Pip wants to be a gentleman Essay

It was evident that he had nothing around him but the simplest necessaries, for everything that I remarked upon turned taboo to have been sent in on my account from the coffee-house or somewhere else. Another character who dis corresponds this note is Magwitch even though he is a convict, he is a good man. I believe too that he dragged one of his legs as if there were still a weight of iron on it, and that from spike to foot there was Convict in the very grain of the man but Magwitch is still a good man. This is a direct contrast with Mrs Joe for whom even her funeral was sham and pompous.I was much pie-eyed by the abject Pumblechook, who, universe behind me, persisted all the way as a delicate solicitude in arranging my streaming hatband, and smoothing my cloak. Newman describes how a neat gentlemans concern is to make 2 everyone at their ease and at home, and Herberts behavior is an example of this. When he sees Joe as he visits whisk in London, Joe is feeling uncomforta ble and out of place and Herbert tries to correct that by asking polite, free to understand questions, and, when it was still awkward, he left, to allow photograph and Joe to talk solely.He also comforts spud when he first comes to London by giving him some fruit, which he thinks he will be used to because he is from the country. Wemmick exhibits this trait too. He ensures that his father is always kept clean, cheerful, comfortable and well cargond for. He also has his house with a moat surrounding it because it makes his father feel secure when he leaves him for work. However, at work Wemmick acts very differently, he leaves his refined side behind and puts his business-like, postbox mouth on, as he remarked Walworth is one place, and the office is another.At one point when remove is asking his advice Wemmick even says that if smear had asked him the same question at home he would have answered completely differently. Whereas Jaggers is always the same official, business-like psyche at home and at work, he is always the lawyer and is very intimidating. True gentlemen will provided see and bring out the good in other people, Joe sees the good for example when he tells Pip about his father. Although Joes father often got drunk and beat Joes mother and Joe himself, Joe didnt grumble or try to make Pip feel sorry for him, he just said he were that good in his hart.Jaggers does not bring out the good in others. When Pip went for afternoon tea at Jaggerss house, the worst was brought out in him, and his companions, which led them to a sizeable argument Drummle, without whatsoever threat or model, pulled his hands out of his pockets, dropped his round shoulders, swore, took up a large glass, and would have flung it at his adversarys head . Although Pip doesnt exhibit many of the other traits of a gentleman, he is self-aware throughout the narrative.When Pip realizes that he loves Estella he can still admit to himself that she makes him miserable because she torments him and says to himself, Pip, what a fool you are Estella is also self-aware, she understands that Miss Havisham has made her into a heartless monster, and she explains this to Pip. You had not your little wits sharpened by their intriguing against you, suppressed and defenseless imposter of a woman. Dickens veritable gentlemen help people out and are modest about the favours they have done. As Newman says of a neat gentleman2 He makes light favours while he does them, and seems to be receiving when he is conferring. Pip illustrates this trait well. He arranges a place for business for Herbert. This is Pips first real act of generosity, though its wry because it is made with the money from his own benefactor. However, whenever Pumblechook does favours, he does them because he hopes for something in return. When he arranged for Pip to play at Miss Havishams, he is trying to ingratiate himself with Mrs Joe, and Pip, so when Pip gets money from Miss Havisham, Pip will feel obliged to give him a share as without Pumblechook it would never have happened.When Pip first moves to London to be a gentleman, everyone in his village thinks that Pumblechook is Pips patron, companion and promoter. This, of course, is not true as Pip would have rather Pumblechook had never tried to get him a job at Miss Havishams. Being sensitive must be an important factor of being a good person. Biddy displays this characteristic, as she relises how Pip has hurt Joe. However, she also tells us that Joe never complained of Pip, botheration him. Estella is very insensitive, although this isnt entirely her own fault.She says of Pip at the beginning of the novel, coarse hands and dull boots, which really offended, and affected Pip for the rest of his life. Although, she has got a spark of humanity in her as she keeps warning Pip not to fall in love with her. Like the star she is named after she always keeps frigidity and distant from Pip. Dickens gives Orlick as an exampl e of a completely evil character. Orlick take awayed Mrs Joe, and tried to murder Pip. He killed Mrs Joe when Pip was old enough to kill off his parents and gain his independence. Dickens doesnt penury us to understand Orlick, or feel a drop of sympathy for him.He is Pips alter ego, he does the things Pip would never dare do, or unconsciously thought. Dickens is showing us that if you have money, this does not necessarily make you a gentleman. Drummle is an obvious example that money and class alone do not make a gentleman. On the other hand, Joe and Herbert, who are poor, are the main examples of true gentlemen in the text they show the true qualities that compose a good person. Pip is a evolution character, and therefore changes from a small innocent little boy, into a snob, and then a much more than produce, wiser and sadder Pip develops at the end of the narrative.I feel that Pip is a gentleman though at the end, throughout he is self aware, and he has done favours to Herbe rt. With Magwitch there for Pip to care for and love, he managed to mature and grow out of the sham and elitist younger Pip. I think that all these qualities that make up a good person are definitely still relevant today. Just as the factors that constitute a good person are the same for the poor, as for the rich in Dickenss time, they are just as important to people now as they were then.If Joe or Herbert came into this century we would admire the gentlemanly characteristics in them, just as Pip saw the good in them in the nineteenth century. Bibliography 1. Newman, Newman on the Gentleman (1852) 2. Mahoney. J, Great Expectations for GCSE, Ashford Colour Press, Hampshire (1994). 1 Sarah Burton 10S 2nd January 2004 Show see only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be make in our GCSE Great Expectations section.