Great Expectations Character Analysis Essay

In Charles Dickens novel, Great Expectations, emerges around a young boy who grows up to being a “gentleman”. A young boy who seems to have no sense of identity, an orphan moved from place to place. Young Pip is an orphan brought up “by hand” by his short tempered, foul mannered sister, whom is married to a blacksmith Joe Gargery. Feeling he is a burden on his sister, young Pip is delighted at being given the opportunity to go off to London to improve himself and his life, he takes off with Miss Havisham`s nephew Herbert Pockett. This move changes young Pip, he disregards his life with the Gargery`s, the life he has once lived. The character of Pip in the novel is seen to portray characteristics of one who is snobbish, selfish and portrays dandyism. These characteristics are made evident in a number of instances throughout the novel.

Pip shows a sense of selfishness which is noted in his thoughts and actions. The selfishness is shown in Pip`s thoughts “It is a miserable thing to feel ashamed of home” ( Dickens106), this is rather selfish of Pip to have such thoughts for no child should refer to home as a

Instances of this attitude are made evident whereby Pip seems to have seen his opportunity of going off to London as key to “winning” the love of his life, Estella, perhaps Estella will notice his success and change her attitude toward him, perhaps Estella will eventually fall madly in love with him like he is in love with her. This is of someone who portrays dandyism, cares much about how they appear. Another point of dandyism shown by Pip is the confession of the lies he has told Joe, Mrs Gargey and Mr Pumblechook regarding his visit to Mrs Havisham “I wish my boots weren`t so thick, nor my hands so coarse. I knew I was common and I that I wished I was not common” (Dickens90). Pip seems to care much about his appearance that it makes him feel