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What Are Pip's Choices In Great Expectations

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In the novel Great Expectations by Charles Dickens(published 1861), Pip learns many things. Through certain events in his life, Pip learns that his choices affect not only himself but also others around him. He learns this through helping Magwitch, accepting his large fortune and through interacting with Estella.
Pip learns that his choices affect not only himself but others around him through helping Magwitch as a child. Pip first encountered Magwitch during his visit to the churchyard many years ago. Magwitch had threatened to hurt Pip if he didn't bring him some food and a file.(p.g.3) Knowing that he would get punished by his sister for obeying Magwitch's order and also knowing that he would very likely lose Joe's trust, Pip brought the …show more content…
The choice in accepting the fortune does not only change Pip's status in the society but the thought of being a gentleman has changed the way he thinks of others. For example, he thinks that Joe is rather backwards in his learning and his manners and that it would hardly do him justice when he is moved to a higher sphere(p.g. 141). This shows that due to his new circumstance, Pip believes that to make a good first impression as a gentleman, he should only surround himself with well-educated people. Pip's choice also affects the two people who are very close to him, Joe and Biddy. Pip doesn't realise how important he is in Joe's life until he hears Joe's reply to Mr Wemmick's question. Mr Wemmick had asked Joe if he had wanted compensation for the loss of Pip's services, but Joe had refused, stating boldly that no money can make compensation to me for the loss of the little child and the best of friends (p.g.133). Pip's choice not only had caused Joe pain but it had also affected Biddy as well, but they tried for his sake to disguise it. Pip managed to see through their masks, he wrote that '....there was a certain touch of sadness in their congratulations that I resented(p.g. 135). This shows that Pip had learnt that his choices affect not only himself but others around

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