pip helped when he was just a little boy. No one is more surprised than Pip, he comes to find out that his real name is Abel Magwitch. As it turns out, Magwitch is still wanted in prison and Pip decides to try to devise a plan to have him escape the country. However, in when Pip tried to escape with Magwitch, Compeyson, Pip's nemesis has ratted out the two. Magwitch becomes imprisoned and sentenced to death, but before he dies, Pip tells him that Estella is his daughter and that he is in love with her. He keeps trying to plead his love for Estella, but she continually rejects him. Miss Havisham then confesses to Pip that the man who left her at the alter was Compeyson and that ever since then, she trained Estella to reject and play with the feelings of any boy who is in love with her. Miss Havisham pleads for Pip's forgiveness and he accepts before she dies. After the entire Magwitch and Miss Havisham incident, Pip becomes severely ill and Joe is the only one who cares enough about him to take care of him, but after Pip recovers he leaves. Pip then realizes how terrible he has been acting and begs for forgiveness, to Biddy, his childhood friend, and Joe. Pip moves to Cairo and works in the shipping company for eleven years before becoming the partner in the company. He annually sens money to Biddy and Joe and soon decides to visit them, where he realizes they name their son after him. He decides in the final of the book, that he would like to visit the home of Havisham once more, to pay his respects. He is astonished to find that Estella is widowed and her husband, Drummle, treated her badly through their marriage. Pip finally realizes that the once pompous Estella is their no longer, she is now sadden, but sweet. She apologizes for being so cruel to him and together they realize no one will be able to separate them ever again. Pip and Estella end up happily together.
Themes:
Never giving up. . .
Throughout the novel, Pip demonstrated his need for success and want. His desire was to obtain the women he loved and he risked everything and changed everything about himself for her. He emphasized the potential he had to change throughout the entire novel, he was just an orphan boy and he developed into a well rounded, wealthy and educated gentleman at the end of the novel. He set great expectations for himself in order to reach his goal. He never gave up at any point of the plot and at the end, he finally achieved success, by obtaining the love of the one he loved as well. Never give up only what you really want, because if you keep trying, you are guaranteed a permanent success and achieved goal.
The result of arrogance after success:
Pip developed arrogance after he had achieved a gentleman and educated self improved man. He ignored his only true friends, only because they were not up to his standards. In every case of literature, people who obtain power or fortune, or even success always end up arrogant. Like Pip, after having self-improved himself, he also changed his entire ways, the once simple orphan boy was there no longer, if you change one thing and succeed, overconfidence is usually a result.
Charles Dickens.
Charles Dickens was born February 7, 1812, he was the son of John and Elizabeth Dickens. Between 1824 and 127, he went to day school in London, in the hopes that he will have a better future than his father did. On 1829, he became a reporter and in 1830 he fell in love with Maria Beadnell, a daughter of a banker. In 1833, his relationship with Maria ended, because her parents thought he was not good enough for her. By 1832, Charles Dickens had become a well known reporter for a newspaper. Again, in the 1834, his father fell in debt and in order to pay for his debt, Charles became a novelist and sold his books in hopes of making as much money as possible. Most of Dickens published books have at least one character that is suppose to exemplify one of his family members. Dickens published over hundred of novels and all became instant sellers, books that included : Great expectations, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield and Moby Dick. All of his book are now regarded as classic hits and are referred to in high schools in the A.P literature titles. On June 8, 1870, Dickens suffered a stroke and died the next day. He never go to finish the last episode of his book Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Characters.
Pip: The main character in the novel hat seeks to succeed in one goal. His goal is to obtain Estella's love and for him to be able to do this, he must become a gentleman , to be worthy of her. Throughout the novel he proves himself to do the unexpected and push for what he wants more than he should. However, grown up as an orphan and with only his sister as family, he has big dream that are usually unable to reach at his economic level. His expectations of himself are too high, he expects more than what he can actually do.
Estella: She is Miss Havisham's adopted daughter. Estella is the women that Pip has fallen deeply in love with. Although Estella is usually cold and cruel to Pip, there are small moments in the novel when the reader can tell she cares for him. However, repeatedly throughout the novel, she tries to push Pip away and uses the excuse that she has no heart to love.
Miss Havisham: She is an old and traditional woman, who can seem nice and happy most of the time, but has dark secrets. She always wears a faded wedding dress and never takes it off, the story behind it, is that a man had left her at the altar. Miss Havisham grieved so much about failed wedding, that she takes out her anger on all men, by raising Estella to break all of the boy's hearts who ever fall for her, she uses Estella as a toy.
Magwitch: The convict who forced Pip to rob food and bring a filer for his leg at the beginning of the book. Magwitch shows up again at the middle of the book, being the person who has given Pip fortune to do help with his education and gentleman-like skills. In the end of the book, Pip tries to help the convict escape, but Compeyson has ratted them out. Magwitch ends up sentenced to death and dies before his sentence in prison.
Joe: Pip's brother-in-law. Joe endures the cruelty of Pip's sister, as well as Pip does and for this reason being, they become very close friends. When Pip's sister dies, Joe marries Biddy. When Pip becomes an educated man, he ignores his childhood friends Biddy and Joe and ends up pleading them for forgiveness at the end of the novel. Joe was the only one who helped Pip when he was severely ill.
Compeyson: Pip's nemesis. Ciompeysonw as the man who left Miss Havisham at the altar, he was the crime partner of Magwitch and he turned in Magwitch at the end of the novel. He was also that man that tried to kill Pip and nearly succeed. However, unexpectedly, Compeyson had an educated and gentle-like manner, which makes him even more sneaky.
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