Great Expectations Research Paper

Destined Ambitions I believe that if one plans on being a successful person in society, setting goals is a very important step. Having goals not only gives you a clear focus on things, it also helps you to organize your plans by allowing you to give yourself time limits and boundaries. Expectations are a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future. I have set certain goals I would like to achieve in my lifetime. Some of these goals are personal while others are professional. In Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, Pip has a goal of becoming a gentleman. Everyone in the novel wanted something and each hoped that he would obtain that which he wanted and even took steps toward reaching these goals. My happiness
in what I do is an important goal for me in my life. There is no way someone can become successful if they are not happy with what they are doing. Becoming a better tennis player is a goal of mine, along with a chance that one day I may be able to get a scholarship for college. In achieving my goals, I have to make the changes in my life necessary to reach those goals. The goal of becoming a better tennis player includes a lot of commitment and motivation. I have been playing for tennis for seven years, and want to make varsity tennis in the Spring. To achieve my athletic goal, I must train and practice with a purpose and work diligently towards improving my abilities. Reaching my second goal seems to be more challenging, but also is a more meaningful goal in my life. Getting a scholarship for college would be a great achievement. It includes a lot of hard work, effort, and positive thinking. To do well in school, I must stay motivated, concentrated, and give enough effort towards studying in order to achieve the good grades that will help me in receiving a scholarship. In Great Expectations, Pip achieved his goal of becoming a gentleman by moving to the city of London with great expectations of increasing his social status. However, in doing this, he rejects many of his closest friends in order to achieve his goals. Pip devotes most of his life pursuing Estella. Obstacles to goal achievement can come in the form of people, expectations, knowledge, skill, or resources.
It may be difficult to reach my goals because others will stand in my way, I might not have the knowledge or skill to reach the goal, or I may not have the time to reach the goal or the funding to make it possible. Obstacles that might impede my progress in tennis skills include having the commitment, and keeping up with my practicing. If the obstacle comes from a lack of knowledge or skill, which may be an obstacle in getting a scholarship, it can be overcome in many ways such as studying and training. It may be a difficulty regarding time management for school projects, deadlines, and tests. I must study hard and stay focused in order to maintain the good grades I need. Pip has many roadblocks in his life that make it difficult to fulfill his expectations. Estella marries Drummle instead of Pip and all his hopes for her are lost. Pip also begins to spend too much money and goes into debt even with his secret benefactor giving him money. Once Pip discovers who his benefactor truly is all his dreams are shattered. Pip ends up getting over his battles and tries to repair all his relationships with people he mistreated and
loved. In accomplishing my goals for life, I must always remember that I have to achieve them with happiness. From this novel, one learns that true friendship is worth much more than material possessions. In life, it is sometimes necessary to sacrifice one's illusions or fantasies to discover one's own inner worth. Pip discovers that wealth and social position can be corrupting to a person's morality. Ultimately, Pip realized that he had to sacrifice his great expectations in order to preserve his morality and inner worth. In achieving his expectations, Pip went through a great deal, but in his experiences with the help of friends and most importantly family he became the “real gentleman” he wanted to be.