Write a Critical Analysis of the Character of Magwitch in Dickens’ Novel Great Expectations. Why Does Magwitch Become Pip’s Benefactor?
Write a critical analysis of the character of Magwitch in Dickens’ novel Great Expectations. Why does Magwitch become Pip’s benefactor? Great Expectations is a novel written by Charles Dickens. The first publication of the novel was in 1861. The major themes are a social class, criminality, guilt, love, growth from childhood to adulthood, the desire for self-improvement, becoming a gentleman. Dickens uses very interesting way to represent the ideals of mid-nineteenth century to the reader. His tone is critical, satirical, dramatic and even comic. The novel is from the genre called bildungsroman. This term is established by Goethe and depicts a process of maturation and self-improvement of the protagonist throughout his life. We can find many autobiographical elements in Great Expectations. The story is about a young orphaned boy named Pip who is living with his sister and her husband in the marshes of Kent, England. One day when he is in the cemetery, he encounters an escaped convict who grabs Pip and orders him to bring a food and a file for his chains. Pip is afraid and helps to the convict, but he is soon captured anyway. The little boy is send to the house of Miss Havisham. She is wealthy spinster and has an adopted daughter named Estella. She takes Pip for Estella’s companion. The young boy falls in love with Estella although she is cruel to him. There are series of events which lead to the moment when Pip understands that he has got a secret benefactor. Pip must leave for London immediately where he is supposed to become a gentleman. Pip believes that Miss Havisham is his benefactor and visit her and Estella, who has returned from studying on the Continent. Later in the novel Pip’s true benefactor is revealed. Abel Magwitch – the convict who Pip helped – became very wealthy after he was transported to Australia. Later in the novel many important things are revealed like that Magwitch is Estella’s father. Abel is killed while he is trying to