Glass Castle And Great Expectations

Social class is often able to reveal and dictate one’s treatment of others and himself. Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, and Glass Castle, written by Jeanette Walls are two stories that prioritize the concept of social class. In Great Expectations, the main character is Pip, short for Phillip Pirrip, who is a boy part of a common family in the marshes of England. Pip is offered to switch from being common to wealthy by an unidentified benefactor, mostly influenced to do so by his cruel and greedy sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery. In Glass Castle, a girl named Jeanette Walls grows up in an extremely poor family. In contrast to Pip’s family, Jeanette’s irresponsible parents despise the upper class and don’t believe in pursuing a common …show more content…
As represented through the bulk of her childhood, she strictly judges and treats others based on their personalities, taught to do so by her mother. For example, when Jeanette was in elementary school, her mother Rosemary teaches her to ignore the silliness of the other kids at school for believing in Santa Claus. The kids have a similar social status to Jeanette´s. Instead of judging them for being different or similar based on their social class, Jeanette is taught to separate their status from their ideals and beliefs, while still not putting herself above them. “‘Try not to look down on those other children,’ Mom said. ‘It’s not their fault that they’ve been brainwashed into believing silly myths’” (Walls 39). Logic and belief are aspects of personality that Jeanette takes into account, as opposed to social status. In addition to Jeanette’s mom teaching her what to believe and what not to believe, she also says several times throughout the novel that their financial situation and living situation is better than those of the rich. However, this doesn't mean that Jeanette favors the lower class and sympathizes with them simply because they are in a similar situation. After having been sexually assaulted by an older boy named Billy with a tough living situation, she absolutely despises him. “‘ I don't …show more content…
Pip and Jeanette are both individuals whose lives revolve around social class throughout the majority of their lives. As a general analyzation, the change of social class correlates with the change of personality. This change in personality portrayed in both of the characters equates to significant impacts on their own lives and on the characters around them. The novels both serve a significant purpose for the reader. The novel allows the reader to acknowledge and understand the potential outcomes of social status. As represented through Pip’s acquiring of a large fortune, he treats his friends with a negative and snobbish attitude. On the other hand, Jeanette’s self-esteem and self-worth lowers due to the fact that her parents are homeless while she prospers in the upper class. The novels teach that snobbishness and guilt are potential outcomes of acquiring a higher social class. Although these negative qualities portrayed in the novel aren’t guaranteed to be associated with social class, it’s necessary to learn the possible outcomes of all actions in life. These are the reasons why the social status of each character impacts their own self-respect, and the respect they direct towards