Great Expectations Magwitch Life Of Crime

The criminal character is usually the most hated literature, but Magwitch in Great Expectations is a little different, for many reasons. In the novel, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Magwitch, even though he is a criminal, earns the reader’s compassion and admiration. The reader’s introduction to Magwitch makes the humanity of the character shine through with his irons on his leg. Magwitch’s childhood is less than ideal, which basically leads him to his life of crime, and finally, the death of the character is one of the most touching of literature.
When the reader first meets Magwitch, he is in a poor state. He has escaped the boat which he was being kept as a convict, and is hiding in a churchyard by the marshes, where he meets Pip,
Magwitch makes sure to get wealth to give to the boy who gave him food on the marshes years before, even if it is not by the most legal means. Magwitch grew up living in London during the Industrial Revolution, which was not an enjoyable time for anyone who would have worked in a factory. Magwitch’s first memory is of stealing a turnip, which shows how poor his life was. “I first became aware of myself, down in Essex, a thieving turnips for my living. Summun had run away from me—a man—a tinker—and he'd took the fire with him, and left me wery cold.” (321). No one’s first memory should be of theft, especially that of a turnip. Because of his harsh upbringing, Magwitch is doomed for a life of crime. He has a long, long, long rap sheet from many crimes, and he eventually gets sent to Australia, where England sends their criminals at this time. Even though he is doomed to a life of crime, he never stops caring about Pip, whom he barely knows. Every cent that Magwitch makes, he gives to Pip for Pip’s expectations. He doesn't even tell Pip until he is well into it. Readers should admire Magwitch for this and many reasons. He is a self-made man, unlike most of the wealthy characters in the book, and he teaches himself to read and write. Magwitch makes all of his money from hard work, and some luck, and he gives every penny to Pip, so Pip will have a better life than he
At the same time, Pip, even though he loves Magwitch at the end, never seems to think of him as a father as much as he did Joe. To make a lasting gentlemanly legacy, Magwitch pours all of his cash into Pip. Because of this, Pip receives his “Great Expectations” and becomes a gentleman and eventually learns to love him because he knows that he owes all that he has to Magwitch. The convict admits to Pip “‘Look’ee here, Pip. I’m your second father. You’re my son--more to me nor any son’” (298). Readers admire Magwitch for all that he has done for Pip, and all of the sacrifices that he has made. Normally, criminals are nothing but selfish, but Magwitch is selfless in the fact that he wants to Pip to be a gentleman. Magwitch’s death is where readers (and Pip) show a lot of compassion and admiration. Magwitch reflects on Pip’s influence in his life by explaining; “‘And what's the best of all,’ he said, ‘you've been more comfortable alonger me, since I was under a dark cloud, than when the sun shone. That's best of all.’” (426). Right before he passes, Pip reveals to Magwitch that he actually has a daughter (Estella) who is loved, and that is all that Magwitch needed to hear. Magwitch’s last part of his life was spent trying to give Pip a better one which is enough to have readers feel compassion. Not only that, but Pip’s revelation to Magwitch that all this time, he had a daughter is means for