Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. What is the Social Status in Great Expectation - Essay Example

Client’s 23 May Great Expectations Social status plays a key role in our lives, how society sees us matters a lot. Great expectations is a classic novel which dwells more into social status and how it affects our lives. More light will be thrown upon the same in the following part of the paper. Great Expectations was written by Charles Dickens and it is regarded as one of his finest works ever. The protagonist in the novel is a small boy who matures and learns his traits as time passes by. The novel is all about Pip and how he advances in his life, in the opening few lines of the novel, Pip hardly has the desire for self improvement but as he comes in contact with Estella, he determines to get better in order to impress Estella.

Moving to London changes Pip’s life and his expectations, he comes to par with Estella in terms of manners and education. There are more intriguing factors in the novel than one, to arrest the immediate attention of the readers Charles Dickens kicks off this novel on a Christmas Eve. It is certain for the readers to become curious as they read this novel and their curiosity is very well satisfied by Charles Dickens and this is exactly what keeps the readers glued to this novel. This paper will throw light upon the process of maturation that Pip undergoes to become the man he is at the end of the novel.

A comprehensive analysis of what Pip learns about himself will also be presented in this paper. The metamorphosis of the character of Pip is easily the highlight of this novel. Pip is an orphan boy in the novel and he has been adopted by a blacksmith’s family. Initially Pip has all the luck in the world that he needs in order to fulfill all his expectations but at a later stage he realizes that he has completely run out of luck. This novel presents a beautiful description of how a person realizes the worth of friendship and love through the character of Pip.

Pip has very little expectations when he lived with Mr. and Mrs. Joe his adopted parents. He is completely satisfied with his friends circle and does not seem to be a demanding kid as most other kids are. All this changes in a jiffy when he is hired by an opulent lady, called Miss Havisham. Pip develops a strong liking for the adopted daughter of Miss Havisham, Estella. He decides to let go off his simplicity and turn into a gentleman to please Estella. Pip maintains a good relation with Joe his adopted father and tries to learn the qualities expected of a blacksmith.

Pip believed that he would grow up to be a Blacksmith but little did he know that the future has something completely startling in store for him. The introduction of MR. Jaggers brings a real twist in the novel; the lawyer announces that an anonymous benefactor has left handsome property for Pip and Pip assumes that benefactor to be Miss Havisham. Pip transform and matures into a better human being when MR. Herbert Pocket teaches him good manners and impart good education. He learns how to be a part of a cultured society and how to talk to cultures people.

All this was unknown to him prior to his visit to London because he was brought up in such a way that he had no access to good education and no one bothered to teach him good manners etc because everyone took it for granted that he would follow in the footsteps of his adopted Father MR. Joe, who was a blacksmith. Pip experiences friendship as well as rivalry in this stage of his life. There were many rivals who tried their best to please his lady love Estella, the most promising among them was Bentley Drummle.

Pip certainly learnt all the good things that a well mannered man is ought to possess but to the dismay of all the readers, he ends up developing a class attitude found in well educated men, this is very evident from the novel when Pip visits Joe and he gets really embarrassed by Joe’s illiterate ways. Another interesting chapter in the novel unfolds when Pip comes to know more about the anonymous benefactor. He is completely flabbergasted upon knowing that the benefactor is none other than the convict he helped in the early chapters of the novel.

Upon knowing this fact, his expectations change and the whole story completely changes. The last part of the novel presents startling reality. Pip learns that he has to part with his artificial life and start living in the reality, the same presents moral and financial challenges in front of Pip. “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.

” (Great Expectations C59, February 2009). This is the revised ending of the novel and it suggests that Estella and Pip reconcile and live happily. The novel shows the transformation of Pip, from being the adopted son of Joe to becoming a part of the posh society in London goes to show a complete transformation of the character of Pip. He becomes ever forgiving and forgives Miss Havisham for whatever wrong she did to Pip and also for the way she brought up Estella. The transformation of the character of Pip is one of a kind and it is very rare to witness the same in any other novel, this is exactly what makes Charles Dickens a special novelist.

References Great Expectations. In The Literature Network. Retrieved from: Bibliography Bradbury, Nicola. Charles Dickens's "Great Expectations." New York: St. Martin's Press, 1990. Brooks-Davies, Douglas. Charles Dickens: Great Expectations. London: Penguin, 1989. Calder, Angus. Introduction to Great Expectations. Penguin, 1981. Carlisle, Janice, ed. "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens. Bedford Books of St Martin's Press, 1996. Connor, Steven. Charles Dickens. London: Basil Blackwell, 1985.