Social Class in Great Expectations - 932 Words

In Great Expectations, Pip changed his social class immensely. Pip did not understand how a poor family could be happy. Pip thought that social class was everything in life. He also thought that money was very important. In reality, it turns out that money and social rank do not matter in life. What really matters is being connected and having relationships with family and friends. Pip finds that out the hard way. In Great Expectations, Pip is exposed to many different social classes, he acts very differently, he finds out how lonely he becomes, and how family and friends mean everything in life. Early in life, Pip grew up in a poor and kind of lower class family. As a young child, Pip did not understand how poor people could be so†¦show more content†¦Pip â€Å"†¦gave me the bread and meat without looking at me, as insolently as if I were a dog in disgrace. I was so humiliated, hurt, spurned, offended, angry, sorry†¦,† (Dickens 64). Pip is disconcerted and depressed when Estella does that to him in the beginning of the novel. Pip basically does the same thing to Joe. â€Å"Not with pleasure, though I was bound to him by so many ties; no; with considerable disturbance, some mortification, and a keen sense of incongruity. If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money,† (Dickens 229). Joe is disrespected and he is mortified by the way Pip treats him. Pip becomes very forlorn while he is in London. Once he is in London, he does not have many friends like he did before. This really changes the way he thinks in life. Money changes people and it certainly has a consequence on Pip as it is shown in the novel. Social class does not really shape Pip into a reputable young man. That is so because he thinks that he is too good for Joe and Biddy. Not the entire London trip is appalling. Pip learns some really good skills in London. He learns how to be a gentleman and he learns correct table manners.  "It is considered that you must be better educated, in accordance with your altered position, and that you will be alive to the importance and necessity of at once entering on that advantage,† (Dickens 186). London, Mr. Jaggers, and all of theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Social Class in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens893 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens, author of Great Expectations, provides a perfect example of the hope of class mobility. The novel portrays very diverse and varied social classes which spread from a diligent, hardworking peasant (Joe) to a good-natured middle class man (Mr. Wemmick) to a rich, beautiful young girl (Estella). Pip, in particular, elevates in the social pyramid from a common boy to a gentleman with great expectations. 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