Pip's Ruined Life

Great Expectations is a book about a poor boy, Pip, that has everything he has ever desired until he meets a girl, Estella, that tells him he is common, so he tries to impress the girl. He receives a benefactor that makes him rich; Pip thinks his benefactor is the girl’s mom, Miss Havisham and the gateway to earn the girl. The girl’s mom turns out not to be his benefactor, and he does not earn the girl (until after her second marriage in the alternate ending.) One theme that this book expresses is to be grateful for what you have. Pip seems to know that he should have stayed with Joe and Biddy, and been grateful for what he had.

Miss Havisham’s intentions towards me, all a mere dream; Estella not designed for me; I only suffered in Satis House as a convenience, a sting for the greedy relations, a model with a mechanical heart to practice on when no other practice was at hand; those were the first smarts I had. But, sharpest and deepest pain of all—it was for the convict, guilty of I knew not what crimes, that I had deserted Joe. (Great Expectations, Abridged Version, Book 2 Chapter 38 p.843)

Before this passage, Pip was just informed that Miss Havisham is not his benefactor. This is a catastrophe because Pip thought that Miss Havisham was his benefactor. If Miss Havisham had been his benefactor, Miss Havisham may have planned to set up Pip and Estella. At this point of the book, Pip realizes that he left his perfect life for nothing; the life he thought he left for Estella. He had been tricked and played like a chess piece by Miss Havisham and Estella. Now Pip thinks that he should have stayed with Joe and Biddy, but Pip deserted them, and ran off to become a gentleman. Becoming a gentleman to impress Estella was so important to him, that everything else was clouded. Now that the cloud is gone Pip looks back and sees that he has accomplished nothing. Pip is discontent because of his decisions, but he can not change them. Pip now wants to apologize to Biddy and Joe, but he needs to take care of the convict first. At this point in the book I finally feel like Pip is taking the right turns.

This passage has painted a picture in my mind because the passage describes things so well. In the first sentence, “all a mere dream” says that Pip imagined Miss Havisham being his benefactor, so that he could marry Estella. By saying this, I can see Pip in one of his dreams imagining Miss Havisham telling Pip she is his benefactor. Dickens could have written something like “Miss Havisham not my benefactor,” and he could have left the rest for us to imagine. In the next part of the first sentence, “Estella not designed for me,” adds more by saying that Estella was never for him, and never will be. It says that Pip and Estella are like a screw and a nail, a screw is designed for a nut, not a nail. “Satis House” is a place for people to become like gods. “Satis House as a convenience” means that he was not there to become like a god, he was there for others’ convenience. “A sting for the greedy relations,” means Miss Havisham has relatives that all want some of her money. These relatives thought that Pip was receiving money from Miss Havisham, so it was hurting the relatives and helping Miss Havisham to see Pip receive money. “A model” is usually something that sits on a shelf and no one plays with it, cares about it, or feels bad about it. “A mechanical heart” is a heart that can be repaired and a person can leave it alone or pick up on it whenever they have time. “First smarts I had” says that Pip is actually thinking right for the first time. “Sharpest and deepest pain of all” says that the pains for Pip’s actions were very terrible, sharp things hurts and cause deep cuts. “I had deserted Joe” means that Pip left Joe without even seeing if Joe was okay. Any reader could receive the same pictures painted in their mind that I received because this passage is described so well.

The tone of the passage helps convey being grateful for what you have. The tone in this passage is Pip being unhappy because he has finally looked back to see that he did not make the right decisions. At the beginning of the passage, Pip is going through all the things that will not receive, for example: Estella, Miss Havisham, and being godlike. Later on in the passage, he realizes that he has been tricked and played, so now he does not know what to do. In the end of the passage he is thinking, “Oh no! I deserted Joe and Biddy.” In this part of the book he is very depressed and angry at himself for leaving Joe and Biddy. Pip is depressed that he left his perfect life, and wishes he would have been grateful for what he had.

This book is a perfect example of why a person should be grateful for what he has. If Pip had stayed with Joe and Biddy he would have been content because he had everything he ever wanted. Before he left to become a gentleman, he had a future wife, a best friend, and the job he had always wanted. After he left to become a gentleman and found out his benefactor’s identity, it was unclear what he was going to do for the rest of his life. Before, Pip really had everything he wanted, but Estella told him he was uncommon. Pip should have just been grateful for what he had and ignored Estella, but Pip did not and he ruined his life until he found out that money does not buy happiness. In the passage he finally realizes that Estella is not for him, and he should be grateful for what he had, and now what he has.

In this part in the book Pip knows he should have been grateful for what he had. Because Pip learned to be grateful for what he has, he was able to move on, and do many things, including; helping the convict, helping Herbert, and apologizing to Joe and Biddy. Because Pip learned to be grateful for what he has, he was able to mend the problems he caused.