Pip feels very blank and confused about becoming apprenticed to be a black smith because it was his childhood dreams of becoming a blacksmith but now as he crew up and had a ‘Great Expectation’ of becoming a gentleman he changed his mind and didn’t want to become a blacksmith any more and he felt ashamed of it. Now poverty has developed Pip’s character.
Pip changes his attitude towards his choice of career when he was summoned to Miss Havisham’s house and Miss Havisham gives Pip an unexpected gift of money which gives Pip a ‘great Expectations’ of becoming a gentleman so he changes his choice of career from a blacksmith to be a gentleman. “…It is a most miserable thing to feel ashamed of home…” this quote shows us his quilt towards home because he says that he is ashamed of home and how miserable it is to feel that way. “…home had never been a pleasant place to me…” this quotation is showing us that Pip’s home wasn’t ever pleasant to him at all showing the quilt he had to his home and family.
“My heart was beating so fast, and there was such a singing in my ears, that I could scarcely stammer…” this was Pip’s reaction when he got the news to go to London to be raised as a gentleman. Pip was so excited that his heart was hammering incredibly fast. Pip wasn’t very sure who the mysterious benefactor was but he had the slight suspicion in a fine way that the benefactor was Miss Havisham.
“What I had meant was that when I came into my property and was able to do something for Joe, it would have been much more agreeable if he had been better qualified for a rise in station.” This quotation tells us that if Joe was in Pip’s property he would have done much more, it means that Joe hasn’t been agreeable and helpful. Now Pip’s attitude has gone worse for his family, his character towards his family has changed a lot. He is now ashamed of his social class.
Later in the story Pip gets a letter from biddy. The letter was very formal this is very unusual because you don’t get a letter that is formal from a family member or from a close friend. This tells us that the relationship between Pip and his family is getting more distant. In the letter biddy uses words like “…Mr Gargery…” instead of his first name Joe which shows that Pip’s relationship with his family is getting more distant. Pip feels very disappointed about Joe’s proposed visit to London. “…Considerable disturbance…”, “…Mortification…” these were Pip’s Feelings towards Joe showing that he didn’t want Joe to come to London and that Joe would be a great disturbance to him and that he is going to embarrass Pip again.
In chapter 57 and 58 of the story we can see that Pip’s condition is critical because he is very ill and might die. He was in great pain he had aching limbs, heavy head and no power to get up or sit up in his bed. He also had a debt problem he had to pay or he would be arrested. We can notice that his condition is very dreadful at this point of the story. Pip’s attitude has changed towards Joe and Biddy at the end of the story. Pip was lying on his bed at his worst point of his illness and he saw Joe looking after him. Pip was so delighted to see Joe but he was amazed to see him being good himself, now Pip’s attitude had changed towards Joe they were now best of friends again. They called each other “…Old chap…” to show that they were friends again.
Conclusion
Throughout the story of Great Expectations written by Charles Dickens, I have been looking at Pip’s character and change of attitude and character. From the start of the story he is a young boy living with his sister when his family died from common diseases. Later in the story Pip encounters an escaped convict and then he gets summoned to Miss Havisham’s house, in Miss Havisham’s house his life begins to change. Pip changes his attitude towards Joe at meeting with Miss Havisham because he was embarrassing, he changes his choice of career because he feels ashamed of it, he changes his attitude towards his family and feels guilty of feeling ashamed them, and he leaves to go London to become a gentleman, he gets angry because Joe has a proposed visit to London and at the end of the story he is rejoined with his family and he is friends with Joe again. I think Pip learned a lot from his experiences. He has learned that your best of friends are always your best of friends he learned this when Joe came to him when Pip was very ill and looked Joe after him.
Great expectations Original writing assignment: Pip’s diary entry 1: Meeting with the convict. Dear diary Today when I woke up the weather was all dark and pale. It felt like so boring and drowsy and it felt like it was getting darker by the minute so to make much of my day I thought that I should head off to see my mother, well my mother that had died. I was at the graveyard it was all dark and sinister but I had to risk it to see my mothers grave.
While I was going back home, suddenly I saw a huge arm grab me out from the shadows from nowhere, he squeezed my arm so tight that it was going to break like it would when you step on a broken branch. He was out from the shadows when I noticed him; he was the size of three men put together as I looked down I saw chains on his foot. I made the guess that he was a convict. The convict then forced me to bring him a filer and some food. I was so terrified when I smelt his breath; it smelt like he had swallowed a living rat which I’m sure he did.
Diary entry 2: My day at the Satis house. My day at the Satis house didn’t go much well but still it was alright for getting nervous and anxious about it. The bad part was that Estella girl. She kept insulting me and I wasn’t treated very well from her but this was just the begging. The day got much more worse when it was the time for me to leave, when Estella came with the keys to the gates she accused my of crying I tried telling her that I didn’t but she wouldn’t listen. Well actually I did cry even dough it is hard to admit it but I didn’t want Estella to know. Apart from this I thing Estella was the prettiest girl I have ever seen. Apart from this the day was good I had met Miss Havisham she was a kind and gentle lady. Oh I can’t wait until my next arrangement.
Diary entry 3: My shame. Now I feel ashamed of my family and especially from Joe. For me it is the most miserable thing to be ashamed from home but home hasn’t been at all pleasant to me. I even feel ashamed to be black smith I have changed my mind I want to become a gentlemen now. I feel very guilty for my shame but I am not happy the way my life is going.
Diary entry 4: Joe’s visit. This morning I got a letter from Biddy it was unusual but I read it. It said that Joe was going to town, to London. I didn’t feel pleasant at all the truth is that I didn’t want Joe to come at all. If I could have stopped him by paying him money I would have done so. I wouldn’t want him to come and embarrass me with his Sunday clothes and the way he tries to act smart and play the role of a gentleman, he makes me so irritated. I definitely don’t want Joe to fall in Benny Drummle’s way because Benny would have made fun of him and me emulating me in front ladies and gentlemen.
