Theme Of Appearance Vs Reality In Great Expectations

In the novels Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and in Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones, expectations are a key idea. According to “The Dictionary” expectations are “beliefs that something will happen or be the case”. In the novel Great Expectations Pip faces several situations in his life that he uses to create his expectation of the future. Further, in Mister Pip Matilda uses Pip’s story, along with her own experiences to create her expectations. Perception and imagination are fundamental elements that support in meeting expectations. Further perception and imagination lead to appearance versus reality. Through these two novels we see how characters, mainly Pip and Matilda, come to develop their own expectations. A perception is “the way

Appearance versus reality opens the mind to consider that not all things that one sees are, as they seem. Appearance is based on what we perceive something or someone to be. Appearance is based on assumptions. These assumptions can be from what we are told by others or how someone appears to be. Therefore, can cause biases. Reality is what someone or something actually is. An individual discovers reality once all information about someone or something is disclosed. Reality takes time to uncover. In Great Expectations, Pip faces numerous appearances versus reality situation. Appearance versus. reality is shown when Pip becomes a gentleman. Once put in the position he had tried to achieve he realizes that he is not happy and loses his fortune. Pip learned that a high social class does not mean happiness. Therefore, Pip returns to his old upbringing. In Mister Pip, Matilda, like Pip, faces appearance versus reality. When on the island, Matilda thinks of the book Great Expectations as an extremely important book. She creates this assumption because while on the island it was the only book that they learned from. To Matilda, Great Expectations is thought of an equivalent of the Bible. When Matilda start school and looks for the book she is surprised to find that “a copy [was] sitting on a shelf-not hidden or in a ‘safe place’, but for anyone to come along and pick it up” (Jones 224). Matilda

Pip perceives that Miss. Havisham is his benefactor due to the fact that she is a wealthy woman. Further, he believes that Miss. Havisham is giving him this money to become a gentleman so that he could marry Estella. Since Pip is motivated to be in a higher social class, he has a positive attitude towards it. Therefore, he strives to be in a higher social class and a gentleman, thinking that it will reward him with happiness. Unfortunately, while Pip is working towards this expectation, he becomes ignorant. This causes strain on his relationships, especially his relationship with Joe. Pip’s attitude toward his benefactor affected his perception. Additionally, Pip uses imagination to meet his expectation of his benefactor. Pip imagines that Miss. Havisham has given him this money to become a gentleman and marry Estella. Sadly, Pip fails to hear that Miss Havisham whispers to Estella “ ‘you can break his heart’” (Dickens 104). Therefore, he begins to imagine his life as a gentleman, which he believes will bring him happiness. Further, Pip believes that Estella will want to marry him. From Pip’s perceptions and imagination, he later faces appearance versus reality. Without a doubt, Pip believed that Miss Havisham was his benefactor. Consequently, Pip faces a harsh reality when he finds out that Magwitch, an escape convict, is his benefactor. Pip says “Miss