Pip Gargery Struggles

A Near Body with a Distant Mind Great Expectations, written by Charles Dickens is an older text with many timeless themes and morals. The main character, Pip Gargery, struggles with many incidences throughout the novel. The three main occasions are the ones in his life that he’s lost, wealth and debt, and especially his romantic interest, who goes by Estella. In the entirety of this story, Pip has faced many challenges that he’s struggled through. Ultimately, Pip has suffered immensely because of the amount of associates and family of his that passed away. As a young child, Pip’s parents died and so his sister adopted him. “As I have never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them” (Dickens 9). The death of

When Pip lived in the marshes, he didn’t want to become a blacksmith like Joe. “I wished Joe had been rather more genteelly brought up, and then I should have been so too” (Dickens 64). Also, Pip’s peer and fellow gentleman, Drummle, had been very disrespectful to Pip. Ever since Drummle met Pip, he has been extensively critical of his social status and wealth. “Such a mean stupid brute” (Dickens 337). This quote exemplifies the hatred that Pip owns for Drummle. Pip also wasn’t very careful with his fortune. Pip was almost sent to jail even! This, of course, was because of his deep debts that went unpaid. The only reason Pip wasn’t sent off to jail was because he was deathly ill, and it is said to be that he wouldn’t even make the ride there. “‘If you take me from here, I think I shall die by the way” (Dickens 430). Overall, a solid, evident example of Pip’s struggles includes money,

This struggle takes up a majority of Pip’s lifetime, starting as a young boy. When Pip arrived at Satis House for the first time, Estella denied him as a friend, let alone a romantic possibility. “Though she called me ‘boy’ so often, and with a carelessness that was far from complimentary, she was about my age” (Dickens 59). This quote is expressing the way Estella addressed Pip. It is in quite the disrespectful manner, seeing as she doesn’t even refer to him by his real name. The struggle doesn’t ever stop, and it is solidified by one of Estella’s later actions. “Why not tell you the truth? I am going to be married to him” (Dickens 337). Estella eventually marries Drummle, leaving Pip completely out of the equation as far as Estella’s love life goes. In the end, Pip never even had the opportunity to romantically pursue Estella. “‘We are friends’ said I… ‘And will continue friends apart’” (Dickens 450). This quote is speaking of the solidifying confirmation that the two friends shall not be together at the very end of the book when Pip and Estella meet in Havisham’s old garden. It seems very sad to make Pip struggle for years after years only attempting to win Estella’s love, simply to be turned down coldly at the very end of the book. The main conflict of this story was never resolved in the end. Pip struggle with this large issue since he was a young child