In great expectations Dickens judges his characters not on social position or upbringing but on their treatment of one another. Do you agree?.

             Throughout his prosperous career as a writer, Charles Dickens took a literacy stance on the values and social status of society in London in the 19th century. Great expectations is of no exception. I agree completely with the statement, as Dickens portrays the characters we favor with sympathy (i.e. Joe, Magwitch and to a lesser extent Pip) to the characters which are adversely portrayed (i.e. Estella, Miss. Havisham, and Mrs. Joe). This use of sympathy and aversion towards these certain characters relate to their treatment on one another and their moral values.

             The first relationship that Dickens judges harshly against is that of Estella and Mrs. Havisham. We are initially come in contact with the characters Estella and Miss. Havisham when Pip enters Satis House in chapter 8. The physical environment in which Estella and Miss. Havisham lived in gives vital first impressions of the status and condition of the characters.

             "Miss Havisham"s house, which was old brick, and dismal, and had a great many iron bars to it. The rank garden, overgrown and tangled with weeds.".

             The element of treatment in this case is neglection and imprisonment, which can be directly related to Miss Havisham "mothering" Estella. Miss Havisham"s main objective for raising Estella is to mold her into herself so that she can have another chance in life to love again. This sick fetish fantasy leads to Miss Havisham showing no love or companionship towards Estella. Instead she infuses materialistic and social implications into Estella and most importantly teaches and encourages her to lure men and in doing so, break to their hearts.

             "You can break his heart.".

             Money, wealth and social position can"t buy one of the most important qualities of being human- to be loved.