Victorian England Essay Example for Free

Victorian England Essay We are studying the novel Great Expectations which was written by Charles Dickens. In this novel Dickens shows his concerns about injustices within the society that he lives in and he intends to describe to us what his childhood and past life may have been like. This novel is written in first person narration. The form its written in is called bildungsroman. It means the protagonist of the book i. e. Pip is now grown up and is looking back on his life. I intend to compare the similarities between Chapter 1 and Chapter 20 focusing on the differences between both of them. Section 2: In the beginning of the novel Pip is standing lonely and desolate in a graveyard overlooking the graves of his parents and five brothers. He appears poor and vulnerable and lives with his sister and Joe Gargery (blacksmith). Since his parents died his sister has been raising him by hand. Dickens uses the weather and the fact that Pip feels lonely to create a frightening atmosphere and environment around Pip. When Pip is standing in the graveyard he is scared and caught by a convict called Magwitch. Magwitch catches Pip and hangs him in thin air whilst asking him his name and where he lives. Pip is terrified yet he replies with him name and tells Magwitch that he lives with the blacksmith. Magwitch shakes Pip a couple of times to empty out his pockets and he searches for any food he may be carrying. He then threatens Pip and makes him promise to bring him food tomorrow. He makes him swear he shall not tell anyone his location or a man Magwitch claims as his accomplice will find Pip and tear out his heart and his liver. Magwitch describes this man as brutal and says it will be hard to keep him away from Pip if Pip doesnt follow his instructions. Pip returns to his house and is insulted and hit by his sister while Joe defends him from her. Hes told to steal some food for the escaped convict. Dickens wants the reader to fell sorry for both Pip and Magwitch in this Chapter as they are both feeling lonely and need help. Section 3: Pip and Magwitch and both very vulnerable and scared characters. Pip is scared of Magwitch not knowing that he in turn is also scared of the soldiers that have been sent out to capture him. Pip gives the file and the food to Magwitch telling him that there is also another escaped convict in the nearby area and that the soldiers are close by searching as the gunshots are being heard by everyone. Quotations: Missing Dickens intends to reflect the real Victorian society by showing that instead of Mrs . Joe sending Pip to live elsewhere she keeps him by herself. Also, the convicts want to escape prison because they are being kept in hulks and the living conditions are terrible. The transport during Victorian days was mainly walking. ( During the days when Charles Dickens was growing up trains existed but he chooses to write his novels in the past tense even from his time). When convicts were given harsh punishments they were mainly transported to Australia and should they choose to return they would be killed. Dickens links the novel to Victorian England and shows that the poor and uneducated arent treated in the same way as the rich people were. Section 4: In Chapter 20 Pip has changed from being a child and is now twenty three years old. He has lost most of his morals in trying to become a gentleman. He now knows how to present himself in society and the people around him but knows nothing of how he should behave with his old friend and mentor, Joe. Also Pip has changed from being poor to having wealth. Pip is the same in some ways such as feeling guilty about anything he does wrong but as well as his wealth, he has also had a change in his attitude. He behaves as if most people are beneath him and his is better then them in most ways so basically he thinks himself better then anyone else and is bigheaded. He lives with his roommate and best friend Herbert Pocket. Dickens is using first person narration in this novel to present Pip in different ways as compared to Chapter 1. Pips arrogance and ungratefulness towards his true benefactor is shown through what he thinks. Pip doesnt like the fact that his benefactor is a criminal who he helped in his childhood. Section 5: Once again Dickens has presented us with atmosphere that frightens Pip just like in Chapter 1. Dickens highlights the fact that the weather is once again stormy, rainy and cloudy all the time. He creates the same conditions that occurred the first time that Magwitch entered Pips life thus introducing the fact that Magwitch will return in this Chapter. When Magwitch shows up at Pips flat, Pip is terrified and he still thinks of Magwitch as the powerful figure from his childhood and starts feeling vulnerable not knowing that Magwitch feels the same way as he is a return convict from Australia and could end up in prison again. Pip is surprised to find out about Magwitch having given him enough money to cover his expenses and live like a gentleman. He appears to be the same as he was all those years ago, he behaves and acts as if him and Pip are very close when in fact Pip is horrified over what he has just found out. He wants to be able to live with Pip and he thinks of him as a very nice person for having helped him when he was a child. Section 6: At the beginning of Chapter 20 Pip is faced with tough decisions. He is confused about how to deal with the circumstances he is faced with. When Pip is faced with the reality that Mrs. Havisham has not been his benefactor and therefore realises that means that Mrs. Havisham had not intention of wanting him to marry Estella. He thinks that he has been cheated and Pip doesnt like the fact that whatever he has achieved has been accomplished by the convict and murderer who Pip helped during his childhood. First person narration is used here to explain Pips disappointment and sadness. When Pip about Magwitch having funded him he is not pleased besides knowing that Magwitch is a criminal he also knows that this means Miss Havisham was not preparing him to marry Estella therefore there is now no hope for him being able to do so. Conclusion: At the time this novel was written the justice system in Victorian England was very harsh especially with the poor people. Dickens has shown Magwitch as a very nice person who is good hearted and wants to help Pip in any way that he can but he finds it hard to do so because since he has gotten in trouble with the law. If he chooses to return to England and meet Pip he will suffer harsh justice. Since he murdered his partner, Compeyson then Magwitch will be put to death. During the time Dickens wrote this novel the death penalty was very common and whilst writing each of his novels he chooses a character who is poor and suffering due to the legal system. Through Pips experiences in this novel we can now fully understand that the poor arent treated equally to the rich in any way. The poor are mainly uneducated and the rich live exquisite lifestyles in which they are free to do whatever they please. Victorian England is projected as full of injustice ands the differences between rich and poor is emphasized.