Social Class in Charles Dickens Great Expectations Essay

Social Class in Charles Dickens Great Expectations During the 19th century, Britain was entering a new era. The reign of Queen Victoria had brought about many exciting propositions, with industry leading the way at the forefront. Due to the Industrial Revolution and the fact that Britain was being ruled by a woman, the action of Great Expectations was occurring against the backdrop of major social and cultural changes. Although Britain, as a whole, was becoming exceedingly richer, the Industrial Revolution that was taking place also spawned great poverty. The working conditions in the factories were deplorable. Child labour was prevalent and the slums of large cities, such as London, bred transgression, crime and†¦show more content†¦This can be perceived by some as being ironic, as although the wife of Joe has taken both of his names in the classical patriarchal manner, the Gargery household is anything but patriarchal. In fact, her husband is treated as little more than a child and Pip and he are the submissive ones. She was not a good looking woman, my sister; and I had a general impression that she must have made Joe Gargery marry her by hand. Mrs. Joe Gargery was a stern and overbearing figure to both Joe and Pip. Sh e was a very abusive and short-tempered character, and appeared to be and almost uncaring and tyrannical sister and mother figure to Pip. Mrs. Gargery frequently menaces her husband and Pip with her cane, which she calls Tickler said Pip regarding his sister. She also forces them to drink a foul tasting concoction called tar-water. Right from the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Gargery makes her opinions of Joe and Pip perfectly clear. Youll drive me to the churchyard betwixt you, one of these days, and oh, a precious pair youd be without me. Her violent and aggressive behaviour towards both Joe and Pip is probably due to her build of frustration about her life. Her fondest wish is to be something more than a village blacksmith, as she aspires to be in a better social class. She poses questions which ponder on what she would be if she wasnt a blacksmiths wife. Perhaps if I werent aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Social Class in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens893 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens, author of Great Expectations, provides a perfect example of the hope of class mobility. The novel portrays very diverse and varied social classes which spread from a diligent, hardworking peasant (Joe) to a good-natured middle class man (Mr. Wemmick) to a rich, beautiful young girl (Estella). Pip, in particular, elevates in the social pyramid from a common boy to a gentleman with great expectations. With his rise in society, he also alters his attitude, from being a caring childRead MoreGreat Expectations by Charles Dickens984 Words   |  4 PagesCharles Dickens utilizes his life for inspiration for the protagonist Pip in his novel Great Expectations. 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