In the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, three people have a very firm hold of Pip’s future.
The first of these characters is Joe, the kind-hearted young man, who loved Pip very much. Second, Estella, who is the attractive, cold-hearted young lady whom makes Pip love her all his life. Last, Miss Havisham, the lady who raises Estella, and makes her hurt all men, and break their hearts. These three people have much to do with Pip’s destination or expectations as it is so eloquently put. Joe always stood up for Pip.
He married Pip’s sister, Mrs. Joe, only because he wanted to have Pip with him. Joe withstood all of Mrs. Joe’s meanness just to be with Pip, even though Pip does not show love towards Joe. Joe is not very intelligent, but he is a strong man.
He takes satisfaction in being a blacksmith, and he has pride in himself. He believes in integrity, and he always treats people politely. An example of how Joe treats people is in the beginning of the story, when Pip’s criminal is apprehended. When the criminal says that he is sorry for eating the pie, Joe says, “God knows you’re welcome to it-so far as it was ever mine!”.
Joe helps Pip with anything and he is always with Pip when needed. Joe is one of the characters in this story, that Pip will always recollect. Miss Havisham persuades Pip to tell her what he thinks of Estella, and then taunts him. Her view of love is “Blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving your whole heart and soul to the smite, like she did”. She tells Pip to love Estella. She makes Estella physically attract Pip.
Miss Havisham pushes Estella to the limit, and ends up hurting Estella and herself as well. Miss Havisham is the one person in the story that can honestly be called evil. Estella made Pip want to become a gentleman. Miss Havisham had Pip come to her house and play cards with Estella, when he was young. She also, made Estella hurt Pip.
She took Estella’s heart, and made her have no feelings at all. Pip continues his visits, until he is apprenticed to Joe. Estella is ashamed of her background and the life that she is living. Miss Havisham has instructed her to hurt the entire male race. Estella says that her heart is cold.
She is infatuated by beauty, and is loyal for a time to Miss Havisham. When she wants something, she usually gets it. She uses Pip, to get other men. She also uses other men.
Estella thinks of the men hovering around her as, “Moths and all sorts of ugly creatures hover about a lighted candle. Can the candle help it?. She marries Pip’s rival, Mr. Drummle, who beats her, and lives a hard life. When Estella and Pip meet again, it is at the “Satis” House. Estella has learned how to love, and what it feels like to be hurt.
In conclusion, you can see why these characters emotionally, mentally and physically, controlled Pip’s expectations in life. This novel not only expresses how people had an effect on Pips life, but also give insight to how our friends and family can affect our own expectations in life. In essence this novel is a great learning tool to how we can set our own expectations in life.
