Parental_Figures_to_Pip_in_Great_Expectations

In the novel Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens, he uses three characters that act as the “Parental Figures” in the life of the main character Pip. These three characters use vastly different methods in their parenting styles, all of which influence Pip, whether in a positive, or negative way. Joe Gargery, Able Magwitch, and Miss. Havisham all play very important roles in Pips life, although each have there own styles in parenting, all have different motives and techniques for acting as such. First, throughout the entire novel, Joe, the moral center of the story is really the only one that Pip looks up to, and is the one who is always there for Pip, even in the hard times. At the beginning, Joe says, talking of Mrs. Joe, “She’s a-coming! Get behind the door, old chap, and have the jack-towel betwixt you” (7). The shows how loving and how much Joe cares for Pip. Next, a few chapters after this incident on Christmas when everybody kept telling Pip to be grateful, Joe, every time, would give Pip more gravy. This simple act exhibits Joe’s true self, a person who understands pain, and tries to make it go away. Lastly, towards the end of the novel, when Pip becomes sick, Joe serves as his caretaker and, Pip says when he is ill, “Whoever came about me, still settled down into Joe” (493). This shows that Joe offers unconditional love to Pip and no matter how rude Pip is to him; Joe will always be there for him. Joes parenting methods are not perfect, but it is perfectly clear about how much he cares, and how he protects his loved ones. Secondly, while Joe really loves him, Miss Havisham uses Pip, and views Pip as a toy for Estella. As said in the first part of the book, Mrs. Joe says of Miss Havisham, “She wants this boy to go and play there” (52). This quote shows how she has no regard towards human life, and that Pip is just another “toy” for Estella to use. Next, Miss Havisham says to Estella of Pip, “Well, you can break his heart” (61). At this time in the novel, you don’t know the story behind Miss Havisham's resentment towards males, and so just by the quote you can tell that her raising the child were for very selfish reasons. In addition throughout the novel Dickens’s portrays Miss Havisham as cold, selfish, and incapable of emotions. In the end, she apoligizes to Pip, for any harm she has caused, but Miss Havisham didn’t really care about Pip until that moment, but Pip considered her his “Fairy God-Mother”. Her actions were misguided, and she used her parenting, and rising of a child in a very negative way. Lastly, Able Magwitch fulfills the role as a parent in Pip’s life. When Magwitch reappears later in the book, he say’s, “I wish to come in, master” (335). This shows the Able looks up and respects Pip as a superior, instead of the other way around. Next, a few sentences after the previous quote, Magwitch says, “Yes, Pip, dear boy, I’ve made a gentleman on you” (340)! This quote shows that Able is very grateful, and he has done something very substantial for Pip, as a Father would do for a son. Also, Able and Pip start to have a real relationship, later in the book, and you can tell that they really do care about each other. You can tell this because of the conversations that they had, and how hard they tried to keep each other safe. All together, their bond stick to the end, when Pip was with him when Magwitch died in prison. All in all, all three characters fulfilled the role of parent of Pip, and whether it was good or bad, it affected Pip’s life. This was important because although there are not any Biological Parents in this novel, he receives sufficient parenting from Joe, Miss Havisham, and Able Magwitch.