Great Expectations Deception Analysis

Some people think that we return to the “good old days” because it was a “simpler time”. There are Twitter posts glorifying beach outings and idolizing the kind of “gentlemen” men were in the 1950s. Although nostalgia has a powerful effect on memories, there was a dark side in the 1950s in America. Time after time, we see in history crimes that are committed, but then forgotten. These crimes, varying in severity, have become punishable under laws that have been put in place over the past centuries. Though Great Expectations by Charles Dickens we see parallels of crimes that are committed against laws that are set, and crimes of morality that are committed against the characters themselves. In the novel Great Expectations, deception, domestic …show more content…
Deception is a potent theme that is present throughout Great Expectations. Deception is a driving force that characters in this novel use to mask their social class and personality. Multiple times, the deception of social class is used to impress or deceive another person of a person of a higher social class than their own. An example of deception of social class is when the main character Pip is going to be sent to Uncle Pumblechook’s house overnight for a commitment Pip has with the very wealthy Miss Havisham the following morning. Pip says the following quote when describing how Mrs. Joe (Pip’s legal guardian) prepares Pip for his commitment with Miss Havisham, “When my ablutions were completed, I was put into clean linen of the stiffest character, like a young penitent into sackcloth, and trussed up in my tightest and fearfullest suit.” (91). This is one of the first forms of deception of social class that Pip is exposed too. Pip’s normal attire, even in his “Sunday best”, does not include an ablution or fitted attire. This major effort is created to make Pip more presentable and less “common”. Pip is not a part of the upper class, and yet he is presented to be like he is to be a part of the upper class. Pip is dressed this way to bring honor to his family name, and not become a disgrace. The deception of personality can be best seen through Estella, Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter.

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