Biddy And Orlick In Great Expectations

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Life is a perpetual instruction in cause and effect.” This means that the actions of a character take place due to the previous event. In the novel, the actions which a character takes causes a chain reaction, as one thing happens after the next. One of the more apparent causes in Great Expectations is the concept of rejection. Many characters face disapproval and discontent due to their differences in social standing, as well as many other factors of life. In Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Pip, Orlick, and Miss Havisham experience the repudiation of others such as Estella, Biddy, and Compeyson which influences the actions and motives they make.

As a child, Pip was left alone through the death of his …show more content…
However, there is much more importance between the relationship of Pip and Orlick, as they have a critical connection to each other through Biddy. They both had feelings for Biddy and had her in their expectations of life. In their struggles to win over Biddy from each other, they created hate and a sense of rivalry. “...the young girl plays a great part in both their lives and the competition defining who will win her over just adds up another reason for the two to be annoyed by the other” (Hagege 17). When Hagege says “competition defining who will win her over”, this shows the rivalry between these characters and how they are fighting each other to make Biddy their own. Biddy is the motivity between Pip and Orlick that brings them to hate each other, and this hate becomes magnified when Orlick is rejected. Orlick favored Biddy, but because she did not feel the same way about him, he blamed Pip for his loss. “ ‘You did that, and that would be enough, without more. How dared you come betwixt me and a young woman I liked?’ ” (Dickens 394). When Orlick says “and that would be enough, without more” shows how he accuses Pip of spoiling his life and future, and he believes that Biddy turned him down due to the influence of Pip. Orlick’s expectations change drastically as he is motivated to get revenge on Pip for his ruined relationship with Biddy. Orlick’s …show more content…
Miss Havisham is in an eternal state of depression after she was stood up at her marriage by Compeyson. The rejection caused her to lose happiness as she never ventured outside of her home again. “It is Miss Havisham, though, who experiences that greatest rejection of all. Left at the altar by a man she thought loved her…” (McClinton-Temple). The phrase “greatest rejection of all” shows the detrimental effect the wedding had on Miss Havisham. Getting stood up at the altar forced Miss Havisham to develop another view of men, and this influenced all her actions in the future. Miss Havisham treats family members and Pip in a negative way due to her failed marriage. It is later revealed in the novel that she uses Pip and toyed with his feelings through Estella, who was influenced by Miss Havisham’s perspective on the world. The biggest impact that Miss Havisham’s rejection had was on Estella, who had learned to not feel love. “ ‘Love her, love her, love her! If she favors you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces… love her, love her!’ ” (Dickens 223). The repetition of the words “love her” show how love has a profound effect on Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham’s insanity is also viewable, as she implores Pip to love Estella. Her pleading and begging towards Pip leads him to think