Creation of Sympathy for Pip in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

Creation of Sympathy for Pip in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations

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"Great Expectations" presents us with a picture of a vulnerable child

growing up with unfriendly people and a hostile setting. The use of

the first person enables Dickens to give the reader detailed insights

into the experiences and thoughts of the child and to thus cause the

reader to sympathize with Pips experiences. The first person also

makes Pip the narrator.

In chapter one Dickens describes how Pip goes to see his parents'

graves on a "raw afternoon". This tells us that it was very cold. He

was in a "bleak place overgrown with nettles". This tells us that he

was in a hostile place on his own. Pip was also crying for his parents

"beginning to cry was Pip" this shows us that he was really missing

his parents and was scared, this makes us feel sympathy for Pip

because we realize that he is an orphan and is very alone. Pip was

alone in the isolated churchyard a somber and frightening place. Pip

realized that he is a small vulnerable boy in a huge, dangerous and

isolated place on his own and is terrified. Dickens makes the setting

colossal and dangerous to make Pip feel and look very small to the

reader and himself. In the churchyard Pip is threatened by someone

whom he has never seen before.

"Keep still you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!" (p.2)

Is a threat used to scare Pip. On hearing this threat Pip is

terrified. He has just been crying out of fear, realizing how

vulnerable and isolated he is, when a horrifying-looking ...

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... and violent coercion, was unjust to me."(p.60)

This shows us that he wishes that he was not brought up by his sister.

(The words "unjust and coercions tell us that she is very cruel and

unfair to Pip.)

This tells us that he is less naive and is very angry and aggressive,

this is a major change because he is very polite and kind in chapters

1 and 4 and is the opposite in this chapter. This is a turning point

in the book because Pip has realized that life is very unfair and that

the world is a cruel place he also realizes that he has no human

rights.

Dickens was affective in portraying the young Pip as a dreadfully

terrified boy and his life so far is portrayed as a sad, depressing

and miserable life for a child of his age.

All of these ideas make us feel sympathy for Pip in the early stages

of the book.