1

Taj Taher
Butwin
ENGL 335
9 February 2015
The Crown and Glory of Life
There is a dreadful ambition abroad for being genteelWe must be respectable,
though only in the meanest sense in mere vulgar outward show. The kind of gentleman that
Samuel Smiles describes in Self-help is precisely that which Pip has become by the conclusion of
Volume II in Charles Dickenss Great Expectations. The high value Pip places upon
superficiality is precisely the reason he experiences such significant repugnance at the sight of
Magwitch, a man claiming to be his benefactor (an association which only further enhances Pips
revulsion). Yet, by the end of the novel Pip sets aside these predilections and comes to love
Magwitch for the man he is. This transformation is made possible as Pip learns to value what
Smiles calls character: human nature in its best form. It is moral order embodied in the
individual. Pip becomes aware of character and comes to value it above being genteel as he
contemplates the motivations predicating the actions of Magwitch, along with members of the
upper and lower class; this value shift accounts for how Pip considers fleeing from Magwitch out
of abhorrence at one point to ultimately declaring I will never stir from your sideI will be as
true to you, as you have been to me! (447).
The first, or critical, event which serves as the catalyst of Pips transformation occurs
during Magwitchs recount of the events leading to his incarceration and chance encounter with
Pip. Until that point, Pips judgment of Magwitch rests solely on the fact that he is a convict and
the assumptions that come along with that. However, when Magwitch relays how Compeyson
had manipulated him, Pip observes He regarded me with a look of affection that made him
almost abhorrent to me again, though I had felt great pity for him, (352). The key word here is
pity. Pity is not a fleeting moment of consideration; it is a deep emotion of compassion and
sympathy. Pips experience of this emotion arises directly from learning Magwitchs motivations,
informing Pip of the kind of man Magwitch is. As he tells his story, Pip learns that Magwitch
resorts to crime out of impoverished need, not greed. When he is convicted, it is based on the
bias against him. These pieces of evidence juxtaposed with the machinations of the true villain,
Compeyson (a gentleman no less) serves to paint Magwitchs character to Pip and the reader
as one that is, if not pristine, at least one that has its heart in the right place. Magwitch is a victim
to be sympathized, and in many ways the method of his victimization is a reflection of the
similar bias Pip experiences as a child when it is assumed he is a wretch merely for being a child.
At this point, Pip the Gentleman would like to avoid such associations, which is what leads him
to be repulsed when Magwitch displays affection towards him. It must be noted, however, that in
contrast to the complete repugnance Pip initially feels on encountering Magwitch, he now
appears almost abhorrent. This softening of opinion, paired with the pity Pip feels for
Magwitch, is made possible through Pips understanding of Magwitchs character and indicates
the process by which his ultimate acceptance and love for Magwitch materializes.

Taher 2
This process is complemented throughout Volume III as Pip becomes aware of the true
character in others, particularly by the lack of it in Estella. Her dearth of character and the
consequent absence of affection towards him provides a foil for Pip that allows him to accept and
appreciate the abundance of affection Magwitch contrastingly bestows upon him. When Pip
confronts Estella about her impending marriage to Drummle, she responds As to leading me
into what you call this fatal step, Miss Havisham would have had me wait, and not marry yet; but
I am tired of the life I have led, which has very few charms for me, and I am willing enough to
change it, (364). That Estella would marry not out of any emotion not love, passion, or even
a sense of obligation to Miss Havisham but merely to alter the setting of her life illustrates an
aura of cool indifference in her person. As a result, the potential bestowal of her attentions on a
future husband seems hollow. This is a sharp contrast to the attention that Magwitch pours upon
Pip, which in comparison seems noble and pure. It is fueled by a genuine appreciation for Pip, a
significant departure from Estellas animatronic disregard.
These elements of character within Estella and Magwitch help Pip contextualize the
affection he receives from Magwitch, especially considering that in terms of giving affection,
Magwitch is to Pip what Pip is to Estella. Pips proclamation to Estella that she is, part of my
existence, part of myself. You have been in every line I have ever readYou have been in every
prospect I have ever seen (364) mirrors Magwitchs sentiments when he says to Pip, sure
asIgot rich, you should get rich. I lived rough, that you should live smoothwhenI half
forgot wot mens and womens faces wos like, I saw yourn, (319-320). The expression of an
all-consuming love felt in every fiber of the being joins these two declarations together, but it is
Estellas indifferent character that allows Pip to see this. Her dismissal of him is akin to his
dismissal of Magwitch, and it is within this crossroad where Pip is both the agent of dismissal
and the agent of affection that he learns what it is to love deeply and what it is to have that love
scorned. This allows Pip to sympathize with Magwitch and contributes to their mutual affection,
an outcome made possible with Estellas lack of character highlighting the genuine and
benevolent quality of Magwitchs.
Of course, Pips burgeoning knowledge of character is supplemented by more than
counterexample. For every member of the gentry whose character Pip finds lacking, he comes
across just as many individuals that make up for their want of pomp with exceptional character.
This seesaw of values informs Pips eventual acceptance of Magwitch, and is illustrated notably
through Herbert and Clara. Despite arriving at their home to find a rather modest establishment,
Pip states that When I had taken leaveI felt as if the Old Green Copper Rope-Walk had grown
quite a different place. Old Barleymight swear like a whole field of troopers, but there were
redeeming youth and trust and hope enough in Chinks Basin to fill it to overflowing. And then I
thought of Estella, and of our parting, and went home very sadly, (380). If there is a moment
when Pips turnaround from valuing superficiality to valuing inner character is most evident, it
may be here. Pip celebrates trust and hope, elements of Herbert and Claras character that
allows them to transcend their material conditions. That Pip at this moment thinks of Estella is no
coincidence, for the contrast between Herbert and Claras happiness amidst their material
deficiency and the sadness of Pip and Estella amidst their material excess is a testament to the

Taher 3
value of character. Pip is finally able to look beyond the superficial and understand that the true
worth of an individual is defined neither by wealth nor status but by what they do, how they do
it, and why they do it: in effect, their character.
This understanding guided by the insights into the character of Magwitch, Estella,
Herbert and Clara comes to complete culmination when Pip finally does accept and appreciate
his benefactor. In one of his last moments with Magwitch, Pip reflects my repugnance to him
had all melted away, and in the hunted wounded shackled creature who held my hand in his, I
only saw a man who had meant to be my benefactor, and who had felt affectionately, gratefully,
and generously, towards me with great constancy through a series of years, (446). The valued
elements of character, such as affection and generosity, not only overcome Magwitchs
coarseness but inspire Pips warmth towards him. Although Pip describes him as a creature, he
amends this with adjectives like hunted, wounded, and shackled which invoke pity by
painting Magwitch as some helpless animal. More than anything, the fact that Pip moves from
calling him creature or beast or animal to finally recognizing him as the man who had meant
to be my benefactor conveys the sense that Pip feels nothing less than genuine respect for
Magwitch: respect established by Magwitchs pure character of selflessness.
Pips startling transformation from a vain, superficial gentleman to an individual able
to harbor tender affections for a convict is made possible through his gradual accumulation of
knowledge concerning character. His observations of the traits and motivations governing the
actions of Magwitch, Estella, and the inhabitants of Chinks Basin reveal to him that the true
measure of a mans worth is not quantified in accomplishments, riches, or rank, but in the wellmannered morality guiding his actions. The message Dickens conveys through Pips
transformation transcends the monochromatic notion that wealth is bad, for there are certainly
examples within the novel of magnanimity and muck sprinkled along the entire spectrum of
class. Rather, the message provides hope; it captures the spirit of change and the desire to
become somebody, and focuses it on a standard to which all men may universally strive and
achieve. Indeed, as Samuel Smiles states, The crown and glory of life is CharacterThough a
man have comparatively little culture, slender abilities, and but small wealth, yet, if his character
be of sterling worth, he will always command an influence, whether it be in the workshop, the
counting-house, the mart, or the senate.