Coming of Age in Great Expectations Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations tells a story about a young boy named Pip and his journey throughout his life. Pip learns a lot about social standings and whom one can and cannot trust throughout the novel. An overall theme to this novel is coming of age. To come of age means to transition from being a child to being an adult. Pip faces many hardships and roadblocks that will help him learn about society and grow as an individual. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations demonstrates that because of past experiences, relationships, change in perspective, and loss of innocence, an individual comes of age. The first part to coming of age is past experiences. In reflecting upon his emotions about Joe, Pip
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I thought those were high and great emotions. But I never thought there was anything low and small in my keeping away from Joe, because I knew she would be contemptuous of him. It was but a day gone, and Joe had brought the tears into my eyes; they had soon dried- god forgive me! - Soon dried” (Dickens 244)
Pip has been living with his sister and her husband Joe his entire life. When Pip finally gets a taste of the good life, he wants nothing to do with either of them because they are common and their lifestyle is not of the same caliber as Estella’s. Pip thinks that Joe is a disgrace to him. He believes Estella will think less of him because of Joe. This shows coming of age because Pip wants to break his ties with his old life. He wants to become independent, a gentleman, and not be held back by his family. The next contributing factor to coming of age is relationships. When people grow up and come of age, they form new relationships. During one of the first conversations Pip has with Estella, she calls his hands coarse. Pip states after his first visit to Ms. Havisham, “ I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before, but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair.” (Dickens 59) In this quote, Pip talks about his hands and how they are not those of an upper-class man. Pip’s first encounter with Estella has made him think he isn’t leading the greatest life possible. Because Estella has made these judgments about his hands, Pip has formed an abusive relationship with Estella, which has shaped him as a person. Because of this relationship, Pip has come to new realizations and therefore has come of
I thought those were high and great emotions. But I never thought there was anything low and small in my keeping away from Joe, because I knew she would be contemptuous of him. It was but a day gone, and Joe had brought the tears into my eyes; they had soon dried- god forgive me! - Soon dried” (Dickens 244)
Pip has been living with his sister and her husband Joe his entire life. When Pip finally gets a taste of the good life, he wants nothing to do with either of them because they are common and their lifestyle is not of the same caliber as Estella’s. Pip thinks that Joe is a disgrace to him. He believes Estella will think less of him because of Joe. This shows coming of age because Pip wants to break his ties with his old life. He wants to become independent, a gentleman, and not be held back by his family. The next contributing factor to coming of age is relationships. When people grow up and come of age, they form new relationships. During one of the first conversations Pip has with Estella, she calls his hands coarse. Pip states after his first visit to Ms. Havisham, “ I had never thought of being ashamed of my hands before, but I began to consider them a very indifferent pair.” (Dickens 59) In this quote, Pip talks about his hands and how they are not those of an upper-class man. Pip’s first encounter with Estella has made him think he isn’t leading the greatest life possible. Because Estella has made these judgments about his hands, Pip has formed an abusive relationship with Estella, which has shaped him as a person. Because of this relationship, Pip has come to new realizations and therefore has come of