Great Expectations Essay

Submitted By vinters
Words: 447
Pages: 2

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a hard book to read, if you’re not an avid reader or exceedingly interested in the story I would not recommend it. The novel revolves around a young orphan boy, pip, living with his elder sister and her husband. Pip is content with his life and looks forward to working in the forge with his brother-in-law, Joe; he’s appreciative of what’s been done for him. His moral dilemma begins with his acquaintance with an escaped convict, as terrified as he is he’s still polite and even helps the convict by stealing him food and a file for the iron on he’s leg (he later assists in the mans recapture) but the notion he conceives of his betrayal to his family haunts him. In the beginning pip is a good boy, very critical of his own actions. Then, he’s called on by a wealthy old woman, Miss Havisham; whom he knows nothing of and is introduced to Estella. Everything changes for Pip after his visit to the Havisham Estate. Estella is cruelly critical of his poor social status, for the first time he takes notice of how course his hand are and how thick his boots. He begins to despise himself and the forge he’s doomed to be held prisoner. With each visit he becomes more and more enamored with Estella; she begins to drive him mad with lust. After being brutally convinced Miss Havisham wants nothing more to do with him, Pip discovers he’s been given a considerable sum of money from an unknown benefactor. He’s immediately certain that Miss Havisham is responsible and resolves to invest everything he now has into becoming a proper