Pity for Pip

When I began reading Great Expectations I met a character named Pip.  He is introduced as a fearful child.  He is fearful of a loose convict, fearful of his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery, who is taking place of his mother, and fearful of almost everything in his life.  In reaction to this, I feel bad for the poor kid.  Pip is a young boy and should not have so much to fear in his youth.  His parents died when he was a young child and his sister had to “raise him by hand.”  Clearly, Pip is abused by Mrs. Joe, so he has a very good reason to be afraid of her.  If Pip slips up but once, even in the slightest bit, he gets the “tickler,” one of Mrs. Joe’s favorite devices to literally whip Pip into shape.

Just as I feel bad for him because of all he has to fear, I also feel for Pip because he is consistently put to shame throughout the opening chapters.  Even at Christmas dinner, where family and friends should get together and recollect nice memories and overall have a joyous time, Pip is shamed for being “ungrateful” for his mother; the same mother that abuses him.  What Pip is punished for is quite absurd.

Another event that was brought to my attention was when Pip was forced to play for Miss Havisham.  One day out of the blue, Mr. Pumblechook took Pip to an old decaying house.  In that house, a matching figure sat in a chair at a desk, frozen in time, known as Miss Havisham.  She was a madwoman who was still mourning the fact that she had been left at the altar.  Pip was left at the shambled place to play cards with the beautiful, but extremely rude Estella.  She constantly tossed insults Pips way, and he could do nothing about it.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to have to go through the same thing as him.  The experience would be terrible.  Putting this together with his abusive sister and insulting guests, Charles Dickens undoubtedly creating Pip’s character to be pitied.