The Growth of Pip

The Growth of Pip

In Great Expectations, Pip goes through stages of moral development. Over the course of the novel, Pip learns lifelong lessons that result from pain, guilt, and shame. Pip grows from a young boy filled with shame and guilt to a selfish young man, and finally into a man who has true concern for others. Pip goes through three stages in the novel; shame and guilt, self-interest, and his stage of redemption

The first stage of Pip’s maturity is his shame and guilt. Shame is a feeling brought on by circumstances beyond the control of the person. For instance, Pip feels ashamed over how common he and Joe are. Pip begins the novel with feelings of guilt, but when Pip encounters Estella and Miss Havisham he starts to feel shame along with the guilt. Pip feels ashamed about how he is so common. He is ashamed that Joe is a measly blacksmith and has no education. Estella brings on the shame that Pip feels. Estella points out all of Pip’s common mannerisms and treats Pip as an inferior, even though they are about the same age. She taunts Pip for calling knaves “Jacks” when they play cards, for wearing thick boots, and for having coarse hands. Estella demolishes his self-esteem. Pip thinks to himself, “I took the opportunity of being alone in the court yard, to look at my coarse hands and my common boots. My opinion of those accessories was not favourable. They had never troubled me before, but they troubled me now, as vulgar appendages”(62). From then on, Pip is ashamed of who he is and where he comes from. He doesn’t see himself in the same light as he used to.

Guilt, conversely, is a feeling brought on by one’s actions. Pip’s feelings of guilt are shown after the fight with the young pale gentlemen and the attack of Mrs. Joe. After fighting the boy at Ms. Havisham’s, Pip says, “I felt but gloomy satisfaction in my victory. Indeed, I go so far as to hope that I regarded myself while dressing, as a species of savage young wolf, or other wild beasts” (92). Pip is not happy with his behavior. Pip does feel guilt here, but some feelings of pride come over him; he did win the fight. The attack upon Mrs. Joe also brings guilt to Pip. The weapon used on Mrs. Joe was an ironed leg-chain. Pip’s guilt comes from his believing that he supplied the weapon. Pip says, “I was at first disposed to believe that I must have had some hand in the attack upon my sister, or at all events that as her near relation, popularly known to be under obligations to her, I was a more legitimate object of suspicion than any one else” (120). Although Pip was in no way responsible for his sister’s attack, he is filled with guilt.

Pip was a young boy riddled with intense feelings of shame and guilt. As a result of this he undergoes a change in character. When Pip encounters an opportunity to leave behind his life of being a common laboring boy and become a gentleman, he is quite pleased. He feels that he will then be accepted by the upper class and be able to win Estella over. However, Pip going to fulfill his great expectations brings about a negative change when Pip starts to see himself as better than others. He becomes a person with characteristics he used to hate. He always hated Mr. Publechook’s superficial ways and now Pip has adopted them. When Pip encounters his great expectations, he starts acting as though he is better than others. He even considers himself better than Biddy and Joe. This stage of self-gratification and self-interest eventually leaves Pip with no money and broken hearted.

Pip’s guilt and shame was mostly brought on by his visits to Satis House. This encouraged his stage of self-indulgence. Pip’s insecurities, guilt, and shame about himself, that was caused by Estella made him want to be more like her and the upper class. These insecurities led him to be superficial and self-absorbed. As Pip is living his new life and enjoying his new fortune, he becomes wrapped up in his own life and concern of what others think of him. He becomes superficial and fake. He loses touch with what truly mattered to him in the beginning of the novel and what should matter to him, his loved ones. They respect him for the person he truly was raised to be. Pip’s negative change in attitude can be seen when he receives a letter from Biddy explaining that Joe is coming to visit him in London. Instead of being happy and gracious, Pip does not look forward to seeing Joe. In fact, Pip did not want Joe to come at all. Pip says, “Let me confess exactly, with what feelings I looked forward to Joe’s coming. 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” (218).

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