The main theme of this story is to emphasize the value of affection, loyalty, and morality to your

life. These traits are far more important than, say, social advancement, wealth, or class. Over the course

of the story, Pip, the main character, learns this lesson all too well. When he first receives word of an

impending fortune coming his way, he is told he must move to London, England, and become a

gentleman by climbing up the social ladder. He accomplishes this, but in doing so, he alienates the

people he once loved and had a lot of affection for. Becoming a gentleman was a fairly easy thing to

accomplish, as he acquired the wealth that was necessary for the title. However, there were many traits

of his that required improving, such as his inability to act like a gentleman. Pip’s longing to become a gentleman stems from his love for Estella that has persisted since his

childhood. He wishes to rise to her social class so that he can marry her. However, the novel tries to

establish that social advancement is not as important as personal connection when it comes to a

relationship. Unfortunately, that’s how it was back then. Pip’s life as a gentleman was no more satisfying

to him than his life as a blacksmith’s apprentice. Later in the story, we find out that Estella was never to

marry Pip, but instead raised to break his heart. There were three ways in which Pip wanted to improve himself: morally, socially, and

educationally. You can see that he wanted to improve himself morally because he was harshly critical of

himself whenever he behaved in a manner that was not up to his personal moral standards, such as when

he essentially turned his back on his family in order to become a gentleman in London. These moral

wrongs cause Pip to grow as a person throughout the course of the novel. He is harsh on himself and he makes up for it by improving how he acts.

When Pip finds out that his benefactor is the criminal that he helped out years ago when he was

only a child, he feels as if he doesn’t deserve it until Abel Magwitch explains that he did it because he s

saw good in Pip’s heart. This relieves the moral crises in the book, as Pip feels