Great Expectations Character Analysis

Adapting one’s behavior based on changed situations is something all humans do, and most of the time it is an essential part of being successful in today’s society. In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens the main character Pip goes through some dramatic life changes over the course of his adolescence and young adulthood. He transforms from a poor boy living in the marshes of England to a London gentleman through a generous and anonymous benefactor. During his journey from lower to upper class, Pip’s great expectations shift with his circumstances and along with them, his behavior and attitude towards others.

In the beginning of the text, Pips expectation was that he was going to apprentice under his brother in law, Joe, as a blacksmith
In Chapter 27 after Pip has come into his fortune and moved to London, his expectation is that he will live out the rest of his life in luxury with wealthy friends. Joe sends a letter informing Pip that he will be visiting his home. Pip is not happy to hear this because while he has moved up in status and become a well dressed and well educated man, Joe is still a common labourer with improper manners and little money. He does not want his wealthy acquaintances, even ones he does not favor like Bentley Drummle, to see that he associates with Joe. In the text Pip says, “I had the sharpest sensitiveness as to his being seen by Drummle, whom I held in contempt. So throughout life our weaknesses and meannesses are usually committed for the sake of the people whom we most despise” (230). This shows that at this point in his life, Pip’s social standing is so precious to him that he is ashamed to be seen with someone whom he was once close with because that person is not privileged. He pushes Joe away and chooses to value unhealthy and superficial relationships over familiar relationships that hold
Havisham, a rich woman he knew as child. With this assumption came the expectation that she became his benefactor in order for him to be able to marry her niece, Estella. This caused him to replace his family and those who care for him with Estella, who had no real feelings for him at all. Once he learned that the escaped convict Magwitch he helped so long ago was actually his benefactor, it shifted his view on his situation. While at first he was revolted by the idea that this unseemly criminal was his benefactor, he started to realize the error of his ways and how selfish he had been to throw everything that was once of great importance to him away for a woman who did not reciprocate his feelings. After he learns this information Pip says, “I would far rather have worked at the forge all the days of my life then I would have ever come to this!” (363) which demonstrates that once he realized that his situation was not what it seemed, Pip began to realize that what he felt so long ago at the forge with his family and friends was better for him than any material