How Does Pip Change Throughout The Novel

One way that Pip matures is how he changes his views on brother-in-law, Joe. In the second chapter of Great Expectations, Pip sees Joe, “as a larger species of child, and as no more than [his] equal” (Dickens 7). This shows that Pip sees Joe as his equal, meaning that he respects Joe, but as another child. Pip seeing Joe this way means that Joe isn’t that much of a superior figure around the house, it’s mostly Mrs. Joe making the decisions and disciplining Pip. Later on in the book, Pip was, “afraid [he] was ashamed of the dear good fellow– [he knew he] was ashamed of him” (Dickens 94). This shows how much Pip has changed over the short time, he went from loving Joe to being embarrassed of him in front of others. This also shows that him spending
One example of how Pip has changed is when Biddy sent a letter to Pip containing Joe visiting London, but Pip viewed Joe’s visit, “ not with pleasure, though [he] was bound to [Joe] by so many ties” (Dickens Chapter 27). The thought of seeing Joe again made Pip very uneasy, and he was dreading at the thought of his gentlemen acquaintances seeing him around Joe because he has been hiding the fact that he was not raised by a high-class family. If all of the gentlemen see Pip with Joe, a man with a bird-nest hat, they would believe that Pip has some ties back to a non-gentlemen family and that Pip is not who he says he is. Replacing Joe for Pip’s closest friend is Herbert, who Pip decides he must, “help him to a beginning” (Dickens Chapter 36). This generous gesture of providing Herbert with the money to get a commercial life shows just how close their relationship has grown and how much Pip cares for Herbert. Providing Herbert with this money, even though he is in debt with his own payments, shows how close of friends they have become since Pip has come to London. Another example of Pip changing is when he sees that his benefactor, Magwitch, has been crying, even though he wants to make it clear that he was very repulsed by him, he, “was softened by the softened aspect of the man, and felt a touch of reproach” (Dickens Chapter 39). This statement shows that even though Pip has been scarred by Magwitch and feels hatred towards him for stepping into his life, though he still shows kindness for him by allowing him sleep in Herbert’s room and letting Magwitch talk to him. Furthermore, Pip is not fond of his convict because he feels Magwitch is the reason his life has been so dark and dismal, however, Pip still conveys to the convict that he feels sympathy for him. Given Pip’s relationships