Pip grows Essay

Pip grows up as a blacksmiths assistant yet he had always truly wanted to be a ‘gentleman’. He is stunned when he receives a copious amount of money from an unknown source. Pip quickly jumps to the assumption that his new found wealth had been provided by Miss Havisham. He goes to thank her and she carries on leading him down the wrong belief that this wealthy benefactor is her. Pip wishes to become a gentleman and traveled to London to complete his learning. He meets many characters that help him on his way through life. Pip becomes a stuck up snob who cares for nothing but himself and though he believes he is becoming a ‘gentleman’ he is only becoming rude, self obsessed and unable to see clearly once again. His actions were idiotic and lead to his own destruction when he becomes in debt and unable to help himself. He then find out to his surprise that the convict he helped so long ago when he was simply a troubled little boy is his benefactor and not Miss Havisham. I feel it is now that Pip comes to the realization that his images of Estella and Miss Havisham were only illusions and did not tell the truth that lay deeper in their dark hearts and personalities. Pip, however, is still obsessed with Estella and will not admit it because of his pride and snobbery. Miss Havisham repents her cruelty and also allowing Pip to believe she was something that she was not. Miss Havisham wishes for forgiveness and begs it from Pip. He however, he does not give it to her and she dies violently in a fire while Pip is with her in her house. Magwitch is then sentenced to death because of his return to England, Pip and two others then plan to help Magwitch by getting him abroad and out of danger but they fail to save him because they are stopped by the river-police and they find Compeyson onboard. Magwitch and Compeyson fight and struggle Compeyson drowns and Magwitch escapes with brutal injuries. He then dies later in prison and on his death bed tell pip that his daughter and Pip are in love. Magwitchs daughter is Estella. This news hits Pip and he is left alone while he sets up his own business with the very little money he had sense to save. Unfortunately he becomes ill but lucky for him Joe rescues him and pays off his debts. It is now Pips turn to repent his snobby actions and returns to Kent with the hope to marry Biddy. He find out that she is already married to Joe. Pip then goes abroad and returns seven years later only to meet Estella in the ruins of Satis House. It is there that they hint that they will be united. This is The story after his first two life changing encounters. Pip develops his character in many ways, especially in ways that were unexpected as when we first met him he seemed to be a boy who at such a young age had understood the identity of things and was kind and caring even through the hardship so early in his life. This does show that the money he received not only changed him but later helped him to see clearly in the way he had when he was just a young innocent boy. He suffered so much in his life but we as an audience must realise he did bring the majority of it on himself. It was brought through his snobbery and rejection of those that would have always been true to him no matter what and the reality that they did stay true to him. In a twisted way his money, snobbery and later suffering helped him in appreciating his life. If it was not for the late suffering he endured however her would not have redeemed himself and this point is crucial. Although it is hard to believe Miss Havisham and Estella could have experienced true feelings we do see that they learn to have genuine feelings of love and sadness. Miss Havisham shows her feelings with many thanks to Pip. The reason I say this is because when Miss Havisham realises the depth of Pips love for her adopted daughter Estella who she taught to hate and destroy men she remembers her love with Compeyson. She then remembers herself and understands her sins and does the only thing she thinks she can do. She takes responsibility for her actions. Miss Havisham asks for Pip’s forgiveness, helps Herbert Pocket and leaves and fortune to Herbert’s father. All of these self less acts show Miss Havisham, for on last time, became in touch with her feelings that she left behind so long ago. Estella not only show that she has feelings but she is understood as someone similar to Pip. Ignore her disdain and the audience will understand that she too was an orphan and a victim. They share so many similarities yet are separated so much by different positions in both life and society. They both use their surrogate parents to extract revenge from society. Pip uses Magwitch and Estella, of course, uses Miss Havisham. Estella is presented as a hated character because of her lack of care and love but she is to no extent evil she is only living and acting how she thinks she should because of what Miss Havisham taught her. Estella was taught many lessons but not to love. She is honest in admitting this and does not try to deny it. She tells Pip that she will toy with all men but not him and this presents a type of loyalty. I am certain that Estella knew of Pips love for her but she did not love him back because if the simple reason that she did not how to. Estella did show that she had some feelings for Pip when she allowed him to kiss her in their childhood. After her failed marriage I think that She came out of it scared of the world and the things she did not understand like love and I think she was scared of herself because she did not know how top react to situations due to the lack of information she was granted by Miss Havisham when she was young and innocent. Estella was a strong and proud character but she needed to be loved by someone that was not using her to succeed where they did not (Miss Havisham) or to just use her (Drummle). Although this novel was written more than 150 years ago its themes of love, snobbery, suffering and redemption are still relevant today and will still be relevant in another 150 years. I think that Charles Dickens was not ahead of his time when he wrote this, I feel he was at a point in his life were he had realised ‘†¦ the identity of things.. ‘ for himself. He knew like anyone who reads this book that these characters are not one person they represent so much more than that, society as a whole. Their suffering can be read into and developed more to explain difficulties we, the audience, go through today during our life. I can guarantee you that each and every character and their story will relate to another person in this world today and a person in the future too. Charles Dickens wrote this novel to help us understand what he did. This book is about life and death and all the pieces in between. A griping novel and a book which has one page to relate to a different part of life or a different life all together.