Pips Desire to be a Gentleman Essay - 1205 Words

Great Expectations - Why was Pips desire to be a gentleman bound up with winning the love of Estella? In the book Great Expectations Pip has a great desire to become a gentleman. During the times during which the book was set, in the 1800s, a gentleman was someone who was rich, well-spoken and had a good number of contacts in important places. They were the envy of the poor, because the gentlemen looked down upon them, believing themselves to be better. In the book I believe that Charles Dickens put this want of Pips to become a gentleman because it was not dissimilar to his own life. Charles Dickens was moved to Camden Town, London from Chatham at the age of ten and his father was imprisoned on the charge of debt. This†¦show more content†¦Despite this he still seems in awe of her: She seemed much older than I, of course, being a girl, and beautiful and self possessed; and she was as scornful of me as if she had been one-an-twenty, and a queen. So from the start Pip is in awe of Estella because of her beauty. It seems Miss. Havisham has taught her well in that she was supposed to win mens hearts and then break them. This was Miss. Havishams way of seeking revenge on the male sex after she was left at the altar. Everything in Manor House is exactly as it was at that moment when she was left at the altar, and Estella was brought up to seek reprisal on the male sex. Just before Pip first meets Miss. Havisham Estella humiliates Pip in a moment when he was clearly timid about going into Miss. Havishams room first and ask Estella to go in. Estella replies: Dont be ridiculous boy; I am not going in. Estella scorns him again when she comes in to play with him, by the order of Miss. Havisham: He is a common labouring - boy! While they are playing cards also she still mocks him of his inferiority to her: He calls the knaves, Jacks, this boy! said Estella with disdain. Estella then ridicules him of his appearance something which Pip was not ashamed of before: What coarse hands he has. And what thick boots. Pip then finds himself looking at his hands and boots, I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before; but I began to consider them a veryShow MoreRelatedGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1324 Words   |  6 Pagesbe achieved through moral education, experience and personal development, rather than the simple acquisition of wealth. The compassion Pip learns from Joe leads him to assist Magwitch, which ultimately results in Pip becoming a gentleman. The secondary characters in Pip’s Bildungsroman help him to find a place within society where he can finally feel happy and fulfilled. Although Pip receives wealth from Magwitch, Dickens demonstrates that his success in migrating from the poorer working class toRead MoreCharles Dickens Great Expectations972 Words   |  4 Pagessensitive. In essence, the narrator not only begins t o yearn for love and acceptance, but he also develops a high desire of becoming a gentleman in order to obtain genuine happiness. According to Pip, being a gentleman is the key to being acknowledged and accepted by his new found love as well as his only way to escape the village life. Subsequently, Pip’s dreams and hopes of becoming a rich gentleman living in the city are finally met even though his quest for true happiness is not. He is met by the busyRead MoreAnalysis: Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens951 Words   |  4 Pagesmany different ways. Pips experiences with multiple people when he was a child provides important stepping stones for his journey in becoming a successful gentleman. Specifically, the people that aid Pip in his journey are: his family, namely Mrs. Joe and Mr. Pumblechook, Estella and himself. In the novel, the author develops the idea that these unfortunate experiences in young Pips life are important because they shape and mold Pip into becoming a successful gentleman. Pips miserable childhoodRead MoreIdentity Development in Great Expectations Essay1383 Words   |  6 Pagesprofound effect on Pip’s identity towards the end of the novel. These life-changing events provide the catalyst for the development of Pip’s character from childhood, his adolescence, maturing into a social gentleman, and finally becoming a self-aware man of society. The novel opens with Pip in a church cemetery explaining the origin of his name and contemplating how his parents would look if they were alive. Early in the novel, Dickens begins setting up small parts of Pip’s identity by tellingRead MoreCharacter Analysis in Pip in Charles Dickens ´ Great Expectations1542 Words   |  7 PagesEstella, to become a gentleman. By attempting to rise in his social class Pip then abandons his previous good morals and his family members when he moves to London. Each character has aspirations for Pip which he believes he must fulfill in order to succeed in life. He also sets expectations for his friends and family and becomes disappointed when they do not meet his aspirations. The pressure from all the characters and the pressure he puts on others eventually diminish Pips ideals, because he believesRead MoreThe Influence of Women1225 Words   |  5 Pagesand Biddy, and he learns important lessons from each of them. In the first few chapters, Pip is immediately introduced as having no living parents and, consequently, being the quasi-adopted orphan child of his sister and her husband, Joe Gargery. Pip’s sister, commonly referred to as â€Å"Mrs. Joe†, is said to have raised Pip â€Å"by hand†, which really means that she abused him. 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Through a refusal to accept that social worth is determined at birth, Pip defies the predated victorian-era class system and proves to himself that hard work and self improvement is the true measure of self worth. The premise for Pip’s questioning of the world around is based upon his ignorance towards his parents’ lives and social standing. Early in the novel, Pip reveals that he had never met his parents, and instead draws narratives of their lives based on the observations ofRead MoreGreat Expectations By Charles Dickens1627 Words   |  7 Pages In Great Expectations, a classic 19th century novel by Charles Dickens, the protagonist Philip Pirrip, primarily referred to as Pip, explores the realms of the world as he begins to discover what it really means to be a â€Å"gentleman† and how social class isn’t as it seems. Pip’s origins derive from his hometown of Kent, where he spends his early years with his best friend and fatherly figure Joe, solely concerned with the guilt of aiding a convict. However, once young Pip encounters cold-hearted andRead More The Theme of Expectations in Charles Dickens Great Expectations 1497 Words   |  6 Pagesexpectation s. Dickens illustrates this theme through the character of Pip, by exploring the idea of ambition and self-improvement. The idea of expectations is the psychological mechanism that encourages Pips development, as he is full of ambition and has Great Expectations about his future. Pips expectations in the novel take three forms: social, moral and educational. By Examining the character of Pip and his three forms of expectations, as well as minor characters, Joe, Magwitch and Estella