Great Expectations: Moral Judgment of Characters by the Reader - Book Report/Review Example

Great Expectations: Moral Judgment of Characters by the Reader Great Expectations, despite being primarily and almost exclusively concerned with a search for an identity in a rapidly industrializing Victorian world, shares something of the moral preoccupations of the picaresque. It is, in fact, chronologically located between the developments of these two generic types. Despite being set earlier in the century, his (Pip's) story is a record of mid-Victorian anxieties about male identity in a period of rapid industrial change and rampant individualism. (Waters 150) Pip's journey is thus a highly 'individual' journey, and is in certain way a tale of alienation. It is a journey where he Pip goes through a diverse range of experiences that continually challenge his understanding of class, family and individuals at large to finally come to a better understanding of himself. Being a bildungsroman, this journey towards self-realization is quite expected and in fact, commonplace. However, what is unique about Great Expectations is the sheer emphasis that Dickens allows himself to give on the moral dimension of this growth. Towards the end of the novel, we hear Pip reflect on Magwitch in the following way: '(I) only saw a man who had meant to be my benefactor, and who had felt affectionately gratefully and generously towards me with great constancy through a series of years. I only saw in him a much better man than I had been to Joe'. (Page 467) It is thus obvious that towards the end of the novel, Pip is introspective and is morally analyzing his position alongside his previous notions on class, outside show of goodness and inner nobility, an irony which remains the dominant motif of the novel. We must never forget that ultimately Pip is presented with a choice that is ostensibly moral, whether he will accept the riches or maintain his moral and inner integrity. Irrespective of Pip's response, the very positing of this question tells us that in Great Expectations, at least, Dickens the moralist supersedes the humorist and the social commentator in this novel. Great Expectations, like many other novels of Charles Dickens, has the elements like loneliness and alienation. There are four orphan characters in this novel: Pip, Estella, Magwitch and Mrs. Joe. Loneliness has been shown as integral part of their existence, but their individual approach towards it is different. Here lies the strength of characterization by the author. Being a bildungsroman by nature Great Expectations shows the gradual development of the characters throughout the novel. Pip's loneliness is made clear in the very first chapter when he visits the gloomy cemetery of his family members. This chapter also foregrounds his autonomy, as he goes through a process of naming himself. However, this autonomy would also eventually become a reason for his foreboding isolation and alienation in society. Pip, by nature, is a philosopher; and the first person narrative voice of the novel pervades with extensive thoughts on the actions that happen around him. Pip's particular brand of contemplation and imagination is not without the morbid, and an overarching sense of morality. His is a character that is quite capable of pondering over the depressive features of life. Throughout the novel, it is the development of Pip's moral faculty that keeps the readers interested, and sympathetically drawn to this lonely and brooding character. Pip is a man, who knows how to reciprocate love. The generous heart owned by him involves him into various show of kindness. Helping Magwitch to do something positive about Herbert's business is one of the examples of this kindness. Pip learns lessons throughout his life from various incidents and achieves the completeness of character. He learns through Magwitch and Estella that social position is not the ultimate thing. On the course of life, his idea of social structure changes from an oversimplified to a complicated one. Readers learn moral lessons through this character and give their moral judgment to him, too. One even accuse Dickens of an immodest degree of didactism over here, the way he tries to almost educate his readers on the worth of reality behind appearance, and the innately vacuous nature of the English class structure. The gentlemanliness and honesty of Pip's character, however, are the aspects that can easily win over the hearts of the readers and ensures the stay of their sympathy with him throughout the novel. Estella is a character, which is sometimes considered as the first complete woman successfully portrayed by Charles Dickens. The use of irony is an inseparable part of this characterization. Romantic love and class system in society are the elements to which she shows strong apathy. There are some points of truth in these thoughts and they are quite strong to draw readers' sympathy. Estella, however, is an antithesis of the romantic nature of a heroine, whom readers come across in numerous English novels. Estella is misanthropic, stale and shrewd. The whole life of Estella has been drawn differently by Dickens. Some of the aspects have been incorporated purposefully. Estella's bringing up by Miss Havisham is something that makes her crueler than what she could have become if raised by Magwitch. She also marries a man noted for his cruelty. Estella has never suffered from poverty and this is how Dickens shows his readers that financial well being has nothing to do with the building of a character. Estella is projected in front of the readers as a character without any heart. This arouses a sense of pity among the audience for her. She is known as incapable of doing anything good for Pip and completely unable to reciprocate Pip's love for her. So, despite the presence of negative qualities Estella succeeds in getting some sympathy from the readers. The moral judgment of this character, however, can never be positive. The readers are made to think about the faults in Estella's character in this also generates a need for moral comparison among all the generous and cruel people described in Great Expectations. However, Pip's morality comes into play over here, and the relationship ceases to be something akin to the relationship between Beatrix and Edmond in The Vanity Fair, another classic from the same time to share very similar concerns. The girl whom Miss Havisham, with an idea of avenging her own wrongs, brought up to break the hearts of men has had little, if any chance to know herself; but Pip (and the reader with him) clings to the belief that sooner or lataer the real mind will conquer the artificial. (Haynes 12) There are two points that are raised by Haynes. First, self-realization is the ultimate motif of all major characters, guided and directed by the central solitary character of Pip. Secondly, it is the moral concern that Dickens wanted his readers to be interested in, and it is this moral question that is the main point of interest in the novel. This morality, in turn, is integrally connected with the idea of knowing right from wrong, the 'real' from the 'artificial', a maturity that is the way towards self-realization. Betrayal plays a big role in Miss Havisham's life. Being jilted by Compeyson on the supposed day of their wedding makes her cynical throughout life. She is a character who is prey to the circumstances. Readers can feel the blow of such an incident in her life. The stopping of a clock at Satis House shows the magnitude of the wound she carries. This is something very strong to draw the readers' sympathy towards this character. Despite this, the way she behaves with the other characters known for their generousness makes the readers to have a dwindled state of mind when it comes to rendering moral judgment on Miss Havisham. Vengeance occupies a large portion of her mind. She behaves cruelly with everyone supposing them to have same attributes like Compeyson. This is why she also hurts Pip. Still the readers are made to see her redeemed state when Miss Havisham realizes the pain she has caused in Pip's life. Sympathy can redeem cruelty - this is the moral lesson demonstrated by Dickens through this characterization and it undoubtedly wins full support of the readers. However, it must also be said that there is something exaggerated about Miss Havisham. Her outward eccentricities are amplified to a degree that she looses something of the attraction that a character like her promises otherwise. Great Expectations is a novel, which conveys a strong moral message to the readers. The story establishes loyalty, love and conscience above the issues of social uplift of individuals. Pip is obviously the first man to learn this lesson. He remains an idealist throughout the novel but there are certain changes that take place in his character. This self development in the character is what attracts the readers. The audience of Great Expectations learns that development of the character can be achieved without anyone's help and through learning lessons from life itself. Being a wealthy gentleman is what for which Pip craves in the first half of his life but following the transition, his ideas change and he learns how peace is important in this regard. The most important aspect regarding the self development is the fact that Pip treats himself in a very strict way. This shows the moral strength in his character and establishes him as the hero of this novel. Being lonely in his own gentlemanly world, Pip has no other option than to learn things by himself. Dickens shows how by achieving a clear understanding of society a person can make his or her character complete and morally trained. On the other hand, Pip's experiences also show that traditional education has very little to do with the moral development of a human being. Another part of Great Expectations that involves the interplay of sympathy and moral judgment of the characters is where the readers come across the criminal lawyer and the convicts. Crime and justice play roles of immense importance in this novel. Even the conflict within Pip's character can be taken as a symbol of the social justice system. Going through the novel the readers discover some of the characters regarded as real life criminals having soft inner sides. Magwitch is obviously one of them whose inner feelings are discovered by Pip himself. Following his feelings for Magwitch, he even helps the latter to escape from police and law. This apparently illegal activity of Pip is definitely morally supported by the readers who can sympathize very well both the characters and understand the dicey situation they are in. The incident also features Pip's love for the people who care for him. Readers come to understand the fact that morality cannot be always judged by what education and society teach people. Inner conscience is the main thing to show people the right way to evaluate the elements of life. Feeling of guilt is one of the main themes in Great Expectations. Pip is the first character who reveals this characteristic in him. Pip shows a great activity of moral judgment in the incident regarding the Christmas pork from Mrs. Joe. This characteristic of continuous self assessment shows the readers that Pip is quite clear about his conscience. This wins him hearts of the readers. Coming from a lower class background makes Pip unable to see the truth of life. According to him, education plays a vital role in life and this is also why he is annoyed with Joe. He takes wealth and beauty to be everything that can be craved for in his life; but, life itself teaches him that conscience and affection towards the right people are the most important things. Realizing this, Pip changes himself very successfully and this ability to accept the truth easily is a virtue that wins the readers' moral support. Scorn and sympathy - these two are the faces of the outcome of moral judgment rendered on the characters by readers. So, Great Expectations is not an exception, too. Each and every character in this novel subjects to be judged from a moral point of view. Dickens was very much aware of the fact and this is why he also purposefully made the characters more realistic so that people can be easily influenced by their behaviors and attitudes. Disappointments in everyone's life are the milestones from where he or she learns a valuable and applicable thing to be used in life. The novel goes through lots of ups and downs and so do the characters. Despite these upheavals, Charles Dickens successfully retains the sympathy of the readers for some major characters present in this work. As for example we can take Pip, who turns into a snob in the second half of Great Expectations, yet never loses the reader's moral support. Letting the readers to show their moral judgment on the characters is the main target of the novel, and, sympathizing with them is the gateway through which the effect is achieved. It is needless to say the readers will give positive feedback to the characters with whom they can successfully sympathize and negative to them for whom they have scorns. Actually to analyze the reality, it depends completely upon the writer whether to make a certain character to be able to draw sympathy from the readers or not. Dickens could have invited sympathy for Miss Havisham despite the presence of her vices, but Pip is his spokesman and therefore he plays the character, which is morally the strongest among all. Bibliography: Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Penguin Classics. 2003 Waters, Catherine. Dickens and the Politics of the Family. Cambridge university Press, 1997. Haynes, Kenneth. 'Introduction to the Great Expectations'. William Collins: London, 1977. Read More