SpencerBowman,TyRuckert,JacksonWagner

Fink
Comp.II
9March,2016
PersuasiveEssayonGreatExpectations
Fewauthorscreateliteraturethatcanstandaloneasmasterpieces,aswellasmaintaina
nearlegendarystatusasyearspassby.GreatExpectations,byCharlesDickens,includesaspects
offairytales,ethicsofmoralsociety,andcharactersthatshowqualitiesoftruegentlemen,
creatingacomplexpieceofliteraturethatearnsitthetitleofawondrousworkofart.Elements
ofthestoryaswellasthecharacterscanbecomparedtoaclassicfairytale.Factorssuchasthese
areeasytosee,asthemoralsandethicsofthecharacterscontinuouslyexhibittraitsoftrue
gentlemen.
InthebookGreatExpectations,readersaretoldthestoryofPhillipPirip,orPip,andhis
extraordinaryjumpfromragstoriches.Hisadventureinvolvessomeverystrangeeventsand
characters,whichcanleadtheimpressionthatthisclassicbyDickensisactuallyafairytale.
Fairytales,suchasthatoftheBrothersGrimmandCharlesPerraults
TalesofMotherGoose
,
havesimilarelementsineachstory(Cooper).Interestingcharactersarethepinnacleofwhat
makeGreatExpectationsafantasticstory,startingwithPip,theheroofthestory(Campbell).
Classicherosofthefairytalelives,grows,anddevelopsasthestoryprogresses.Pipissentonan
adventureafterbeinggivenafortunebyamysteriousbenefactor,butnotbeforemeetingthe
Havishams.Mrs.Havishamandheradopteddaughter,Estella,sharetraitsandpersonalitieswith
charactersfromtalessuchasCinderellaorRapunzel,bothofwhichinvolveabeautifulgirlwho

istrappedbyhercruelstepmother(Barker).PipquicklycreatedanintensedesireforEstella,and
wouldcontinuetobehaveinahero/damselindistressrelationshipuntiltheendofthestory,
whentheherofinallyrescuesthegirl.ButbeforePipgetshishappyending,hemeetsmore
charactersthatresemblecommonelementsoffairytales.Hisbenefactor,Magwitch,canbe
consideredtobetheroyalty,theperson(s)thatpossesslargeamountsofwealththatenticethe
hero.Afterhim,thefinalcharactertobehadisthevillain,whoinGreatExpectations,turnsout
tobeDrummle.Manyfairytaleshavetheevilthattriestooutwitordefeatthehero,whetherit
beagoblin,adragon,ortheDevilhimself.DrummleattemptstoshamePipbytauntinghim
abouthischildhoodspentasablacksmithsassistant.Notonlythat,butDrummlealsotriesto
takethedamselindistress,Estella,awayfromPip.CharacterssuchasthesearewhatgiveGreat
Expectationsitsfairytalequalities.

Fairytalesandtheirplots,inmostcases,haveathemethatshowthedevelopmentofthe
hero.Themessuchastheseincludecomingofage,humility,andjustice.Pipsstoryeventually
coversallofthesethemesatleastoncetimeintheplot,thoughnotseparately.Pipsbeginningis
ahumbleone,ashespendshischildhoodlivinginasmallcottageintheEnglishcountryside
withhissisterandherhusband.Piphasntmaturedyet,andsothereadergetstowitnesshisrise
toadulthood,butPipsupbringingdoesntstayinthepast,itfollowshimintohisnewlifeasa
richgentleman.Onseveraloccasions,theproudmanDrummlecallsPipoutandmockshimfor
hisformerlife.ThistransitionfromapoorboytoawealthymanmadePipoverlyproud,which
hadatollonhisrelationshipswithhisrelatives.Eventually,Piplearnedtoaccepthispastand

maintainhisfriendshipwithhisbrotherinlaw.Pipspathfromapoorboytoarichgentleman
andthenbacktopovertyhumbledPipinawaythatissimilartoatypicalheroinafairytale.

AnyonewhoknowstheplotofGreatExpectationsalsoknowsthatmanyofthe
characterswhoreadersmakeconnectionswithfaceturmoilsthatputintoquestionwhetherornot
thestorycanbeconsideredafairytale.Death,betrayal,andabuseareallpresentandhave
profoundeffectsonthecharacters,butthefairytaleformatstillappliestothestory.Inthe
BrothersGrimmversionofRapunzel,theprincewhoattemptstosaveRapunzelisblindedbythe
evilwitchthatconfinedRapunzeltoatowerandisforcedtowanderblindthroughthe
wildernessuntilhehappensuponRapunzel,whowasleftinawastelandbythesamewitch.
WhentheprincewasreunitedwithRapunzel,theylivedhappilyeverafter.Despitethefactthat
theprincehadhissighttakenawaybyacruelwitch,asituationthatisdreadfulineveryrespect,
thestoryisstillconsideredtobeafairytale.Pipexperiencesmanyheartachesduringhis
entranceintonoblesociety,includingtheseparationofhimandhisfriendJoeGargery,the
marriageofEstellatotheabusiveDrummle,andthedeathofhisbenefactor,Magwitch.Afterthe
trialsthatPipendured,hewasabletoreunitewithEstellaandhavehishappyeverafter.Death
andheartbreakarepresentinclassicstoriessuchastheBrothersGrimm,butthatdoesnotknock
themfromthefairytalecategory.
TheplotinGreatExpectationshasmanydifferenttwistsandturns.Theethicsoftheplot
arepresentinvirtuallyeverysceneandchaptertothestoryofGreatExpectations.Thoughthere
aremanyethicvaluesandissuespresentinthisstory,themainthreewere:compassion,betrayal,
andvengeance.Compassionisshowninmanydifferentwaysthroughoutthemovie.Mrs.

HavishamshowshercompassionearlybyhelpingPipandhisfamily,thoughwelearnlaterthat
itshowedmorevengeancethancompassion.Sheactuallyshowsallthreevalues,notonlyisshe
havingcompassionandvengeancebutshealsoshowsbetrayal.ShebetrayedPipthemostwhen
shemadehimthinkhewaspartofsomethingeventhoughheactuallywasnt,andshealso
betrayedEstellabyforcinghertomarryanabusiveman.Pipwasthemostcompassionate,
besidesJoe.PipshowedcompassionbyhelpinghisfriendHerbertstartabusinessandprovide
moneytohelpHerbertbesuccessfulsohecanprovideforhiswifeandfamily.Forthemostpart
Pipshowedcompassionandwasagoodguy,butthereweremomentswhenPipdisplayed
betrayal.PipshowedhisbetrayalwhenhedisavowedJoe,whoraisedhimandcaredforhimall
oftheseyears.PipseemedembarrassedofJoeandwasextremelyrudetoJoewhenhecameto
visit,makingitseemasifPipbetrayedJoeanddidnotcareabouthimorhisfamilyfromhispast
life.Joeontheotherhandpresentednothingbutcompassion.Hewascompassionatewhen
raisingPipandalwaystreatingPipasason,healsoneveraskedforanymoney,andJoealso
stayedattheforgetocareforhissickeningwife.
Thetwomaincharacters,PipandMrs.Havisham,playedalargeroleinmakingthe
ethicstotheplotveryprominent,buttherewerealsootherrolesfromcharactersthathelped
establishanethicalplot,suchasJoe.Joewasalwayscompassionateevenastheplotunfolded
andthatswhyheisthegreatestgentlemaninGreatExpectations.Heisthepersonwhotruly
showedPiptobeaconsensualgentleman.HealsosaidcaredforhiswifeevenwithoutPips
help,showingmuchcompassionthroughoutthemovie.Estellaalsohadamajoreffectonthe
plotofthestory.ShedisplayedbetrayaltobothPipandMrs.Havisham.ShebetrayedPipby
marryingsomeonewhoshedidnotlove,andshebetrayedMrs.Havishamattheendofthe

moviebynotwritingtoheranymore.Estellaalsoshowedcompassionattheendofthemovie
whenherandPipcametogetherandispresumedthattheyfellinloveforeachother.Theplotto
expectationswastobewhoyouare,notbecomesomeoneyouarent.Compassion,betrayal,and
vengeanceallplayedapartonmakingthisplotrelevant.Itletcompassionbuildforthebetrayal,
anditletbetrayalleadtovengeance.Ethicsofacharacterisanimportantpartformakingagood
plotandGreatExpectationsdidthatthrewcompassion,betrayal,andvengeance.
Inmostfamiliesoneofthefirstthingsparentsteachtheirchildrenisgoodmanners.
Childrenaretaughttohaveintegrity,goodworkethics,andrespecttowardsothers.Itcanbe
easyforsomeonetoidentifythesetypesofmoralethicsinsomeone.Butitcanbehardto
identifythecharacteristicsatruegentlemanshouldpossess.Boysareoftentaughtatayoungage
bytheirparentstobeapropergentleman.Aquestionthatcouldbeaskedishowsomeone
identifiesthecharacteristicsofapropergentleman.Somepeoplesperceptionofatrue
gentlemanisthatagentlemanisamanwhoiswellclothedandwealthy,wellmannered,anda
highmemberofsociety.Whilesomeoftheseperceptionscanbetrueothersarefalselylabeled
accusations.Everymanorboycanbeconsideredagentlemannotbytheirwealthortheirrank
amongsocietybutbytheircharacter.InthebookGreatExpectationsbyCharlesDickensit
givesinsightfulinformationaboutayoungboynamedPipwhoisapoormemberofsocietyand
hisroadtobecomingapropergentleman.ThroughoutthestoryDickensintroducesdifferent
characterswhocouldbeconsideredasprimeexamplesofatruegentleman.
PeoplemightperceivePipasbeingtheprimeexampleofatruegentlemansinceheisthe
maincharacterofthestory.PeoplecanfindmultiplescenarioswherePipshowsactionsofatrue
gentleman.ButwhenPipgetstestedwiththeopportunitytoinheritasignificantamountof

moneybyanunknownbenefactoritaffectshispreviousvalues.Anothercharacterthatis
introducedinthestoryisHerbertPocket,whoisPipsfriend.Herbertcanbeviewedbysome
peopleasthebestexampleofapropergentlemanbecauseofhisactiontodeclinetheopportunity
toinherithisfamilyfortunesothathecanmarryhisfianceClara,whohisparentsdonotlike.
Butthereisonecharacterwhodisplaystheprinciplesofagentlemanbetterthanalloftheothers.
JoeGargery,whoisPip'sbrotherinlaw,displaysoncountlessoccasionsinthestoryofactions
ofapropergentleman.InthebeginningofthestoryPipstruggledtofindcompanionship,ashe
livedwithhissisterwhotreatedhimpoorlyandherhusbandJoe,whotookalikingtohim.
BeforePipbecameahighmemberofsociety,Joewastheonlypersonwhocaredforhim.Even
whenPiptreatedJoerudelywhenhecametoseehimathisnewhomeinLondon,Joestillcared
forhim.WhenPipwasindebt,Joe,whoisapoorblacksmith,steppedintopayoffhisdebt.Joe
isthebestexampleofagentlemaninthestoryhedisplaysthetruecharacteristicsagentleman
shouldpossess.Joetreatsotherswithrespectandthereisneveramomentinthestorywherehe
failstoshowkindnesstowardothers.Whiletheideaforsomepeopleofagentlemanissomeone
whoiswealthyandahighmemberofsociety,Joeprovesthatthisisafalseperceptionpeople
have.Joeshowsthebestcharacteranddisplayscountlessactsofkindnesseventhoughhewas
nevertestedwithaninheritance,hestillpayedoffPipsdebtwiththelittlemoneyhehadleft.
Joemayhavebeenoneofthepoorestcharactersbuthedisplayedtherichestactsofatrue
gentleman.
GreatExpectationscontinuestobeacknowledgedforitsgreatstorytelling.Great
Expectationsisafantasticpieceofliteratureforitspresenceoffairytaleelements,moralethics,

andthequalitiesofatruegentleman.CharlesDickenscreatedastoryunlikeanyother,onethat
isuniqueandinteresting,andonethatwillcontinuetoamazefuturereaders.

References
Barker,William."Grimm'sFairyTales."
Grimm'sFairyTales
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Campbell,Joseph.
TheHerowithaThousandFaces
.Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUP,1972.Print.

Cooper,PatrickG."FairyTale."
Explora
.N.p.,n.d.Web.
KansasLibrary
.N.p.,n.d.Web.<https://kskansaslibrarylogin.civicplus.com>.