Grate_Expectation

In this essay I will be writing about the novel Great Expectations and how does Charles Dickens create sympathy for Pip. When we first start to read the story you can tell that it is from the eyes of the main character pip. This is likely to cause us to see the story from his point of view. Dickens creates a growing in size effect to describe Pips name “Phillip Pirrip”. Pip had an infant tongue so he couldn’t pronounce his name. Pip ends up with a small name that he can pronounce, which is Pip. This makes the readers feel sorry for Pip and gives us a picture of his size and age. Dickens creates more sympathy for Pip when he describes the setting. When Pip is in a graveyard by his father and mothers tombstones. We start to feel sympathy for Pip when he tells us that his mother and farther have died, that he has never seen and because of this he has to create a picture in his mind from their tombstones and we get the feeling that he spends a lot of time visiting them. Also the fact that his five little brothers have died “to five little stone lozenge's each about a foot and a half long each arranged in a nest row” creates even more sympathy and emotion towards Pip. Following that the place that Pip's parents are buried is not cared for, this must have created a lot of emotion for Pip because he must have been feeling like nobody but him cares for their tombstones. After the opening of Chapter one, there is a talk. After Pip had begun to cry a “fearful” man approaches him and says “Hold your noise! Keep still you little devil or I'll cut your throat!” This creates sympathy for Pip because he is already frightened and now he has been surprised and Magwitch is threatening him. We can tall Pip is frightened, when he describes Magwitch's voice as 'terrible' and he calls Magwitch a “fearful man.” Dickens makes his fears go away for a moment when the adult Pip looking back on the situation. The adult Pip knows what’s going to happen on the story, so he writes it from his point of view now and not his point of view when he was a child. Dickens goes on to creating sympathy for Magwitch when Pip is looking back and seeing how Magwitch had “a great iron on his leg, broken shoes, lamed by stones, cut by flints and nettles, who limped and shivered.” This creates juxtaposition as dickens was creating sympathy for Pip but has now made a disagreement between the two by creating sympathy for Magwitch. Magwitch then takes control of the situation. He Turns Pip “upside down.” This gives the readers a picture of his disability. This creates more sympathy for him. Magwitch then shouts order to Pip. He says to Pip “Tell us your name! Quick!” This strengthens our sympathy for Pip and his being helpless. He is now set apart and alone with a frightening character. While Magwitch eats Pips bread like a monster he says to Pip “Wha fat cheeks you ha got.” Then Pip thinks to his self “I was at that time undersized for my years and not strong.” When Pip says “I was at that time undersized for my years and not strong' the adult Pip was telling this bit. The time Magwitch asks were Pips mother is. Pip answers back "There, sir." referring to his mother's gravestone, Magwitch started to make a short run, it was like he was panicking. Then he stopped and looked over his shoulder realises what Pip is talking about. This also creates sympathy as Magwitch is on the run and living in fear. Dickens then creates an exact opposite, balance of opposites, when he writes “his eyes looked most powerfully down into mine, and mine most helplessly up into his.” This make us feel sorry for Pip, because he is helpless. The questioning from Magwitch carries on and creates tension and urgency on behalf of Magwitch. Dickens uses repetition to reinforce Pips helplessness as it has a rhythmic effect. “He tilted me,” “He tilted me again.” Magwitch keeps giving these words as Pip Keeps on begging which is again a balance of opposites. At the same time Magwitch is bullying Pip we feel sorry for him as it shows how desperate he is. He warns Pip into doing what he wants. He says “a boy may lock his door, may tuck himself up, may think himself safe, but…” This repeating word of May creates a rhythmic effect and the sentence builds up to a but that terns in to threat and warning. Magwitch then reinforces his command and leaves Pip frightened and speak haltingly “Goo-good night, sir.” While he walks away Magwitch says “I wish I were a frog or a eel!” this tells us that he would rather be an animal than a human being because of the situation he is in. Dickens then uses his first person narration meaning the adult Pip who telling us the story. Then adult Pip takes on through the story.