The Character of Joe Gargery in Great Expectations Essay

- Joe Gargery is one of the loyal characters in the book. Pip, although he has made many mistakes, he was fortunate enough to have an abundance of devoted friends to stick with him. Joe has proved himself to be one of those friends in countless ways. As an example, he convinced Mrs. Joe to take Pip in, payed off his debts, visited him when he was sick, and even left in the middle of the night so Pip won’t feel ashamed of him. Pip felt ashamed after he stole the food for the convict. He knew Joe, out of everyone, had the right to know what he did. However, Pip stuck with the wrong thing to do and didn’t tell

Pip displays selfishness by wanting to advance in society and no longer become a blacksmith like Joe. He accepts to leave to London in order to become a gentleman, but selfishly wants to lose all connection with the common world and when Joe visits, in Chapter XXVII, Pip states that “if I could have kept him away by paying money, I certainly would have paid money” (Dickens 197). Pip’s selfishness and ambition are what causes him to grow distant from Joe, whom he once saw as his closest friend. Exploitation is shown by how Pip is sent to see Miss Havisham when he is young in hope that she will pay Mrs. Joe Gargery back with money. He is being exploited in order for his sister to gain social status.

Joe bitterlessly, ungrudgingly, assesses his true character and place in life, as “I’m wrong in these clothes… out of the forge, the kitchen or off th’meshes” (Dickens 154). He can able to accept his lot as is, and can part with Pip if Pip wishes so. “It ain’t that I am proud, but that I want to be right,” shows Joe admitting what Pip can not admit: that they no longer can be together and preserve Pip’s image. The fact that Joe also recognizes and accepts the importance of Pip’s pride shows how highly he views Pip, despite the ungratefulness. Joe also shows his wisdom, reasoning that “Diwisions among such must come, and they must be met as they come” (Dickens 153).

Joe armed with wrath and “Tickler” (Dickens 7). Joe wishes that Pip would not have to bear the brunt of “Tickler”; he wishes that he could “‘take it all’” himself (Dickens 51). Joe takes a kindly, brotherly interest in Pip; he and Pip share a “good-natured companionship” (Dickens 9). When Pip refrains from eating his bread and butter, which he intends to save for the convict, Joe believes that Pip has lost his appetite. Joe becomes “uncomfortable” and does not “enjoy” his food (Dickens 9). Joe often encourages and motivates Pip. When Pip presents Joe with his first specimen of writing, Joe declares that Pip is a “‘scholar’” (Dickens 73). When Pip complains about his commonness, Joe says that Pip is “‘oncommon’”. He wisely observes that “‘you must be a common scholar afore you can be a oncommon one’” (Dickens 73). Joe’s kindness and generosity also extends beyond his family. When the convict confesses that he stole some food from the blacksmith, Joe says that he is “‘welcome to it’”; he would not want even a convict to be “‘starved to death’” (Dickens 40).

Pip does not tell Joe because he fears he will lose his companionship. In the future, Pip will struggle with telling the truth because of the fear that society will think less of him. Later that same day, the police are engaged in a search party to find the criminal. Joe and Pip accompany them; although, they do not believe that he must be apprehended. Once Magwitch is taken into custody, Joe and Pip both shed a tear. Pip's life at the forge is difficult due to Mrs. Joe's harsh nature, but he is also surrounded by the goodness and love of Joe. He has been taught that humans of all societal levels are important.

Just as we sometimes turn away from God, Pip turns away from Joe. When Pip meets Estella and the "glittering alternative to life at the forge that she and Satis House represent, he can't ever again enjoy the idea of working with Joe at the forge."4 When he acquires his fortune, Pip totally pushes Joe out of his life. Because Great Expectations is written in first person (and Pip is a very honest storyteller), we can observe that "while Pip the narrator recognizes Joe's goodness..."5 and great love for him, "...Pip the character goes on

Joe’s personality is the opposite of his wife’s, including the presence of a moral code which is in turn passed on to Pip. When Joe learned Pip had told everyone lies about what he saw at Miss Havisham’s home, instead of yelling at him he told him that he’d never get to be a gentleman by “going crooked” and simply advised him to never do so again. Pip was also influenced by listening to Joe talk about the good in people, including how he was married to Mrs. Joe because he saw the good in Pip as a baby, and this makes Pip “look up to Joe in his heart.” Even though Joe was Pip’s brother-in-law he was more like a father figure/friend who taught Pip almost all of his admirable

Pip expresses that he "...loved Joe perhaps for no better reason than because the dear fellow let me love him" implying that Pip may have a problem expressing the way he feels about those in his life (Dickens 41). This lack of expression remains present in Pip’s character throughout the novel, especially with frustration for the way he feels about Estella. Pip earning his expectations put a strain on the already limited relationship that he had with Joe, once Pip began to realize that Joe’s occupation was meager and unfit for someone with Pip’s means.

By seeing Joe’s character and how he was in the novel with Pip, not only helps the reader understand how Pip grew up, but it also helps us understand why Pip needed Joe and his unconditional love. Without Joe, Pip would never have grown up to be the person he grew up to be. Because of the love, and kindness that Joe showed to Pip helped Pip become a better person and encourages Pip to help others and be compassionate towards the people

The theme of family is shown mainly through Pip’s relationship with his brother-in-law, Joe Gargery. In the beginning of the novel, Pip makes it obvious that he dislikes his sister, and takes more of a liking to her husband Joe because Pip is able to sympathize with him (Dickens 40). Joe becomes his confidant, a fact that becomes apparent when Pip comes home to face a harsh interrogation by Mrs. Joe and Uncle Pumblechook after his first visit to Miss Havisham’s. Pip lies to the both of them about his experience, but feels guilty about doing the same to Joe and confesses his wrongdoing. Joe shows understanding towards Pip, and instead of sternly rebuking him for lying, he simply but seriously Pip about the dangers of lying, saying “if you can’t get to be oncommon (uncommon) through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked” (Dickens 100). While Pip’s relationship with Joe is being tested by his desire to gain a higher social standing, Pip shows significant guilt over his mistreatment of Joe ( Dickens 296), proving that deep down, Pip never loses his deep love for Joe. It can be safely assumed that the point that Dickens wants to make through Pip and Joe’s relationship is that family is not necessarily determined by biological connections, but by who a person is closest to and feels most comfortable sharing their life with through the best and worst times.

In Charles Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations, the main character named Pip suffers through a conflict of confusing good and bad people. He repeatedly disregards the people that love and care for him and instead chooses to care for people who do not care for him. When making these choices, Pip senses that he is making the wrong decisions and therefore confuses good and bad and also confuses himself.

Pip is informed that he is going to London to begin his gentlemanly education and this only serves to feed into his new obsession. The first to see this is wholesome and virtuous Joe. Joe was a caring and compassionate man and stays true to his character throughout the novel. It is

   No novel boasts more varied and unique character relationships than Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. This essay will serve to analyze three different relationships, paying special attention to the qualities that each uphold. Dickens created three types of character relationships: true friends, betrayed friends, and loving relatives.

Pip finds consolation from Joe after Pip angers Mrs.Joe. On page 36, “But I wish it was only me that had to take it Pip. I wish there was no Tickler for you, old chap. I wish I could take it all on myself.” It explains how Joe cares about Pip and feels sorrow when Pip gets hurt by Mrs.Joe. Joe advices Pip in some of the chapters, on page 49, Joe tells Pip “There’s one thing you may be sure of, Pip, namely that lies is lies. Don’t you tell no more of them. That ain’t the way to get over being common, Old chap. As Pip; if you can’t get there by going straight, you’ll never get there by going crooked. So don’t lie any more, Pip, and you’ll live well and die

Dickens criticizes this injustice in Great Expectations buy mocking a society that values wealth and appearance. In the novel typically the poorest characters are the most honest and moral and the wealthiest are the most immoral and corrupt. Pips moral stalwart is Joe, his much older brother in law. Joe is a poor blacksmith who is ridiculed for his humble means by his wife and also by a wealthy Pip for his humility and ignorance of wealth and high society.