Chapter 2

2.1 Influences of Childhood

The protagonist of novel, Pip, starts his life as an orphan living with his sister and
her humble husband, Joe. In this way, Pip faced a very hard situation which
changed his life because of the new environment he lives in, departing his family
makes him feel insecure. The novel give us a clear sight that how these challenges
shape how Pip sees himself, making him seek for a new identity and leave behind
his past.

Pip’s early experiences, especially his relationship with Joe, changes his belief
and view on the world around him. His encounter with Estella and Magwitch
makes him feel that is less important than others. This is a clear evident that how
Pip struggle between his true identity and his desires. The novel shows us how
these situations make Pip’s inner conflict stronger. Pip’s childhood changes his
dreams and goals. He wants to make up with society and to be accepted and tries
to change his social status. These desires lead him to make choices that could go
against his values and morals. The novel highlights how Pip matures as a person.
He learns that true identity is not about making a lot of money or making a higher
social status, but it comes from the relationships and loyalty to the people he cares
about and honesty. Eventually, Pip understands his self-worth and his true
identity, which is based on his childhood experiences. ( Kristof. 2021, p. 45 )
2.2 Pip’s Relationship with his Family

Pip considers Joe as his father. Pip feel loved and comfortable with Joe even in
the hard situations. Joe’s love for Pip is different from his wife. Through the
character of Joe, Dickens shows us that real love and loyalty is important more
than social status, which is a very important theme in the novel. Joe’s love and
kindness makes Pip feel safe and secure, which is important for Pip as a child.
(Negobeni,2019,P.3-4)

In Pip’s growth, he sees a lot of differences between classes, which makes conflict
about his family. Pip wants to be a gentleman with high status and a lot of money,
on the other hand, his new values of the high class make him ashamed of Joe’s
low status. Pip begins to care more about getting rich and to be a gentleman than
about his true friends, like Joe. Pip moves from the humble house of Gargery,
which is poor in material, but rich in love and friendship in contrast to a life in
London. However, after a while, he found out that his new social class comes at
cost. While he has a lot of money, he lost his emotional connection he once had
with Joe, whom he now ashamed of. Instead of finding the true happiness, Pip
tries to fill his emptiness by buying an expensive things and meeting with shallow
people. Dickens is showing us that Pip traded his true happiness for empty
pleasure.

This Tension is very important part of the story, as long as Pip struggling with the
idea that his desires of being a gentleman with high status might hurt his
relationship with Joe, which is reflects Pip’s true identity and background.

In the beginning of the story, Pip wanted to escape the poor life with Joe to
achieve his desires , believing that money and wealth and social status are very
important. However, Pip starts to appreciate Joe’s love and kindness, finding out
that true value lies in the family connections, not social status. This shift in Pip’s
life showing us how Pip matures, learning that the real happiness is about family
relationships not money. Eventually, he makes peace with his past and accept his
family, and recognizes Joe’s loyalty. This acceptance hints about Pip’s growth, he
understands that family is important for feeling truly fulfilled. ( Yale University.
1986 p. 15 ).

2.3 The Source of Influence

To know the source of influence on Pip, we must look on what Henri Lefebvre
said about the “Space”. Henri Lefebvre suggests that the space has three parts :
the physical space (the actual space, tangible space), psychological space (how
we think and feel) and social space (how space is changed by society and the
human activities). The social space mixes the physical space and psychological
aspects. Building on this idea, Soja looks at how these three types of space are
connected to each other. In the production of space, Lefebvre points out that the
first level of space is physical and real. Soja later on call it “First Space” which
is referred to the geographical aspects of space. In literature, like novels, and
plays, geographical plays a role too. The setting of the novel includes elements
like place, location, landscape, boundaries, and scenery. These geographical
aspects are important to shape the characters’ actions and experiences.

In Great Expectations, at the starting point, Pip is introduced to us in a dark

churchyard, then he moves back between Joe’s house, the Blacksmith, and the
Manor House. When Pip first visited London, his actions take place in collection
of different locations. When Pip first arrived at the castle, his kind nature controls
him. However, when comes back to the reality, he becomes more honestly. These
are the two different physical spaces the Castle and his home have strong
influence on Pip’s values and morals and the way he thinks about. These
contrasting spaces makes clear that each physical space have its own deep and
spiritual meaning. In his home, the countryside, Pip consider Joe as his father and
the close friend of his. When Pip though about Joe, he felt a sense of respect and
loyalty, he loves Joe so deeply. But when Joe visited Pip in London, which is
different setting for Pip, Pip’s actions towards Joe was cold and indifferent,
showing the lack of concern.

With his hat put down on the floor between us, he caught both my hands and
worked them straight up and down, as if I had been the last-patented Pump”…
Joe, taking it carefully with both hands, like a bird’s-nest with eggs in it, wouldn’t
hear of parting with that piece of property. (Dickens, 2007, p.193)

This quote gives hints of the transformation in Pip and Joe’s relationship, making
it clear through the detailed description of Joe’s appearance and actions. The
change in the environment is important because it changes Pip’s perspective about
the world around him. (Lefebvre,1991).

The second space is clearly mad through the inner thoughts and conversations of
both the young Pip and the older one. According to (Frank,1991,P.260) the
narrator remove himself out of the environment around him and later on he
returns to the stream of time. In this way, he finds out that there are two views
before him: the world in the past and the world in the present time. When the two
views are interact together, the passage of time becomes a clear evident. In Great
Expectations, the story is told by the viewpoints of the young Pip and the older
one. The interactions of the past and the present time, along with the mixing
imagination and reality, is realized through these viewpoints. This means that this
narrative structure adds depth to the novel’s content.

In the third space, the conflicting ideas, like inner thoughts and things, abstract
concept and the real world details, reality and how we represent it are mixed
together. These elements help to make connections between two different spaces:
the first one is based on knowledge and mind, the second one based on the
practical experiences in everyday life.
In Great Expectations, the connection between the outer world (the physical
space) and the inner world in Pip’s mind (his thoughts and emotions) makes the
“the third space”. In the third space we have the social environment, the setting ,
cultural background , and Pip’s inner thoughts, and how these elements interact
with each other. according to David Michelson, through a set of linked pictures,
the novel’s spiritual development progresses. Like flashbacks, repeated pictures
that guide the reader to the earlier parts of the story.

In the novel, there are images and symbols that refer to the space, away from the
physical space, the meanings of these symbols in the inner space are way different
from one another. One repeating the image of the mist. On the one hand, mist is
a part of the physical space, a natural thing that helps to make the environment.
The mist has an important meaning in different scenes. By doing so, the mist
gives hints of the unfold character’s future. For example, when Pip first
encountered with the convict, Magwitch, the mist is being very thick that it gives
feelings that everything is moving towards him: “The mist was heavier yet when
I got out upon the marshes, so that instead of my running at everything, everything
seemed to run to me” (Dickens, 2007, p.13). the mist reflects Pip’s inner thoughts
and fear and confusion. This is the turning point in Pip’s life in the first meeting
with Magwitch and serves as a symbol of the beginning of his journey towards
his “great expectations”. The mist is invisible, covering everything, suggesting
that the future just like the mist is uncertain. When Pip was about to leave his
home and on his way to London, he was filled with strong feelings for his future.
On the other hand, he is eager to find what lies beyond his knowledge, he feels
deep emotion for Joe and Biddy, the people he cares about. However, the mist
reflects Pip’s connection to Joe and Biddy. Along with the mist is gradually
disappearing, it reflects Pip’s decision to leave his emotions aside and move
forward towards his new life in London.
After spending a lot of time in London, Pip found out that the simple life that he
has in his home with Joe, was actually happy, and full of hope. In this way. The
symbols and the physical space interact together to show how Pip mature. The
high class but unhappy life he leads as a gentleman with high status in London
reflects his inner conflict and struggles with his conscience. (Tang&Liu,2015)