Great Expectations Quote Analysis

Great Expectations

An important quote that explains what kind of wealth is important is: “It is great wealth to a soul to live frugally with a contented mind” (Lucretius). This quote shows that having a simple life with no complications can lead to more happiness whereas someone who is wealthier might be more worrisome and have more problems despite all the money earned. Great Expectations is about a boy named Pip who wants to become a gentleman. When he gets that opportunity, he moves to London and lives there. While Pip lives there, he overcomes many problem and struggles with his own identity too. Later on in the story, Pip corrects his mistakes and learns from them. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses Pip’s thoughts and speech to exhibit his growing arrogance and self importance.
Pip’s thoughts show how much he has changed and not necessarily for
the better. Pip received a letter from Joe saying how he was going to visit him in London. Now Pip was not very eager about this because he felt that Joe was too common and he was kind of embarrassed of him. Pip’s first thought of when he received the letter from Joe was not very kind considering all the things Joe did for him: “Let me confess exactly, with what feelings I looked forward to Joe's coming. Not with pleasure, though I was bound to him by so many ties; no; with considerable disturbance, some mortification, and a keen sense of incongruity. If I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money”(Dickens 203). This models how much Pip changed because before he was advised that he had great expectations, he used to consider Joe his best friend. Now, Pip’s thoughts show that he has forgotten where he has come from by him thinking of giving Joe money to stay away because he probably did not want to be embarrassed by him. Also, when Pip said that he was bound to and not with pleasure, that is when it is realized how much his new life has changed his way of thinking. There were days when Joe actually protected Pip; he gave him comfort and acted like a father figure for him. For Pip to have forgotten all of what Joe did for him really exhibits his new personality changes. For these reasons, the reader can conclude that Pip is arrogant and self-important. Similarly, Pip’s speech exhibits how much he has changed from back to when he was a commoner. In this quote, Pip was talking to Biddy and slightly complaining about his life as a common boy. He wasn’t thankful for what he had and the people around him, Pip wanted more for himself. Here is what he said: “‘See how I am going on. Dissatisfied and uncomfortable…’”(Dickens 124). When it is interpreted what Pip is saying, it shows that he is acting ungrateful- that he thinks he is better than the life and the people he is living with. He acts very arrogantly when he said this to Biddy because this is has been Biddy’s life and she never complains about. For Pip to just act so selfish must be pretty shocking to Biddy to see how much he has really changed. It is unfair for him to act so self-righteous in front of Biddy especially since they grew up together in the same common life and for him to just act like that is not enough for him is just wrong. Pip saying that he has grown dissatisfied and uncomfortable with the life he is living in really shows his arrogance growing, as well as his self importance.
In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses Pip’s speech and thoughts to display his developing ego and vanity throughout the book.
Although Pip’s ego shows what wealth can do to a person, it is still possible to work through problems and become a better, more considerate person in the end. This shows the readers what impact wealth can have on a person and how they can succumb to the pressure of letting the idea of all that money get to their head which can change them to a completely different person, just like Pip. Pip succumbed to this pressure when he forgot where he came from and pushed away all those who were close to him and cared for him. For example, he pushed away Biddy and Joe — who were his closest friends— just because his wealth went to his head and he changed himself. Although its is true that Pip realized his mistakes and tried to correct his errors, some people never correct their mistakes and keep on traveling on that bad path. Wealth never gets anyone anywhere. Pip realized this but only until it was a little too late. He still managed to fix his path, but not without a few
casualties.