Love & Guilt in Great Expectations
THE ISSUES OF ‘LOVE’ AND ‘GUILT’ IN “GREAT EXPECTATIONS”
Because Charles Dickens’ novel “Great Expectations” focuses on the growth and development of the most important character who functions as both Pip the narrator and Pip the protagonist, this novel is called a bildungsroman. In this context, it is of great significance to understand or analyze the character of Pip so that we can draw a conclusion from his actions in the novel. The aim of this essay is basically to discuss the two significant issues of ‘love’ and ‘guilt’ together in this mid-Victorian novel concerning mostly the main characters Pip, Miss Havisham, Estella, Biddy, Herbert and Joe.
Right from the early chapters of the novel, the reader gets to know that even though Mrs. Joe is Pip’s elder sister, Pip feels close to Joe, Mrs. Joe’s husband, rather than his own sister who never shows him any affection; let alone affection, she even threatens him with her “Tickler” whenever she thinks Pip has done something wrong. Consequently, it is not abnormal that Pip grows to love Joe much more than her. In this respect, Joe symbolizes goodness, kindness, and loyalty despite his uneducated self and he still cares for Pip even after Pip leaves and (almost) forgets about Joe. Actually, Pip becomes disdainful of Joe (and Biddy) when he goes to London to become a gentleman upon being informed that he has a secret benefactor. Nevertheless, the reader feels that Pip still loves Joe, but he does not want to see Joe for the simple reason that he is uneducated and he may make Pip ashamed with his uncultivated manners. Thus, although Pip seems to forget about Joe, he still has a strong conscience which enables him to seek for his original uncorrupted feelings towards Joe; Pip the narrator is perfectly able to judge his own bad actions that he did in the past, especially against Joe, and he feels a very strong sense of gulit as a consequence. On the other hand, Joe is aware that his
Because Charles Dickens’ novel “Great Expectations” focuses on the growth and development of the most important character who functions as both Pip the narrator and Pip the protagonist, this novel is called a bildungsroman. In this context, it is of great significance to understand or analyze the character of Pip so that we can draw a conclusion from his actions in the novel. The aim of this essay is basically to discuss the two significant issues of ‘love’ and ‘guilt’ together in this mid-Victorian novel concerning mostly the main characters Pip, Miss Havisham, Estella, Biddy, Herbert and Joe.
Right from the early chapters of the novel, the reader gets to know that even though Mrs. Joe is Pip’s elder sister, Pip feels close to Joe, Mrs. Joe’s husband, rather than his own sister who never shows him any affection; let alone affection, she even threatens him with her “Tickler” whenever she thinks Pip has done something wrong. Consequently, it is not abnormal that Pip grows to love Joe much more than her. In this respect, Joe symbolizes goodness, kindness, and loyalty despite his uneducated self and he still cares for Pip even after Pip leaves and (almost) forgets about Joe. Actually, Pip becomes disdainful of Joe (and Biddy) when he goes to London to become a gentleman upon being informed that he has a secret benefactor. Nevertheless, the reader feels that Pip still loves Joe, but he does not want to see Joe for the simple reason that he is uneducated and he may make Pip ashamed with his uncultivated manners. Thus, although Pip seems to forget about Joe, he still has a strong conscience which enables him to seek for his original uncorrupted feelings towards Joe; Pip the narrator is perfectly able to judge his own bad actions that he did in the past, especially against Joe, and he feels a very strong sense of gulit as a consequence. On the other hand, Joe is aware that his
Bibliography: 1. Sell, Roger (ed.). Great Expectations, Contemporary Critical Essays. London: Macmillan, 1994. 2. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/greatex/themes.html 3. http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/dickens-expect.html 4. http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/hum/eng/classes/434/geweb/WOMENAND.htm