Friday, September 9, 2016

In Great Expectations, what made Pip hate his ordinary life?

Pip hates his ordinary, humble life on the Romney Marshes for a number of reasons. For one, he really hates being the object of Estella's scorn. Pip has a major crush on Estella, but all she does is put him down and criticize him, calling him a "common laboring boy" which he especially loathes.
Estella's cruel insult makes Pip acutely aware of his lowly station in life. He knows that, so long as he remains nothing more than a blacksmith's apprentice, ladies of quality like Estella will forever be out of his league. So-called respectable society will continue to look down on him, and he'll never get a chance to live the life of a gentleman, which is his life-long ambition.
Pip's weekly visits to Miss Havisham's dilapidated old mansion have given him a tantalizing glimpse into another world, a world of wealth and refinement. Pip desperately wants to be a part of that world, but knows that he will never gain access to it without money and connections.

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