Great Expectations Essay

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved" whispered Helen Keller. Within Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, many characters experience suffering which in the long run helps them achieve great expectations. Pip, for example, almost goes through the whole story suffering in both physical and emotional ways. Joe and Mrs. Joe, Pip's sister and her husband, suffered through their whole life and are now over encumbered with the task of raising Pip. Pip's life isn't entirely abject though, Pip can luckily reach contentment as well through friends and family. Throughout the entire story Pip achieves his goal of becoming a gentlemen through his ability to find contentment and his suffering. Pip's ultimate goal of becoming a gentlemen was reached by his ability to find contentment in his life. Pip left a lower class life and traveled to London to learn how to become a gentlemen to impress Estella. Half way through Pip's journey, Pip believed that the person funding Pip's gentleman training was Mrs. Havisham who adopted Estella. But Pip faced the cold truth when he met his real benefactor which was the convict at the beginning of the story, also known as Provis Magwitch. Pip narrated, " For now my repugnance to him had all melted away…I only saw a man who had meant to be my benefactor, and who had felt affectionately, gratefully, and generously toward me with the great constancy through series of years. I only saw in him a much better man than I had been to Joe" (475). At this point of the story the reader can see a turning of attitude in Pip. Pip realizes that he isn't happy with his current life standing. Pip made some mistakes by leaving the place he knows for a girl that he wouldn’t end up with. Pip took a tough gamble and he lost it. Pip begins his true journey to becoming a gentlemen from this point on. Pip desires to make everything right back at his roots with Joe and Biddy. Everything leads back to the beginning though. At the beginning of the story, Pip met the beautiful Estella. Pip instantly fell in love. Estella's expectations for a man differed from Pips lifestyle so Pip needed to become the man that Estella would love. This began Pip's journey to becoming a gentleman. Pip left his lifestyle with Joe and Mrs. Joe to embrace the "acceptable" upper class. Towards the end of the story Pip realizes his mistake and feels ashamed to return to his original home. Pip explains, "The sky was blue, the larks were soaring high over the green corn, I thought all that countryside more beautiful land peaceful by far than I had ever known it to be yet. Many pleasant pictures of the life that I would lead there, and of the change for the better that would come over my character when I had a guiding spirit at my side whose simple faith and clear home-wisdom I had proved, beguiled my way" (508). With Pip's description of the country side the reader can infer that since the beginning of the story, where it was very gloomy and dark for Pip, Pip's attitude toward life and the marshes has changed. Pip is happier now than the beginning which is represented by the beautiful blue sky. Pips contentment is finally reached and Pip can continue his life happy and as a gentlemen. Suffering is a huge part of Pip's life that leads him to becoming a gentlemen. Pip suffers the minute he meets Estella and he realizes that he can't have her due to his social class. Pip goes through all the trouble of going to London and learning there to achieve a successful and higher class. Pip has to go through leaving Joe, living with Jaggers, and learning all the ways of a successful man. Pip was head over heels for Estella. At the end of the story Pip realized, " I was very glad afterward to have had the interview, for in her face and in

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