Pip Comes Full Circle

Blog Post #5

Topic J

May 15th, 2015

As we conclude Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, the reader can see the reasoning behind the title. Once the reader gets the full story of Pip’s life, it can be seen that not only does Pip have to live up to the expectations of others, but also the expectations he has for his own life. As a young child, Pip was working with the cards he was dealt, not caring too much about his place in life or social class. Over the course of the novel, the readers see Pip’s expectations for himself change as he gets older and his life progresses. As the money starts to roll in from Pip’s secret benefactor, Pip changes what he wants from his life; he begins to expect much more. Pip begins to have “grand ideas” for his newly obtained wealth and education on being a gentleman (175). This increase of life expectations continues to only cause troubles for Pip. He comes a rude awakening when he sees that money can’t buy happiness and that wealth doesn’t equal happiness. Once, Pip’s life does not live up to his “great expectations” he is forced to come back to reality, which ultimately he becomes content with. In the end, Pip comes full circle and eliminates the “great expectations” he once had. Pip then lives contently, like he had when he was just a little kid. All of the time between the beginning of the novel and the end shape Pip to become a person who no longer expects extremely unrealistic things from his life.