Great Expectations
Ralph Waldo Emerson said," Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be." In Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, the reader follows Pip through his struggle with his own expectations of himself and what he thinks is expected of him by the society around him. In Pip's overwhelming desire to meet the expectations of his unknown benefactor and become a gentleman, he is driven only by the goal of gaining the love of Estella. He disregards the love of Joe in search of his unattainable love for Estella, learning too late how quickly life passes you by. Phillip Pirrip, or Pip as he is affectionately known, was orphaned as a small child and left to be raised by his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery and her husband. Joe, a blacksmith was more Pip's friend than a father figure. Mrs. Joe Gargery never let either of them forget how difficult it was for her to raise Pip up "by hand" and serve as Joe's wife. Joe and Pip found solace in their friendship and were able to live happily despite Mrs. Gargery's temper and fondness of striking with "the tickler", a switch she used to beat both her husband and her brother. While visiting the local cemetery, where his parents are
This is a life quite different from the one he had led with Mr. I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the growing road to manhood and independence. As she grows, Estella learns life's lessons from Miss Havisham who teaches the young girl to break men's hearts. She wears the same wedding dress and jewels. My dread always was that this knowledge on her part laid me under heavy disadvantage with her pride, and made me the subject of a rebellious struggle in her bosom," Pip remembers (Dickens, 281). His decision to live for the future and Estella has replaced the comfort and love he found with Joe in the past. Although Pip finds comfort in the home he once knew, he is insulted when Biddy suggests that he will not visit Joe as often as he says he will. " Returning home only for a short, surprise visit that happened to fall on Joe and Biddy's wedding day, Pip set off to make a life of his own. He realized that the less you expect, the more you receive. He attends the town's school and befriends the headmistress's granddaughter, Biddy, who teaches Pip everything she knows. The clocks in the house have been stopped and no light enters the rooms. Ever the best of friends (Dickens, 439). He dreams of learning more and becoming a gentleman.
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Acceptance Essays
