Pip
“…I felt fearfully sensible of the great convenience that the Hulks were handy for me. I was clearly on my way there. I had begun by asking questions, and I was going to rob Mrs. Joe.”
In this section of the book i believe Mrs. Joe had told him that people that ask questions would lead to stealing and would eventually end up in prison. Pip is scared because he asks many questions and he is about to steal food and a file for the convict. He is creating expectations of himself that seem very slim at this part of the book. He learns the concepts of poverty, ignorance, and immorality and quickly decides that he doesnt want to associate with any of these things. Pip is still young at this part of the book and it will be interesting to see how he evolves into the narrator who is talking about himself jokingly throughout the first few chapters of the book.
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I qualiy these statements. Although Pip has slim expectations of himself right now, this quote also shows what a strong conscience Pip has and how loyal he is to the convict. At this point in the book, Pip knows nothing of Estella, Miss Havisham, and his secret benefactor, therefore, he has no big expectations of his future. But also in this quote, Pip has just met a convict on the marshes, who demands that Pip must give him food and a file. Pip obeys out of fear of man that will come and get him at night, ripping out his heart and liver. As Pip obeys, he realizes that he must steal from his sister Mrs. Joe to complete his task, which haunts Pip. He feels extremely guilty about having to steal from his sister and his dear friend Joe. Therefore, Pip's strong conscious drives Pip into thinking that he will go to prison for this, which means living on the hulks. Pip says, "If I slept at all that night, it was only to imagine myself drifting down the river on a strong spirng tide, to the Hulks; a ghostly pirate calling out to me through a speaking-trumpet, as I passed the gibbet-station, that I had better come ashore and be hanged there at once, and not put it off." (p.15) As you can see, Pip is clearly dreading having to rob Mrs. Joe for the convict. He envisions himself being hanged for such a silly thing, proving how strong his conscience is. Even after the deed is done, Pip is haunted by it, thinking that he will be severely punished for what he did. In doing this deed, this also shows Pip's loyalty to the convict. Pip is willing to steal from his sister and her husband just to take care and feed the convict. Some may say Pip does this deed out of fear, but I think that he does it out of the kindness of his heart to protect the convict. Sure, his strong conscious tells him not to, but Pip still does, provig his loyalty.
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