Great Expectations

From reading Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, I recognized the great author he was because of the way he developed characters and transformed them into images of human nature. Some of the themes he dealt with were social status, intrinsic worth, revenge, pride, and love. As I thought about the different characters in this book, I realized that each was a powerful illustration of how their focus in life became their greatest ordeal and cause of suffering. Dickens then used this source of pain to heal and restore each main character into a figure of evolution and growth. When we recognize the same type of traits within ourselves through reading great literature, we are able to peer into a mirror and recognize our weaknesses and flaws, plus see our strengths and positive aspects that we have. This reflection can be a powerful impetus for personal change.
Miss Havishim was a representation of pride, unforgiveness, and revenge. She chose to stop her life on the day of her jilted wedding plans. The clocks were even stopped to the minute of her failed marriage and this also commemorated the moment when her progression stopped. As a result, everything around her eventually crumbled and eroded. She was a strange and weird character and may seem far-fetched, but I believe that Dickens portrayed her physical surroundings to resemble our internal life when we choose not to forgive and let go of the past. We can become full of bugs, parasites, dust, and mold and we also decay mentally if we hold on to bitterness. Even her relationships with others were of a parasitic quality. Her relatives only wanted her death so that they could inherit her wealth. She basically damned herself to a life of unhappiness, resentment, and hostility because of her choice to hold on to the past and not look with hope to the future. Everything around her crumbled and was eventually torn down as a result of the way she lived her life. The legacy she left was one of sour hatred and despair over a promise not kept. She is not one to be emulated until near the end of her life when she asked forgiveness of Pip for the pain she caused him in her quest for revenge.
Pip was prideful and deceived in the fact that he believed in appearances, and held to the idea that wealth and social status were the true measure of a man. He wanted all of the external things to become a gentleman including wearing the right clothing, belonging to a “gentleman’s” club and having the proper education. Ironically, the true qualities of a gentleman—loyalty, honesty, kindness—were embodied in Joe whom Pip despised throughout most of his life. Joe was an ignorant and simple man and this was repugnant to Pip’s ideals. Yet, the extravagance of Pip’s living and mismanagement of his accounts eventually brought about his economic ruin. He symbolizes the corruption of Miss Havishim in this way. Pip’s mistaken belief’s about his benefactor and his love for Estella was another proof of his misguided views of life. Yet this also brought about his realization that position in life and class-rank are false measures of a person. He came to appreciate and see the worth in his benefactor who was a criminal and on the lowest level of society. In addition, he was redeemed by Joe and given back life and hope instead of dying alone in prison. This brought him to the true knowledge of what a real gentleman is—a man who is forgiving, compassionate, and constant.
Estella was openly prideful of her beauty and her disdain for men. She was the ill-fated product of Miss Havishim’s acrimony. Unfortunately, this blinded her from the true character of people and she seemed unaware that this would ultimately lead to her own devastation. She was incapable of feeling love and this coldness and hurt was what she received in return. Her redemption came after her abusive marriage ended. Estella realized, “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching…I have been bent and broken, but ---I hope into a better shape.”
Pip and Estella could have been ruined by false beliefs, disappointment and the unfortunate situations which they encountered in life like Miss Havishim was, but fortunately circumstances worked in a way to break them of the ruinous path they were on. The trials and pain that they underwent broke them of their pride and helped them reconcile their mistakes. They were able to overcome their past and become new creatures because of forgiveness and humility. They are each powerful illustrations of redemption and deliverance. Charles Dickens was a brilliant writer and through his characters we can open our eyes to the power of revenge versus forgiveness, love versus hate, and what the true worth of each individual is regardless of their social status in life. Copyright L.L. Williams