Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a novel that focuses on the life of Philip Pirrip and his expectations. Throughout the book these expectations change and as they do, the reader comes to realise the key theme of how a characters upbringing and environment can dehumanise them. This essay will examine this key theme and how it demonstrates and helps the reader understand Pips growth as a character.  Initially, Pip is a very compassionate and sensitive character. We see this right from the start as the first scene describes him at his families grave crying. The reason for this behaviour at this stage of the book is Pips sister and guardian Mrs Joe Gargery. She concluded by throwing me- I often served her as a connubial missile-  This quote shows that Pip feels in most ways inadequate to his sister and that this domination is the reason for his sensitive and compassionate appearance at this stage of the book.  However, when Pip receives his expectations from Mr Jaggers, and he moves into lodging with Herbert, this domination is no longer valid. As Pip falls deeper and deeper into debt with his flippant spending, he moves further away from Joe and his old home. This gap becomes more apparent after Mrs Joes funeral, when Pip has an awkward conversation with his used to be good friend Biddy. In this conversation Pip presents himself as much more of a selfish and uncompassionate young man: Biddy, said I in a virtuously self-asserting manner, I must request to know what you mean by this?  This quote demonstrates Pips growth as a character as it shows the speed at which he has changed into more arrogant and self-righteous Pip since his childhood. It helps the reader understand the theme of how a characters upbringing and environment can dehumanise them, by showing that in his new, wider-boundary environment, Pip has become somewhat dehumanised. This dehumanisation is demonstrated in this conversation, as Pips manner is made to seem selfish and arrogant to underline the gap between Pips humanised place of upbringing and his somewhat dehumanised state in London. After Mrs Joes death, Pip seems more compassionate and thoughtful. This is because his visit back to his place of birth has helped him realise the change that he has undergone while he has been away by showing him the emotional distance he has put between himself and his family, and the consequences these distances have had on his relationships with his friends and family back home. This compassionate change is reinforced when he sets up Herberts job in a bid to see his friend more financially stable. I did really cry in good earnest when I went to bed, to think that my expectations had done some good to somebody.  This quote shows that Pip has realised the main theme of how a characters environment and upbringing can dehumanise them, by acting in this compassionate and thoughtful way. Also by referring to Herbert as somebody at the end of this quote, Pip shows the reader that he does not believe that his expectations have done himself that much good. In conclusion, Pip reacted throughout the novel towards his environment and upbringing in both negative and in the end positive ways. At the beginning of the novel, he seemed a very modest and sensitive young boy. However when he receives his expectations this marks the beginning of the changes and dehumanisation that he undergoes whilst he is in London. Thankfully though, after his experience at Mrs Joes funeral Pip realises these changes that he has undergone and endeavours to be more compassionate and thoughtful. This shows the reader that Pip has almost completed a full circle of growth, in terms of his behaviour in relation to his upbringing and environment, and this was reinforced by the main theme of how a characters upbringing and environment can dehumanise them.