It is said that true growing in character comes from a venture in the dark, a self-generated act without the benefit of experience. It begins with the credence of our ain failings and apprehension of our possible within. In the coming-of-age novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the chief supporter of the narrative, Pip, shows enormous character growing through hazard and finding. Set in early Victorian England, the novel closely defines Dickens ‘s clip, when great societal alterations were revolutionising the state and many people were traveling to the metropolis in hunt of greater economic chance. In the novel, Pip ‘s rise from a little town state boy to a metropolis gentleman forces him to set from one societal extreme to another, while covering with the rigorous order that ruled Victorian England. Through the three chief phases of his life, Pip undergoes assorted personal and societal alterations that alter his mentality on life, with each phase of his life characterized by a different degree of growing. The first phase of his life is marked by dissatisfaction within himself, coupled with high societal aspiration. He goes through emotional growing during this phase. The 2nd phase, in contrast, follows his journey towards being an up category gentleman and the compulsion of wealth & A ; category that follow him. He demonstrates great societal growing in this phase. Finally, the last phase of his life is characterized by his ripening as a character, as he learns that true growing is a merchandise of one ‘s ain traits, and non 1s wealth and category. The most of import, personality growing, is present in this last phase of his life.
At the start of the novel, Pip is a immature, orphan male child who is content with his ordinary life and unbeknownst to what lies beyond it. This attitude of his, nevertheless, alterations after passing months of clip with a affluent old maid, Miss Havishan, and her beautiful girl, Estella. Pip starts going influenced by their societal etiquette and comes to value what they seem to value, which is wealth and high societal stature. After being told by them that he is n’t acceptable by society ‘s criterions, he begins to oppugn himself and his outlooks within himself begin to lift. “ ..Within a individual twelvemonth, all this was changed. Now it was class and common. ” Seeds of aspiration are placed in his head, as he wishes to avoid his preset life as a blacksmith. “ aˆ¦ I had believed in the forge as the glowing route to manhood and independency. ” ( Pip- Pg. 106 ) . This non merely shows growing in his political orientation, but besides high aspiration. Old ages after the incident, Pip receives intelligence of an chance to analyze abroad in London, made possible by a cryptic helper. Falsely believing it to be Miss Havishan, Pip excitedly thinks about the possibility of populating a life as a gentleman and the chance of future lucks involved. He is so enticed by his aspiration that he forgets for a minute about the people in his life. “ I was lost in the labyrinth of my hereafter lucks, and could non retrace the byway we had trodden together. ” ( Pip- Pg. 142 ) . This shows emotional growing, as he is willing to go forth everything in his life behind to trail bigger dreams. In short, these two events mark the first phase of his life.
After old ages of analyzing and populating abroad in London, a really of import twenty-four hours in Pip ‘s life arrives- his 21st birthday. Officially proclaiming him grownup, it signifies greater freedom for him. “ You consider it aˆ¦ a fine-looking amount of money. Now, that fine-looking amount of money, Pip, is your ain. It is a present to you on this twenty-four hours, in earnest of your outlooks ” ( Jaggers- Pg. 289 ) . Turning grownup non merely represents growing on a physical degree, but besides on a societal degree for Pip. Pip now has full control over his finance, every bit good as his life. It besides means that he is now looked upon everyone as “ Mr. Pip. ” This is a contrast to the beginning of the novel, when Pip is shown as a immature, timid male child. However, the thirster he lives as an upscale gentleman, the greater his compulsion of wealth and category binds him. This is clear when Joe, Pip ‘s brother-in-law, comes to see Pip in London. Because Pip worries that his co-associates will look down upon Joe, Joe ‘s visit is held slightly awkward and brief. Joe leaves Pip by stating him, “ Life is made of of all time so many farewells welded togetheraˆ¦one adult male ‘s a blacksmithaˆ¦ and one ‘s a goldworker… Divisions among such must come, and must be metaˆ¦ . ” ( Pg. 222 ) Using the footings ‘blacksmith ‘ to depict himself and ‘goldsmith ‘ to depict Pip, Joe implies to Shoot that his longing for societal promotion has mostly overshadowed his basic goodness. In the chase of wealth and category, Pip has hurt the people who care most about him and disregarded moral values. He does, nevertheless, show societal growing, taging the 2nd phase of his life.
Time passes for Pip, till one dark a cryptic alien enters his flat tardily at dark. Pip realizes it is Magwitch, a inmate who he had helped out as a immature kid. Horrified, Pip learns that Magwitch is his ‘mysterious ‘ helper, as opposed to Miss Havishan. In the outrageousness of the state of affairs, Pip realizes that Magwitch is still a inmate whose life is in danger. “ aˆ¦ I was ever full of frights for the roseola adult male who was in concealment… and that any black grade on its surface might be his ( Magwitch ‘s ) pursuersaˆ¦ “ ( Pip- Pg. 382 ) Pip is concerned for Magwitch ‘s safety and offers to assist him. Additionally, in acknowledging his debt to Magwitch, Pip starts recognizing that wealth and societal position are non requirements to happiness and esteem as he had one time thought, but instead symbols of mercenary desire. Magwitch was of a lower societal category than Miss Havishan, yet still helped him. This new attitude of Pip ‘s is reinforced in the last portion of the novel, when Pip decides to see Miss Havishan ‘s sign of the zodiac for the last clip near the terminal and negotiations to Estella in the garden. “ To me, separating is a painful thingaˆ¦ We are friends, ” said I… I took her manus in mine, and we went out of the destroyed topographic point… ” -Pip ( Pg. 399 ) . Despite being treated in cold blood by Estella throughout his life, Pip shows compassion towards her. This shows that Pip has eventually matured into a full grown gentleman. The compulsion for wealth and category that one time plagued him and made him move in cold blood towards others is now gone, replaced with unconditioned love and compassion towards others. This, in kernel, represents his true personal growing as an person. Pip eventually understands what in life is most valuable, taging his tierce and last phase of his life.
In decision, Pip demonstrates model character growing as he goes through assorted personal and societal alterations. Through the three chief phases of his life, Pip experiences different types of growing. In the first phase, Pip demonstrates emotional growing through lifting societal aspiration and outlooks within himself. In the 2nd phase, he shows societal growing by going a gentleman. However, in his chase of success, he loses some of his inbred good qualities. In the last and concluding phase, he demonstrates great personal growing by recognizing that wealth and societal position are non the requirements to happiness, but instead symbols of philistinism.
