Example research essay topic: Lived His Life Miss Havisham - 1,294 words

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Throughout this novel of Great Expectations characters are divided into upper class and lower class people. Unlike most young men in the 19 th century, Pip was not either of these, but both. Pip grew up with his sister Mrs Joe Gargery and her husband, Mr Joe who had grown up with no education, but taught himself to become a blacksmith. Joe wanted to pass on his talent to pip and treated him with great respect and almost as his own son. Pip was very close to him, and because Joe grew up running away with his mother from his father, he had had no reading or writing education. Joe decided and made sure that this would never happen to Pip and he would be happy how he lived his life.

Pip was taught at his local school, this education was not to the highest standard and was paid for by the Gargery's. In this novel Pip was read to by an older man and taught the alphabet. This type of education was not necessarily rigorous and as he writes a letter on a slate to Mr Joe you can notice a number of things that are wrong that he hasn't been taught. His spelling is not correct, he writes in mixed capitals and lowercase, and not in Standard English. Chapter 7, Page 44 line 16: "MI deEr JO i opE U R KRWITE WELL i OPE I SHAL SON B HABELL 4 2 TEEDGE U JO AN THEN WE SHORL B SO GLODD AN WEN I M PRENGTD 2 U JO WOT LARX AN BLEVE ME INF XN PIP" When Pip went to give Joe the slate he was slightly disappointed that he could not read it but gave him another chance of how to express his learning by helping him read the odd word he recognised. This sort of education would have been very common when Charles Dickens was growing up, but mostly for the poorer people.

Charles Dickens introduces parts of his life, thoughts and feelings into his books, and Great Expectations especially brings forward how much hard work he had to put in to become a writer. Charles Dickens had both poverty and education in his life and wanted to put across to the rest of Britain that it could be better, and that something must be done about it. He also puts forward other things such as his hatred for imprisonment for those who couldn't pay off debts and not given the chance to. Pip and Joe were very close and enjoyed doing most things together, but when he starts his education in London to become a gentleman, he sees very little of him as he is a far distance away and it is expensive to travel. They become parted and Pip doesn't go straight to Joe for advice and help as he is not there, but tries to sort things out his way and becomes a person that thinks everything he does must be right. Pip looked to Joe as a stepfather but when Mrs Joe dies and no longer keeps in contact with him, he does not think of him to be involved in any part of his life any more, as he has one in London without him.

Unlike Pip, Joe is a true gentleman because although he was not brought up to be a kind, considerate, polite man, he has lived his life, and is all these things naturally. Pip in wanting to be a true gentleman becomes an impostor who thinks he can be gentlemanly by being taught how to spend money and have an expensive education. With this he ends up having no guidance from people around him. He also ended up socialising with people that he did not fully like. Herbert Pocket taught Pip to be a false gentleman.

This did not mean how to be kind, caring and helpful but simple things like how to eat and sit. Matthew Pocket taught him to read and speak Latin; this was a very expensive education that was paid for by his benefactor. Pip did not work for his money but was given it by an unknown benefactor. When Pip finds out that Magwitch is his man he doesn't want to take anymore of his money. This is noble of him as Magwitch was only poor and gave all his money he earned to Pip. But with this decision came a fact that he would not be able to pay off his debts.

Was this the right decision to make as both Pip and Magwitch were in debt? Joe like a true gentleman bails out Pip from jail with his savings and earned money to pay off Pips debts. Estella, like Pip, had visited Miss Havisham, and lived with her for a number of years. As she grew up she was told that she was adopted but not told who by or why.

Because Miss Havisham was a cold-hearted woman who had been left at the altar by her soon-to-be husband, she brought Estella up so to teach men a lesson. She did this by not truly showing her love, respect, thoughtfulness and serenity in her life. If she was not shown these, Miss Havisham thought she would never be able to give them. To her displease by not loving her love she would never be able to feel loved. Miss Havisham sent her to Richmond near London, where she was not taught to read and write, but how to socialise and speak proudly. This would not help her to live an independent life but to be a rich man wife.

There is a conversation, which reflects Estella's views on being at Richmond, and that it is not what she wants but what Miss Havisham wants. Volume 2 chapter 14 page 267 "I wonder Miss Havisham could part with you so soon."It is part of Miss Havisham's plans for me, Pip" said Estella, with a sigh, as if she were tired; "I am to write to her constantly and to see her regularly, and report how I go on-I and the Jewels-for they are nearly all mine now" This shows us that she too like pip is not running her own life but letting it be under the influence of someone else. In Estella's situation it is Miss Havisham, and in Pip's it is Magwitch. The only problem with Pip trying to become a gentleman was that he did not see Joe, the one in front of him.

He decided not to live as a gentleman and let life teach him, but to be falsely taught by the system of the rich. Pip was given the choice to live like this but was not for warned how he would not have the expenses but with many more problems than he started with. The main influence of him making his decision was that if he was a gentleman Estella and Pip would marry and live a happy life together. He was wrong in thinking this as status was shown to be a priority to her, and she new already that he had a poor childhood and family. Pip wanted to dismiss the idea of her not loving him and did not think of the outcome if this was to happen. Estella did not choose to live how she did, and had continuous teaching from other ladies from all over the country.

With this she did not now how to live without others and at the end of the novel she finds this may also happen. Miss Havisham's teachings changed her life in the way she acted to people, and how she felt from not be able to give and take love and loyalty from others.

Research essay sample on Lived His Life Miss Havisham