How does Dickens create tension through his presentation of Magwitch
and Miss Havisham in Great Expectations?
Introduction
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Great Expectations is about a young boy, Pip, who lives in a deprived
town with his sister (Mrs Joe) and her husband (Mr Joe). Pip meets a
fugitive, Magwitch and after meeting with this runaway he fears from
his life. Pip is then summoned to go and play at Miss Havisham’s
house. He then falls in love with Estella who chooses to ignore Pip,
which makes him feel pitiful and he hates himself for this. Suddenly
his life starts to change as he receives an astonishing gift from a
covert benefactor. Pip becomes rich and decides to go and live in
London. After becoming rich, Pip decides to forget about his friend,
Mr Joe because he is poor and Pip is ashamed of Mr Joe. Pip, the
protagonist chooses to forget Mr Joe and go after the one he loves,
Estella. Estella does not love Pip and she ignores him as if he does
not exist.
Great Expectations is set in the early 1800’s (19th Century), right
after the industrial revolution, which brings hunger, poverty and poor
living and housing conditions. Dickens decides to set the story after
the industrial revolution because Pip and his family are poor; they
live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. My essay is going to be
about how Charles Dickens creates tension through his presentation of
Miss Havisham and Magwitch. My essay will also discuss the techniques
Charles Dickens uses to create such tension.
Paragraph Two – Dickens creates tension through the setting in which
Pip meets Magwitch and Miss Havisham
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When Pip meets Magwitch for the very first time, Pi...
... middle of paper ...
...n though his presentation of
Magwitch and Miss Havisham by creating the fight between Compeyson and
Magwitch, creating the fight between Compeyson and Magwitch also
creates tension created by withholding information because the
audience does not know that Compeyson is following Magwitch.
Conclusion
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In this essay I have argued about how Charles Dickens has created
tension in “Great Expectations”. Magwitch does not die a painful death
because he has Pip by his side and he is not hanged. Whereas Miss
Havisham is burnt alive with no one to say goodbye to her. Therefore
Magwitch dies a happier death and Miss Havisham suffers because
Estella and herself were trying to seek revenge on the male sex by
hurting Pip and Estella broke Pip’s heart. Dickens creates tension
through his presentation of Magwitch and Miss Havisham by creating
death scenes.
have had a chance in life. He had a purpose in life, he just didn't
introduced to her and has an idea of what she is all about. Anyone who
The allusion to the parable prodigal son is hinted at early in the novel. Mr. Pumblechook and Mr. Wopsle constantly admonish Pip to be “‘grateful…to them which brought [him] up by hand’” (Dickens 54). Mr. Wopsle declares that “‘swine were the companions of the prodigal’” and an ungrateful child is worse than swine (Dickens 26). Mrs. Joe often reproaches Pip for being ungrateful. She resents having to raise Pip up since his infancy. However, Mrs. Joe abuses Pip (Ryken 156). She whips him for unnecessary reasons and is annoyed by any question he asks. The person to whom Pip owes his gratitude to is Joe. Joe had “sanctified” his home, making it a “pleasant place” (Dickens 112).
Acceptance and self-growth is necessary to reach closure in times of despair. However, if one were to stay in denial, the consequences of their actions could easily escalate to greater problems. In the novel, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Miss Havisham is a victim of such retributions. As an only child, Miss Havisham was a spoiled girl born into a wealthy household raised by a single father. When she came of age, Miss Havisham inherited all the money from his father’s fortune and fell in love with a man named Compeyson. Despite warnings of his swindling history, Miss Havisham proceeds to marry him. On the wedding day, he leaves her at the altar and takes all of her money with him. Miss Havisham suffers a mental breakdown
Pip, a person who had loved and revered his uncle Joe as a child, while
This progression of Pip’s life tests him many over. He tries again and again with haste to move towards his one true goal borne upon a children’s folly that grows to be his all consuming desire. He resents his current status as mere orphan smithy boy, common in all respects to his eyes, and fails to recognize his own strangeness in rejecting his allotted path in life. His father figure, Joe, advises that his own questioning is uncommon enough but he simply disregards fulfilment in being himself, believing himself to be the one true, harsh, judge of his character, he is simply not one to back down on his ideals.
The first fatherly figure Pip ever had was Joe Gargery. Joe was a great father-like influence because he did many things that a father would do for his son. He cared about Pip’s well-being. “I wish there warn 't no Tickler for you, old chap; I wish I could take it all on myself; but this is the up-and-down-and-straight on it,
Throughout Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, the convict under the alias “Magwitch” contains multiple characteristics that split him between two diverse classes. This duality of character and his frequent detainment cause him to desire a change to reinvent himself and leave the convict lower class. By succumbing to a corrupt class system, Magwitch demonstrates the duality of a man wronged by injustice and blinded by vengeance.
First, Pip has great expectations Joe. At the beginning of the novel, Pip expects Joe to be a fatherly figure, and protect him from Mrs. Joe and Pip "looking up to Joe in [his] heart" (Dickens 86). Joe and Pip are friends and rely on one another to survive their home life by warning one another when Mrs. Joe "went on the rampage" [173]. However, after Pip receives his benefactor and money, he expects Joe to be a different person than himself. He expects Joe, like himself, overnight, to go from "being co...
The Relationship Between Pip and Abel Magwitch in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations In this essay, I am to observe the changes in the relationship between
Havisham is too old to be able to hurt other men, so she decides to
ashamed of Joe, because he is a commoner. At this time, Pip is around twenty years old. Estella is still the
"A warmint, dear boy" is the answer that Magwitch gives Pip when asked what he was brought up to be (305; ch. 40). This is what any person would expect from a man who has lived a life of crime. With further exploration, however, one will see that it is deeper than petty theft and prison. By using a character such as Magwitch, Dickens suggests the implications of using the Australian penal colonies as a way of rehabilitation for criminals. It is quite possible that Dickens has portrayed a view of penal colonies in a very positive way. After all, Magwitch is a successful, even famous, ex-convict who is responsible for Pip's wealth. By exploring the character Magwitch, one will have a better understanding of Dickens' views on Australian penal colonies.
Joe's actions are those of a true gentleman. For example, Joe defends Mrs. Joe from Orlick even though he is scared of Orlick himself: "What could the wretched Joe do now...but stand up to his journeyman...so, without so much as pulling off their singed and burnt aprons, they went at one another, like two giants" (773). Joe is intimidated by Orlick and by Joe defending Mrs. Joe from Orlick shows that Joe has courageousness. Joe is a benevolent person by stepping up to Orlick to help Mrs. Joe. In addition, Joe pays off Pip's debts and Pip finds "a receipt for which they had been paid off" (899). Joe paying off Pip's debts shows he is a helpful and caring person. Joe is being considerate by helping Pip become debt-free. It is ironic that Joe helps Pip because Pip hasn't been a considerate person to Joe but he helps Pip regardless.
Pip encounters all of the influential people in his life during his childhood. The first and most obvious are his family. Mrs. Joe and Joe Gargery, Pip’s sister and brother-in-law, are the only family that Pip has ever known. Mrs. Joe Gargery is Joe’s wife and Pip’s only living relative. She is a very domineering woman who is always punishing Pip for something. Joe is like a father to Pip, who goes to Joe with all of his problems and worries. They are always truthful with each other and protect each other from Mrs. Joe when she is on the rampage. Despite the fact that Joe is an adult, he is also Pip’s only real friend during his childhood. Joe is the most loyal person in Pip’s life.