Well I finally finished Great Expectations on Monday this week, and now have time to write about it and it made me relies something. The day in class where we talked about the book almost every one in the class said they did not like Pip. They said he was a jerk because he did not ever talk to Joe after he went to London. I strongly disagree with people who have this opinion if Pip and believe they did not understand one of the main themes in the book. I liked Pip. I thought he was a very realistic character, who did not mean to hurt anyone, and when it was all said in done did not hurt anyone. For the most part I think every one got what they deserved except for one person (more to come).
After Pip left for London he never talked much to Joe, he only visited him once the entire time he was in London and that was when his sister died, and this was not much of a visit. This aspect of Pip bothered a lot of people in the class, I believe one person said he was an “ass hole” but I might be mistaken. I don’t see it this way. Pip is a generally nice person, a few of the things he did to prove this is he set up Herbert with the money to start his business, he helped try to free Magwithc, and he made sure Magwitch was comfortable when he died by telling him his daughter was still alive and had become successful to a certain level. Pip never does anything to anyone in the book that will intentionally cause him or her harm. He never sets out to cause a problem for anyone. But like all real people he is not perfect, he constantly runs into problems with his money like in William Wordsworth’ poem “The World is Too Much With Us” he neglects his best friend from before he was a brought to expectations, and there is a laundry list of other faults he has. The reason people do not like Pip is a reason they might not realize is there and it is what is brothering them, but Pip exemplifies the faults people have, and try to ignore in them selves. Ill tell you what I mean by this: no one is perfect; if they say they are then they are a liar. We all have faults, but part of human nature is to ignore our faults in our selves so we can make our selves feel warm and fuzzy inside. When we read a book like Great Expectations it makes us feel uncomfortable and prickly and cold inside because it brings out our own problems. Every one at some point in their lives does not get along with their parents; it is part of growing up. People show this in different manners, ranging from say yelling I “I Hate You” to Patricide (this being a bit more extreme). Since most of us are 20some years old when we go through these problems we are arrogant cocky people who know deep down inside we are always right. This is essence what happened to Pip, he was a 20 some arrogant cocky SOB who was ashamed of his childhood so he never went back, not realizing it could hurt those who had raised him. I think every one is like this, and the reason people do not like Pip is he reminds them of their flaws, and it makes them uncomfortable. So the real question you should be asking is do you not like Pip, or do you not like yourself?
Oh and just because you read this far the only person in the book that I thought did not get what he deserved was Mr. Pumpernickl the reason I say this is because he was a jerk at the end to Pip and should have had his teeth knock out, if you are looking for an Ass hole in this book look to him, he is your ass hole.