Great Expectations Commonness Quotes

Dickens’ Great Expectations follows and examines the life of a fictional character, Pip, who lives in and falls victim to a world that despises the common man. Ever since his parents’ death, his overbearing sister and conceited uncle instilled in him the belief that he had no worth as a poor youth. He initially sought refuge the abuse with his sister’s affectionate husband, Joe, until the beautiful Estella made him feel a deep inferiority for the first time, in which he began to see an inferiority in Joe and his work as a blacksmith. Pip continues to struggle with his self-esteem until he becomes an educated gentleman who is as condescending as Estella, and to some extent, Mrs. Joe. Even with a newfound confidence, he still cannot find fulfillment

By doing so, Dickens wants us to see that no matter one’s position in society, neglecting to recognize the beauty within common things and exaggerating the worth of superficially refined things causes the true loss of intrinsic human value and dignity. Early in the book, Dickens defines society’s view of commonness as that of inferiority and near worthlessness. He argues this through interactions and descriptions of important characters. In the beginning of the novel, Pip describes his sister as “a very clean housekeeper” who thinks “Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and some people do the same by their religion.” For Mrs. Joe, to be clean is much more than a concern for organization or health – it is a pseudo-religious lifestyle. Joe, in contrast, is a blacksmith, and his work often covers him in soot; Joe is very common – “good-natured,” “easy-going” – and often sacrifices himself for Pip out of love. Dickens uses Joe to represent the common man, and since Joe’s work is dirty, he is not clean, not Godly, and thus has less human worth and dignity than someone who is

He carries his argument through utilizing key characters that contrast with the view of commonness shared by Mrs. Joe and the majority of society. In London, Pip lived with his roommate, Herbert, who he describes as “frank and easy,” with “a natural incapacity to do anything secret and mean” which meant “he would never be successful or rich.” Pip also describes Herbert’s father as “natural” and “unaffected,” meaning his nature has not been corrupted by society. These two uncorrupted characters are similar, in that they are some of the only genuine characters in the novel. Since they are unaffected, they do not succumb to society’s view of the common man. One particular event shows that before he even knew Pip, Herbert did not condescend to him, even though one could say that at that time Pip was common. During a visit to Miss Havisham’s, Pip encountered Herbert, then the “pale young gentleman,” who wanted Pip to “come and fight.” While Pip repeatedly won, Herbert never treated him poorly, never the way Estella or Miss Havisham’s relatives treated him. Herbert, who does not lie to himself about social class and commonness, is righteous, happy, and a person with true dignity. Like Herbert in character (but not in social class), Joe,