Miss Havisham's Attitudes towards her Relatives in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations

Miss Havisham's relationship with her relatives is even more loveless than her relationship with Pip in Charles Dickens's Great Expectations . Georgiana, Sarah Pocket, Cousin Raymond, and Camilla are the aging relatives of Miss Havisham who don't have an inch of love for the woman but are greedy for her money. They buzz around Miss Havisham like flies. Miss Havisham is well aware of this, and a number of times refer to her dead body laid out as a meal for her relatives on the same table where her decaying cake now sits.

A number of characters in Great Expectations are dominated by a greed for money. When Pip goes o Miss Havisham’s house for the second time, he finds a number of Miss Havisham’s relatives there. He calls those relatives “toadies and humbugs”.

Herbert Pocket- Herbert Pocket is a member of the Pocket family, Miss Havisham's presumed heirs

Camilla –Camilla is an ageing, talkative relative of Miss Havisham who does not care much for Miss Havisham but only wants her money. She is one of the many relatives who hang around Miss Havisham "like flies" for her wealth.

Cousin Raymond -Cousin Raymond is another ageing relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her money. He is married to Camilla.

Georgiana - Georgiana is another aging relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her money.

Sarah Pocket- Sarah Pocket is one of her relatives who are greedy for Havisham's wealth.

All those relatives seek after money. They all expect monetary advantages from Miss Havisham. They all visit her on her birthday in order to win her favor. They inwardly hate her because of her prosperity. Their visit to Miss Havisham is based on greed, hoping to please her enough to be given some of her money at her death.

Miss Havisham is the victim even of her lover’s greed for money. Her lover robbed her of a lot of money and then deserted her. Miss Havisham has learned that the possession of money is no guarantee of avoiding cruelty and unhappiness. So, she withdraws her from the outer world as much as possible and decides to live in isolation.

Mercenary attitude of people is reflected through Miss Havisham's relatives. Her relationship with her relatives is based on money and power. They may conceive enough hate for her but cannot refuse to have undue advantages from her. The greed of these persons also portrays the materialistic society of that time.

Significance of the Title of Charles Dickens's “Great Expectations”

The title of Charles Dickens’s novel Great Expectations mainly refers to Pip’s "great expectations" which are many dimensional and ever-evolving. His great expectations arrive in the form of his fortune and are embodied in his dream of becoming a gentleman. These expectations also take the shape of his longing for a certain cold star named Estella. Each of the three parts of the novel treats a different expectation, and we watch how Pip changes in the face of his changing expectations.

Pip undergoes 3 phases in his life, in which he has different expectations:

The first stage of Pip’s expectations

Pip is a poor orphan living with his sister and her husband the blacksmith. He has an encounter with an escaped criminal on Christmas and the help he gives him results in the criminal setting him up with a secret inheritance. One day a lawyer comes and says that he has money coming or "great expectations" and he has to have a different education now that is he is to be a gentleman rather than a blacksmith.

The title also alludes to the idea of great things to come or things that are expected to come but aren't there yet.

The second stage of Pip’s expectations

When Pip receives riches from a mysterious benefactor he snobbishly abandons his friends for London society and his 'great expectations'.

The third stage of Pip’s expectations

On his arrival in London, Pip’s initial impression is London is unattractive and dirty. Nonetheless, his great expectations lie before him, and he is informed by Jaggers and his clerk, Wemmick, of his new living quarters. When Pip turns 21 years old, he visits Jaggers for further information on his expected fortune and hopefully the identity of his benefactor. Jaggers tells him he will have an annual allowance of 500 pounds until his benefactor is made known to him, but refuses to tell him when his benefactor will be revealed to him. He also tells Pip that when his benefactor is revealed, Jaggers’ business will end, and he need not be informed about it.

In yet a fourth (metafictional) sense, we can say that the title refers to the readers’ great expectations, which Dickens builds upon for his wonderful plot twists. All of these layers of meaning in the title make for a rich reading experience.

Dickens portrays the expectations of other characters very efficiently in the novel .

Miss Havisham’ Expectation

Miss Havisham is the wealthy, eccentric old woman who lives in a manor called Satis House near Pip's village. She is manic and often seems insane, flitting around her house in a faded wedding dress, keeping a decaying feast on her table, and surrounding herself with clocks stopped at twenty minutes to nine. As a young woman, Miss Havisham was jilted by her fiancé minutes before her wedding, and now she has a vendetta against all men. Her expectation is to obtain revenge on the male sex and so she adopts Estella and deliberately raises her to be the tool of her revenge, training her beautiful ward to break men's hearts.

Magwitch’s Expectation

Magwitch and Pip first meet when Pip is a boy and Magwitch an escaped convict. Magwitch does not forget Pip's kindness in the marshes, and later in life devotes himself to earning money that he anonymously donates to Pip.

Magwitch’s expectation is to make Pip gentleman in a full sense and so his expectation is great.

The sad irony of the title is that expectations are never great. A man is what he does. A man who expects to be given is a parasite and a fool. The title has something to do with the nature of Pip's perception of society. He comes from a poor blacksmith family and has these great expectations of what he's missing out on. As the book progresses these "great" expectations become less and less great to Pip. He meets Magwitch (as Uncle Provis) and he is just realizing how much he'd rather be back at home at the forge than live out all of these great expectations he had for the rich social class.

The Symbolic Setting or the Significance of the Setting of 'Great Expectations'

The setting establishes the mood in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. The opening pages of the novel set a gothic mood. Charles Dickens opens the story with a young boy in a graveyard. It is dark, dank and terrifying, and "growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry is Pip.Then, an evil convict pops out at Pip threatening his life unless he brings him food and a file. The dark, creepy graveyard sets the evil scene for this to occur. Miss Havisham is an evil woman who lives in a house "of old brick, and dismal, and had many iron bars to it." This sets an eerie and strange mood to the story and almost a feeling of wonder, for who would live in a house like the one described. The mood of the story is often set by the setting, as was the case in this novel.

The setting can tell many characteristics about the character that lives within. Charles Dickens creates settings that are like subtle characters. Though not named, these "characters" have a big impact on the story. Pip's kind brother-in-law, of which he lives with, was a blacksmith. "Joes forge adjoined our house, which was a wooden house, as many in our country were." (671). Pip's family is a common one.

They do not have an exquisite home or a great deal of money, they were just like everyone else: common. Joe's forge is a good place. Joe says that there is always room at the forge for Pip though his sister wished to turn him away. The forge tells of Joe's warmth and kindness. Though he may be average, he has a big heart. Miss Havisham is an evil person, who lives in the past. Her house is also evil. "the first thing I noticed was the passages were all dark, and only candle lighted us." (688). Her home is dark and invested with old, dreadful memories that haunt Miss Havisham. These memories turn her evil. Estrella is a young girl that lives with Miss Havisham. She carries the candle through the dark passages, so she is even the slightest bit good, though she hurts Pip emotionally, physically, and mentally. The setting can tell the reader much about a character.

The setting of a story can further or support the theme. One theme in Great Expectations is that even a good person will do evil things when exposed to evil. Pip is a young innocent boy who is scared into stealing from his family by an evil convict. This happens on the graveyard, an evil place, where a good young boy begins to loose his innocence. Estrella is a young girl who lives with Miss Havisham, an evil person.

Miss Havisham's home is dark and the only light comes from a candle that Estrella carries. This symbolizes that Estrella is the only good in the house even though she is now almost fully corrupted by the dark enveloping her candle, Miss Havisham. She enjoys abusing Pip even when she realizes he likes her. She hits him and puts him down, telling him that he is common. Miss Havisham tells her to break his heart and she accomplishes this goal. Miss Havisham corrupts the innocent Estrella. The setting supports the theme of a good person will do evil acts when exposed to evil.

The setting is an important part of a novel. It helps the story progress. The setting helps the reader visualize where and when the story takes place. The setting establishes the mood of the entire story. Charles Dickens uses places like characters that tell about the inhabitant. The setting is also used to advance the theme. The setting of a story plays an important part in the narration of a story.

Picture of the Victorian Society in Great Expectations

Great Expectations reveals Dickens’s dark attitudes toward Victorian society such as its inherent class structure, flaw of judicial system, contrast between rural and urban England and immorality of high class. In Great Expectations, he also depicts several educational opportunities that highlights the lack of quality education available to the lower classes.

Throughout Great Expectations, Dickens explores the class system of Victorian England, ranging from the most wretched criminals (Magwitch) to the poor peasants of the marsh country (Joe and Biddy) to the middle class (Pumblechook) to the very rich (Miss Havisham). It is not only that there were several classes, but there also existed class distinction or class consciousness. The people of the upper class, so called gentleman did not mix with the people of the lower class. It is seen through Pip’s uneasiness on Joe’s arrival at London.

This is Dicken’s sharp criticism that a fake Victorian gentleman Pip becomes ashamed of his old childhood friend Joe’s presence at his lodging in London. When Biddy, by writing a letter, informs Pip that Joe is coming at London, Pip cannot be happy: rather a growing discomfort seizes him. Inwardly, he does not hope Joe’s coming to meet him at London where Pip lives with a sophisticated society. Pip’s snobbishness rises to such an extent that he once thinks that if it would be possible, he could bid Joe away offering him some money. When Joe meets him, Pip shows a cold and disinterested attitude to him. He feels a sense embarrassment for Joe’s clumsy behavior, loose coat, and old hat. However, Joe clearly recognizes Pip’s treatment of him, and decides not to settle down in his room for the night. Similarly, Pip’s snobbery is obvious when he, on visiting his home town, does not settle down on the smithy with Joe, rather takes a room at an inn.

The shocking fact was that the people of the higher class or gentlemen also got the different treatment from the judicial system. They were highly punished, while the people of the lower class got the comparatively harsh punishment. Magwitch fell a victim to injustice and ruthlessness of law enforcing agency. They passed a harsher punishment (14 years imprisonment) for Magwitch than the original villain Compeyson (7 years’ imprisonment) simply because Magwitch had previous records of criminal activities while Compeyson seemed a gentleman with good and upper social lineage.

A marked difference existed between the rural and urban England. The lives of the rural people were still very simple. They were honest and caring. But the people of the city like London became complicated as well as complex. For example, pip has arrived in the metropolis and has taken a look around. He is not much impressed by the locality in which Mr. Jaggers has his office. He finds this locality called “Little Britain,” to be full of filth. Mr. Jaggers office is itself a most dismal place.

The housekeeper, a woman of about forty, kept her eyes attentively on her master all the time that she was in the dining-room. Pip also noticed that, during the dinner. Jaggers kept everything under his own hand and distributed everything himself. In the course of the dinner, Jaggers, a shrewd lawyer as he was, extracted whatever information he wanted from each of his guests.

The picture of rural England, is given through the Joe’s family. In the opening chapter we find, an orphan boy, named Pip who lives with his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, who is married to the blacksmith, Joe Gargery. The family, consisting of the blacksmith, his wife, ad the latter’s little brother Pip, lives in the marsh country, down by the river, within twenty miles of the sea.

People specially the members of the upper class became immoral. A number of characters in Great Expectation are dominated by a greed for money. When Pip goes o Miss Havisham’s house for the second time, he finds a number of Miss Havisham’s relatives there. He calls those relatives “toadies and humbugs”.

Herbert Pocket- Herbert Pocket is a member of the Pocket family, Miss Havisham's presumed heirs.

Camilla –Camilla is an ageing, talkative relative of Miss Havisham who does not care much for Miss Havisham but only wants her money. She is one of the many relatives who hang around Miss Havisham "like flies" for her wealth.

Cousin Raymond -Cousin Raymond is another ageing relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her money. He is married to Camilla.

Georgiana - Georgiana is another aging relative of Miss Havisham who is only interested in her money.

Sarah Pocket- Sarah Pocket is one of her relatives who are greedy for Havisham's wealth.

All those relatives are seeker after money. They all expect monetary advantages from Miss Havisham. They all visit her on her birthday in order to win her favor. The inwardly hate her because of her prosperity. Their visit to Miss Havisham is based on greed, hoping to please her enough to be given some of her money at her death.

Miss Havisham is the victim even of her lover’s greed for money. Her lover robbed her of a lot of money and then deserted her. Miss Havisham has learned that the possession of money is no guarantee of avoiding cruelty and unhappiness.

Mercenary attitude of people is reflected through Miss Havisham's relatives. Her relationship with her relatives is based on money and power. They may conceive enough hate for her but cannot refuse to have undue advantages from her. The greed of these persons also portrays the materialistic society of that time.

Through his portrayals of teachers in Great Expectations, Dickens symbolized the varied educational opportunities and what they offered. Mr. Wopsle’s great aunt illustrates the lack of education available to the working class. Like the education she offers, this old dame is "ridiculous," "of limited means," "and unlimited infirmity". She is so insignificant, that she has no name. This emphasizes the insignificant amount of knowledge she offers her students. Just as she is a distant relative of a church clerk, her school is a distant relative of the church’s attempts at educating the poorer class.

Other educational options existed in Victorian England but were reserved for those who could afford it. Pip is elevated to one such opportunity when a mysterious benefactor pays for his "gentleman’s education." Matthew Pocket illustrates this type of education. As indicated by its tutor’s name, this genre of education was reserved for those who had "full pockets." Unfortunately, it was bestowed upon many who would find little use for it. These "gentlemen" were not expected to work. Mr. Pocket, a Cambridge graduate, provides a scholarly education that like his own pursuits leads to "loftier hopes" that often fail (185; ch. 23). This type of education produced self-serving individuals who offered no benefit to society. It costs a great deal of money for Pip to "contract expensive habits" (197; ch. 25). His expensive habits put him in debt, yet his scholarly education leaves him "fit for nothing" (316; ch. 41). Almost a comical situation, if you are not living it. Even an expensive education yields very little benefit for Pip and society. 

Great Expectations was a magic mirror for England’s Victorian society. In Great Expectations, Dickens provides a vivid picture of the working-class struggles with the existing educational opportunities.

Influence of Biddy and Estella on Pip in 'Great Expectations'

In Dickens’s Great Expectations, we find throughout the novel the hero, Pip, learns through sufferings. He develops and gets maturity through society, through the development of his selfhood, and his realization of which people actually cares about him. Pip would not have to worry about any of these issues if it were not for Estella’s influence in his life. the influence of Biddy is also not less important from moral point of view.

At the beginning we see him as a naive but after meeting with Estella, Pip has completely changed. It is the turning point of his life when he first meets with her. So, Estella displays an enormous power over his thinking unlike Biddy. But the influence of Biddy is more admirable than Estella. Biddy is always pleasing to him whereas, Estella is always tormenting to him. After, the meeting with Estella Pip becomes ambitious, whereas from Biddy he gets practical preparation for his future life. So, it is seen that the influence of Biddy and Estella on Pip is very far-reaching which will be clearer in the later discussion. There are marked gaps in their 1st meeting, their family bond and their treatment with Pip. When Pip first meets with Biddy, she is presented as Mr. Wopsele’s great-aunt’s grand daughter, and helps her grandmother run the evening school. An orphan girl live Pip, she is rather bedraggled in appearance in early day, her hair always wanting brushing and her shoes mending. However, Biddy’s appearance and manner improve as she grows up. When Mrs. Joe is assaulted, Biddy moves into Joe’s household as her attendant. In this novel, she also shares the quality of compassion, simplicity, self respect etc. This dignified caring attitude of Biddy is contrasted with the self-seeking, selfishness of Estella who wishes to use or flatter Pip for her own ends.

Estella is the daughter of Magwitch, a convict, and Molly, a servant for Jaggers. Although her roots are extremely common, she is raised in nobility because M. Havisam adopts her. She is the tool of M. Havisam to destruct the male hosts. When Pip first meets her he immediately overwhelmed noticing her pretty grown hair and her manner, though she is in fact about the same age he is. She despises the coarse ways of the common laboring boy Pip, but ironically Pip falls in love with her. Before meeting with her, Pip never realizes that anything could be wrong, or that there could be anything might need to change. After the meeting, Pip now begins to question everything in life. She sets a struggle between Pip’s personal ambition and his discontent, which Biddy teaches Pip the error of his ways and shows that being common is not so bad.

Biddy is gentle, sympathetic, and kind-hearted to Pip. She is much more realistic and self-controlled in her emotions than he is and can see his faults. When on a Sunday afternoon walk on the marshes he tells Biddy that he wants to be gentleman and why she gives him sensible advice. She tells him that Estella is not worthy of his love and he should not live his life to please her. She also says that indifference can work more than an active nature or feigned love for strategic purposes. In this way, she tries her best to instill realism in Pip. On the other hand, Stella’s beauty leads him to fall indirectly into Miss Havisham’s trap and he tries to change himself to have a chance with Stella. In Pip’s youth the feelings of guilt and shame continue in his way to become a gentleman to win Estella and achieve his ambition, which leads him to enhance embarrassment for Pip. He gradually more aware and ashamed of Joe’s limitations, especially his illiteracy and his lack of social ease who is actually the best sole model he has.

Pip does not want to be seen around the forge, especially for Estella. He feels depressing particularly by the thought that Estella might see him there. Later, when Pip receives his great expiations, he automatically assumes that the expectations come from M.H. and Estella is expected in these expectations. Pip thinks that he has to become a gentleman for Estella. Because of this, he begins to look down upon Joe when Joe meets with him in London. He terms Joe as stupid and common. So, we see that because of Estella’s influence, he begins to become what he thinks a gentleman should be. But his decision proves wrong, as he starts to grow within a false modesty, gentility etc. He has become so blind by the false inspiration of M.H that he even does not see the hollowness behind it. She inspires him to love Estella. He can do nothing but follow M.H’s orders as he begins to believe that after obeying her, he will get Estella.

Pip holds on to the dream of having Estella until he finds out that she is marrying Drummle. At this moment all of his hopes for Estella are rushed. His self-deception about gentleman and his hope of getting Estella lead to another Pip. He now begins to realize what a horrible man he has become, and that he has shunned all who really care for him. His utterance: “I wish I had never left the forge” shows his moral regeneration.

At an early stage of life, when Pip is raw and unfeeling enough, he could tell Biddy that he loved her if his inspirations had not stood in the way. Now at this middle age of his life, purged by his various experiences and trials, he grows into an awareness of Biddy’s true nature. At the end of the novel, he hopes to go his old home on the marches, to marry Biddy and perhaps to return to work in the forge with Joe. Later when he finally come his village he is struck seeing that she is married with Joe. Then he realizes his own faults, that she too is a person in her own right, with her own desires and feelings. In this way, Biddy helps to reveal Pip’s growing snobbery.

At the end of the novel, we see Estella and Pip, meet at the old Satis-House when they are both very changed from their past. Pip is over Estella, out of money, and has full respect for Joe and Biddy. Estella too has learned from her sufferings and has become a wiser person, able to understand Pip.

'Great Expectations' as a Bildungsroman Novel: Pip’s Moral Regeneration

Great Expectations can be said as a study of human psychological development and a Bildungsroman novel. This is Dickens’s distinctive style plot that while developing plot structure he, at the same times, externalizes the inner workings in Pip’s psyche. To serve the purpose, his adoption of first person narration, of course, plays a good part both in developing plot and facilitating the readers to have a close glimpse of the central figure in the novel, Pip. In one sense, this grand and huge novel, voluminous can be called a work dealing with the moral regeneration of Pip.

The outliving may be like this- Pip gets a chance from an unknown benefactor (Magwitch) to be a gentleman, his original moral strength and values are dimmed/ blurred/ clouded coming in contact with a London higher class embedded in money, show, pride and revenge and false gentility. However, Pip being a snob at this time can not detect the dark side of this luxurious social class and keeps himself aloof from his real well-wishers and childhood friends like Joe, Biddy, and pays respect and homage to people like Miss Havisham, Jagger. Gradually through the novelist’s dramatic techniques of suspense, humor, dialogue and denouement, the knots of the incidents are opened and Pip recognizes his real benefactor ( Magwitch – a criminal and convict) and thus is cursed of his snobbish behavior. His moral regeneration starts. The clouds which covered his original goodness pass away and once again he enables to see man as man recognizing the proper worth of basic humanity. At last he retains his original power of morality and returns to his real friends (Joe, Biddy, and his real home, the forge).

From his early boyhood Pip was good, gentle, and morally strong. He does not show any sign of villainy and notoriety at his boyhood. His conscience always keeps awake under the proper guidance of Joe and Biddy. He develops a strong moral sense and good values. However whenever he is forced to commit an evil deed or to tell a lie; he suffers a mental disturbance. In the marsh scene, he is terrified at Magwitch’s ill treatment and he is forced to commit crimes: to steal a file and some food from his sister’s house. Under Magwitch’s threat he promises that he must do so. But after stealing food and a file, he becomes restless and uneasy. He can not get rid of his guilt feelings. He thinks that he has betrayed Joe and his sister. However, he retains his basic humanity and shows pity for an outcast by giving the file and some food and drink to him. Though Pip provided the demanded things to the convict under Magwitch’s force, Pip shows deep compassion for him. This is quite obvious when in the course of their conversation while Magwitch takes the food to the marsh, Pip confesses:

“Pitying his desolation, and watching him as he gradually settled down upon the pie, I made bold to say, `I am glad you enjoy it.'

`Did you speak?'

`I said I was glad you enjoyed it.”

Such a humble life Pip leads in the village with his great friend Joe. He is apprenticed to Joe, the blacksmith. Though he is unhappy to live with his cruel sister, he certainly had consolation as he got love and affection from Joe Gargery.

In fact, Pip’s confrontation with Miss Havisham and Estella and their circle is the turning point in the development of his personality. So, far he had been unconscious about class distinction – he was indifferent that he belonged to a “commoner’s class“. Going to the Satis House he feels for the first time in his life his inferiority complex which was absent in his simple innocent life style. The occasional visits to the Satis House, playing cards with Stella, her scorn of his coarse hands and unpolished manners made him utterly uneasy and disturbed. He lost mental peace and calm. In one hand, he becomes fascinated with Estella’s physical charm and beauty; on the other hand, he is hurt by her scorn and continual torture concerning his belonging lower social class. One seems to be at his horns of dilemma. After a long period of mental torture and frustration, he comes to the point that he must be a gentleman to win his scornful beloved.

In fact, Estella enkindled a fire in his heart to ascend to the social ladder to become a gentleman. Afterwards, Pip’s meeting with Magwitch on the marshes and his help to the latter with food and file is the turning point in Pip’s rising as a gentleman. Magwitch later on works on his project of making a gentleman of Pip through his lawyer Mr. Jaggers.

Thus, Pip has been taken to London to be brought up as a perfect London gentleman according to the wish of the convict Magwitch, his benefactor. But, Pip is kept to be in the dark concerning the supposed identity of his benefactor. However, the young man is, to some extent, feels relaxed and ease thinking that Miss Havisham is his real benefactor and Estella is supposed to be married to him. Gradually, he starts his lessons and other necessary instruction with Mr. Herbert Pocket at London. Very soon he acquires the outward appearance of a “gentleman” along with his growing snobbery. He has undergone a lot of change in his outlook. Previously, he was a commoner who became the butt of extreme scorn and criticism by Estella. Now, he thinks that he has developed a gentlemanly attitude and etiquette. He begins to feel a kind of uneasiness and incongruity for his past life with Joe and his sister at the smithy. His snobbery is made to be exposed on the occasion of Joe’s London tour.

When Biddy, by writing a letter, informs Pip that Joe is coming at London, Pip cannot be happy: rather a growing discomfort seizes him. Inwardly, he does not hope Joe’s coming to meet him at London where Pip lives with a sophisticated society. Pip’s snobbishness rises to such an extent that he once thinks that if it would be possible, he could bid Joe away offering him some money. When Joe meets him, Pip shows a cold and disinterested attitude to him. He feels a sense embarrassment for Joe’s clumsy behavior, loose coat, and old hat. However, Joe clearly recognizes Pip’s treatment of him, and decides not to settle down in his room for the night. Similarly, Pip’s snobbery is obvious when he, on visiting his home town, does not settle down on the smithy with Joe, rather takes a room at an inn. He always feels that if he took shelter at the forge, his newly developed gentlemanliness would be hurt. Thus, Pip betrays his childhood friend Joe and Biddy and his original morality is dammed for the time being. He terms Joe as stupid and common. He has grown into a false man with coming in contact with money and fortune.

Pip holds on to the dream of having Estella until he finds out that she is marrying Drummle. At this moment all of his hopes for Estella are rushed. His self-deception about gentleman and his hope of getting Estella lead to another Pip. He now begins to realize what a horrible man he has become, and that he has shunned all who really care for him. His utterance: “I wish I had never left the forge” shows his moral regeneration.

Pip also begins to spend too much money and goes into debt even with his secret benefactor giving him money. Through the novelist’s dramatic techniques of suspense, humor, dialogue and denouement the knots of the incidents are opened and Pip recognizes his real benefactor- Magwitch a criminal and convict and all his dreams are shattered. He cannot believe a criminal had been supplying him with money all this time.

His moral regeneration starts in this stage. The clouds which covered his original goodness pass away and once again he enables to see man as man recognizing the proper worth of basic humanity. Pip tries to repair all his relationships with people he mistreated and loved. Pip finds Herbert a good job even if it means Pip using some of his own money. Pip also tries to help Magwitch escape. Although Magwitch does not escape, Pip makes Magwitch happy before he dies telling him that he has a daughter and that he is in love with her. Pip also helps Miss Havisham discover the error of her ways. She is happy Pip has shown her this and would like to give Pip some money to help him with his debts. Pip does not take the offer and knows that he himself must work hard to pay off his debts. Pip then goes to his home in the marshes. Joe pays off all his debts and their relationship is now repaired. Pip also meets Little Pip, the symbol of rebirth. Pip fixed all his problems and was never again faced with them because he decided to live with the people he loved, Joe and Biddy, his family.

Pip’s behavior as a gentleman has caused him to hurt the people who care about him most. Once he has learned these lessons and matures into the man.

Use of Humour in Great Expectations

Dickens is very apt in using humor and his novel Great Expectation is full of the humorous elements which greatly delight us. Dickens produces humor by describing some amusing sense or characters which provoke laughter. Dicken’s use of humor makes the novel more appealing to the reader.

Dicken’s art of characterization is the source of much of his humor. He puts his characters into some incidents which provoke character. Early in the novel there is a chapter in which a Christmas dinner party given by Mrs Gargery has been described. The whole chapter has been written in a humorous vein. For example Joe Gargery offers gravy to Pip secretly. Each time Pip is rebuked or snubbed by Mrs Gargery or by any of the guests. Again the manner in which Joe Gargery narrates the story of his life to Pip is very amusing. We also have an amusing description in this chapter how Mrs Gargery prepares Pip to accompany Uncle Pumblechook to Miss Havisham’s house. She pounces upon Pip like an eagle on a lamb. She squeezes his face into wooden bowls in sinks, and his head is put under taps of water-butts. He is “soaped and kneaded ad toweled and thumped and harrowed and rasped.” Joe and Mrs. Joe have a comedic relationship in the way she pushes him around, and Joe himself is funny when his country ways clash with Pip's newfound class. Wemmeck and his father (Aged P) are probably the most humorous characters. Wemmeck is always doing something quirky, and his wedding provides comic relief near the end of the novel while so much drama is happening. As Wemmick and Pip enter the Church, Wemmick says: “Here’s Miss Skiffins. Let’s have a wedding.” He refers to his father as his “Aged Parent”.

Dickens describes the physical features of a character in such a grotesque way that it provokes laughter. Uncle Pumblechook is describes as “a large, hard-breathing, middle-aged, slow man, with a mouth like a fish, dull staring eyes, and sandy hair standing upright on his head.” Mr. Wopsle is a man who has “united to a Roman nose and a large shining bald forehead”. In the same way, Mr. Jaggers is a burly man and Wemmick has a post-office like mouth. Dickens particularly distorts the appearance of two of his women characters. Miss Havisham has an unsavory appearance. Mrs Joe has an offensive appearance and behavior, which provides much of the humor.

Dickens takes delight in presenting comic set-piece scenes. Mrs. Joe uses without provocation to punish both her young brother, Pip, and her husband, Joe, in the beginning of Great Expectations.
The behavior, mannerism and speech of Joe Gargery are treated with humor. Joe’s manner of telling his past and his faulty words and grammar are humorous. The mannerism of Jaggers also produces humor. His awe-inspiring personality, his use of handkerchief and his washing hand with scented soap are amusing.

There is much humor in the manner in which Pip and Herbert sits down to prepare memoranda of their debts. It is quite amusing to find Pip making a provision for marginal increases in the total of his debts. There is humor also in the manner in which Mr. Pocket’s anxieties are described. “In the mean time Mr. Pocket grew grayer and tried oftener to lift himself out of his perplexities by the hair.” This refers to a mannerism of Mr. Pocket who, in his troubled moments, used to try to rise from his chair with his hands clutching his hair.”

Thus Dickens shows extraordinary skills in his use of humor. The novel is pervaded by Dicken’s sense of humor. He can make his readers laugh at a character or a scene. His originality in presenting humor is interesting.