Miss Havisham’s house is a major setting in the early chapters of Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations. Pip is sent there by request of Mr. Pumblechook to keep Miss Havisham company. While there he learns about the rich and extravagant lifestyle of the wealthy. He begins to examine is common life, and compares it to the lives of Miss Havisham and Estella. This opens Pip’s eyes and creates a change in him. Miss Havisham’s house changes Pip, causing him to feel discontent with his common life, and lays the seeds that sprout into Pip’s dream of becoming a gentleman. Miss Havisham is a withered old lady who grew up with money, and came into a great deal of property with her father’s death. Her house is an old and withered property, that greatly
…show more content…
There are two major differences in Pip. The first, is that he is now extremely self conscious about his social status, and his common life. He is now ashamed of his ignorant friend Joe, and his new apprenticeship as a blacksmith. Pip expresses these feelings when talking about his fear “I was haunted by the fear that she (Estella) would, sooner or later, find me out, with a black face and hands, doing the coarsest part of my work, and would exult over me and despise me” (Dickens 104). Although Pip’s feelings of shame and discontent towards his common life are quite negative, a positive does arise from the situation. Pip finds new inspiration and becomes obsessed with learning. After having a talk with Joe about his feelings towards being common Joe says “Well Pip, you must be a common scholar before you can be an oncommon one. The king upon his throne with his crown upon his head can't sit and write the acts of parliament, without having begun when he were an unprompted prince” (Dickens 68). This conversation really strikes a chord with pip, and it slightly alters his view on his situation “There was some hope in this piece of wisdom, and it rather encouraged me” (Dickens 68). He no longer sulks because of his being born common, but tries to work hard to change his situation and make it better. He starts to dream of his future, and no longer finds the idea of becoming a gentleman tobe
There are two major differences in Pip. The first, is that he is now extremely self conscious about his social status, and his common life. He is now ashamed of his ignorant friend Joe, and his new apprenticeship as a blacksmith. Pip expresses these feelings when talking about his fear “I was haunted by the fear that she (Estella) would, sooner or later, find me out, with a black face and hands, doing the coarsest part of my work, and would exult over me and despise me” (Dickens 104). Although Pip’s feelings of shame and discontent towards his common life are quite negative, a positive does arise from the situation. Pip finds new inspiration and becomes obsessed with learning. After having a talk with Joe about his feelings towards being common Joe says “Well Pip, you must be a common scholar before you can be an oncommon one. The king upon his throne with his crown upon his head can't sit and write the acts of parliament, without having begun when he were an unprompted prince” (Dickens 68). This conversation really strikes a chord with pip, and it slightly alters his view on his situation “There was some hope in this piece of wisdom, and it rather encouraged me” (Dickens 68). He no longer sulks because of his being born common, but tries to work hard to change his situation and make it better. He starts to dream of his future, and no longer finds the idea of becoming a gentleman tobe