CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Pip Phillip Pirip is aptly nicknamed Pip, a word commonly used to denote the seed of an apple. From early childhood well into adulthood, Pip’s budding maturity is the focus of the novel. In keeping with the Bildungsroman genre, Pip is at first an innocent young child whose place in this world has not been well defined. He is an orphan whose only sister finds him a nuisance and a burden; she resents him to the point of cruelty. wo random events happen which at first seem like mere episodes in the life of a child! Pip helps an escaped convict by giving him food and means of escape, and Pip is called to the home of "iss Havisham to entertain her and her daughter. he full conse#uence of these happenings on Pip’s life is not fully known until the end of the novel, but they will determine the ne$t three decades of his life In true Bildungsroman fashion, the hero must become discontent with his life and his station in society. he visits to "iss Havisham are the catalyst for this discontent. discontent. %stella’s disgust for everything &common' introduces introduces young young Pip to shame and and embarrassment embarrassment over his family and his appearance. appearance. He becomes obsessed with uncommon(ness and the desire to overcome his lowly position in order to impress %stella. he inheritance he receives becomes the medium for his social transformation. )ith the money, he can reali*e his dream of becoming a gentleman. )ealth brings with it many vices and soon Pip starts leading a hollow and purposeless life of lu$ury. +nder the influence of false pride and vanity that comes with gentlemanly pretensions, he reects his background and snaps all connections with -oe and iddy. He nurtures the belief that "iss Havisham is his patron and the reason for her generosity is that she wants Pip to marry %stella. hough he occasionally occasionally #uestions the appropriateness appropriateness of his new behavior, he continues to pursue his e$pectations. e$pectations. )hen the truth is unleashed, Pip is rudely awakened from his fantasy world. he reality that his patron is a convict undermines Pip’s so(called &gentlemanliness.' &gentlemanliness.' /s well, he reali*es reali*es at what cost cost he has pursued pursued his dreams. He comes to accept the fact that his participation in the old dream of great e$pectations has hurt genuine people who care for him. He refuses all undeserved wealth and undergoes the ordeal
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of losing %stella to a brute. /ll these events make him wiser and more mature. /t the end of the novel, he is an ordinary man who works to earn his keep. He is able to meet %stella one last time and part as friends, a final testament to the tremendous growth of his spirit. Interestingly enough, enough, Pip is the only character in the novel that 0ickens never describes physically. 1ome outward characteristic, behavior, or gesture defines nearly all of 0ickens’ characters. characters. Pip, however, is a character of transformation. He changes so much in the course of the novel that any attempt to define him by physical e$pression or appearance might lessen the impact of his ourney. his internal growth is the final aspect of the Bildungsroman style 0ickens achieves.
Joe Gargery /s the village blacksmith and Pip’s brother(in(law, brother(in(law, -oe’s commonness commonness is e$pressed in his name! simple, short, and undecorative. undecorative. He is a thorough gentleman at heart and is always helpful. He stands out as a loving figure in Pip’s life. -oe and Pip share a relationship based on love and trust, easily likened to the relationship between between father and son, or brothers. hey play games and participate in friendly competitions among themselves, themselves, in order to enliven the atmosphere of their home. -oe is a simple man who looks forward to the day when Pip will become his apprentice. He has no aspirations other than to be what he is, and to teach his trade to Pip. his is beautifully dramati*ed in the scene, where "iss Havisham insists on paying Pip’s premium as an apprentice. -oe had never wanted such a premium, since he was teaching Pip out of love. He cannot decline the money, but he is careful to make sure Pip and "iss Havisham both know he is teaching Pip out of love and concern, not for financial gain. -oe swells with pride whenever he watches Pip reading or writing. Pip tries to teach -oe all that he learns, and -oe, despite thinking himself &awful dull,' is proud of his learning.
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He marries iddy and they name their son Pip, a gesture of love for the boy who once abandoned them in search of greater things. -oe 5argery, far from being a &mere blacksmith,' is one of the heroes of the novel. 4ver the years, his forgiving nature and gigantic heart have made him a personal favorite of the readers.
Magwitch "agwitch is an interesting character on many counts. For most of the novel, he is unnamed, referred to simply as &the convict' or &Pip’s convict.' 6oincidentally, 6oincidentally, it is during these parts of the novel novel that he appears menacing and evil. He is a dangerous and desperate convict who keeps popping up in Pip’s life. )hen he finally reveals himself to Pip, however, he e$presses love and gratitude, admiration and affection. /t the same time, he is given a name! /bel "agwitch. It is as if these human emotions have transformed him, making him worthy of human distinction. "agwitch is a remarkable man so filled with gratitude over a small incident in the past that he devotes his life to repaying the small boy who helped him. His gesture is so magnanimous that it transforms Pip’s initial disgust into ardent admiration. Pip marvels that "agwitch is a better friend to him than he 7Pip8 has been to -oe. "agwitch is responsible for the changes in Pip, though not as directly as it might seem. rue, his money has made Pip into a social &gentleman.' ut his kindness and loyalty transforms Pip into a responsible adult who regrets his own bad behavior. In short, because of "agwitch, Pip develops into a man who values integrity over wealth.
Estella 9ike -oe and Pip, %stella’s name is a reflection on her character. %stella, like a star 7stellar8, is cold and distant. /fter all, she has been reared from the tender age of three to conduct herself without emotion. Her bewitching beauty captures Pip’s heart and as a young boy, he is infatuated her. 1omehow, despite her cruelty to Pip, she becomes the star of his e$pectations. 6ritics have often dismissed %stella as a two(dimensional character without the tug of emotions.
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seems fair to say that beneath that heart of ice is a simple girl who is honest enough to try and e$plain to others her lack of feeling. Ironically, even "iss Havisham, who has made her the way she is, finds her coldness and lack of love unbearable. In the end, %stella is redeemed by this hidden goodness. 1he becomes 0rummle’s victim, then overcomes that situation to remarry. Pip meets her one final time and they part as friends. 4f all the characters, %stella is remarkable for the perceived commentary she makes on social and class distinctions. 1he is the daughter of a murderer and a convict. y all practical considerations considerations of society in that time, she is a flawed creature. ut it is not her bloodline that tarnishes %stella; instead, it is her vicious and indifferent upbringing. In short, she is ruined by circumstances circumstances and not by birth.
Miss Havisham "iss Havisham has lived to be one of the most memorable characters created by 0ickens, both for her bi*arre appearance and her eccentric behaviors. etrayed by her lover on her wedding day, she literally free*es time in 1atis House. /ll the clocks have been stopped at twenty minutes to nine, the e$act time at which her fianc had abandoned her. 1he wears her wedding dress the rest of her life, till it is yellowed with age and drooping on her thin frame. 1he remains in one shoe, since she had not yet put the other one on. /nd the cake is left on the table to rot. 1he is vivid, dressed in satins and lace and adorned with ewels. 1he confesses not to have seen the daylight in years and has no account of the days or the months or even the years that she has spent in seclusion. %mbittered by the deception of her lover, "iss Havisham seeks to take revenge on the male species. 1he adopts a girl, %stella, and raises her up with the intention of wreaking revenge on men. Ironically, "iss Havisham has succeeded so well, %stella cannot even love her. oward the end of her life, "iss Havisham repents of her bitterness and tries to mend the hearts she has broken. 1he reali*es that she is responsible for the suffering of both %stella and Pip. 1he is redeemed somewhat somewhat by her decision to sponsor Herbert Pocket in his career and by the way she begs Pip to forgive her.
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chapter, long after her death. /ll through the book she is called "rs. -oe. For the most part, she is an unpleasant woman who abuses Pip and makes him feel like a burden. he serious attack by 4rlick impairs her speech, hearing, and sight, and she is bedridden for the rest of her life. 1he is a frustrated woman who has a history of arguing with others, so it becomes difficult to find her attacker. In a sense, she is a victim of her own cruelty, much like 0rummle 7who is later killed by a horse he abuses8. Her illness restores peace and happiness in the house.
Biddy Wopsle iddy is a complete antithesis of "rs. -oe. 1he is calm, friendly, down to earth and loving. 1he also becomes Pip’s friend at the evening school where Pip studies. he school belongs to her grandmother. iddy promises Pip that she will help him become an &uncommon' gentleman gentleman and teach teach him all that she she learns. Pip trusts trusts her and often confides in her. In the initial stages of her friendship with Pip, she develops an infatuation for him. 1he knows that Pip loves %stella. 1he remarks that she is glad to be Pip’s trusted friend and would be happy to remain so. Pip feels immense admiration for her. /t the end, when iddy marries -oe, Pip reali*es that he is not worthy of her. hough he had meant to ask her to marry him, he is glad that -oe did first.
Mr. Jaggers -aggers is a powerful and interesting character. character. /s a criminal defense lawyer, he represents a profession that 0ickens strongly detested. His unsavory career is reflected in the ominous aura of his office, the dubious nature of his clients, and his mannerism of fre#uently washing his hands, symbolic of washing the guilt of his underworld clients from his hands. He is a harsh, businesslike man; everything everything about him seems fierce and frightening. In the end, though, -aggers becomes becomes more comple$ by his admission that he wanted to help %stella when she was a child of three. He pleads with Pip not to ruin her life by telling her who her parents were. hough it contradicts everything everything he has seemed to stand for, it enriches his character, making him seem more real for his parado$ical behaviors. behaviors.
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)emmick is "r. -aggers’ clerk and one of the most universally good characters in the novel. Interestingly, however, he lives a dual life. /t the office, he is stern and officious, in keeping with the nature of his business for -aggers. /t home in )alworth, he is ovial and friendly. He lives with his father, the e$tremely hard(of(hearing hard(of(hearing man known as the /ged P. /nd he is in love with a girl, "iss 1kiffins. )emmick becomes a close friend of Pip’s and advises him on the matter of smuggling "agwitch out of %ngland. )hen Pip’s life is gloomy with despair, )emmick surprises him by escorting him to his own marriage with "iss 1kiffins.
Herbert Pocket Herbert is a simple and uncomplicated uncomplicated character. He becomes Pip’s most loyal friend in 9ondon. hey first meet as young boys at "iss Havisham’s house when Herbert Herbert dares Pip to fight, and is promptly knocked down. /s their friendship develops, Herbert helps and supports Pip through hard times. He is a hard(working boy with aspirations of business success that Pip finds unlikely. 9ater, however, in appreciation of his friendship, Pip secretly e$tends financial help to Herbert in order to make his dreams a reality. 9ater, when Pip has reali*ed the futility of his own great e$pectations, e$pectations, he follows Herbert’s e$ample and even works for him as a clerk. /ll along, Herbert has been practical while Pip was lost in his dreams. He is a good stabling influence on Pip.