Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations

In Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, he presents the two main characters Biddy and Mrs. Joe. Dickens uses both of them to emphasize Pip's difficult upbringing and his mistakes. He portrays the social movement of feminism through the work of his literature and finding suggestions of misogyny and exposing them. For example, women back then were expected to be unintelligent and receive less education than men's.

The role of the lower class women were expected to work hard and be dutiful towards the upper classes. On the other hand, upper-class women were not expected to work and could have a lot more flexibility and freedom although it was still strict. However, all women were expected to have children, and look after the house. This was considered to be their duty. Dickens undermines the common ideals of motherhood, feminism, and masculinity while simultaneously maintaining his characters within the firm structure of a gendered society. Pip mostly encounters women in his life who are mean-spirited, egocentric, and tough. Throughout the novel, Pip is in conflict with women who treat him poorly. For example, Mrs. Joe she is an obnoxious woman and her personality is just as ugly as her physical appearance. She's angry, ruthless, and overly impressed by wealth.

Although she's Pip's older sister, she resents having had to raise him up and tells him so, which is part of her verbal and emotional abuse. Her husband Joe is subject to the same abuse, as she continuously reminds him of the shame he brings her. Where have you been, you young monkey? said Mrs. Joe, stamping her foot. Tell me directly what you've been doing to wear me away with fret and fright and worrit, or I'd have you out of that corner if you was fifty Pips, and he was five hundred Gargery's (2.7). This quote reveals Dickens' portrayal of women by describing a very demanding Mrs. Gargery, who is very strict and represents the semi-aristocracy that torments Joe and Pip.

She continually threatens both of them with bodily harm. Mrs. Gargery is definitely the dominant partner in her marriage and uses violent tactics to stay that way. She's portrayed as very bossy and in-charge at her household and also physically abuses Pip whenever she gets mad. However, Mrs. Joe does have some legitimate reasons to be so. She experienced several hardships during her childhood, like losing both her parents at a young age and her 5 brothers. Her life has been filled with death and sadness. She also had to grow up and learn very quickly when she started raising Pip in her early twenties, she basically is Pip's mother figure. Biddy is a complete opposite of Mrs. Joe. She is calm, friendly, intelligent, and nurturing towards Pip and Joe.

She befriends Pip at the evening school where he studies. They both come from the same social class which is probably why Pip never gets himself to fall in love with her. She is seen as a plain ordinary girl. Throughout the entire novel, she is characterized as the only woman that is pure and genuine. She exhibits good qualities that do not come from money or class. She is also the only woman that can provide for herself and think of others at the same time. Both Pip and Biddy were brought up by hand meaning they know what it feels like to be unloved, and treated harshly. Imperceptibly I became conscious of a change in Biddy, however. Her shoes came up at the heel, her hair grew bright and neat, her hands were always clean.

She was not beautiful,”she was common, and could not be like Estella,”but she was pleasant and wholesome and sweet-tempered (17.132). In this quote, we can infer that Biddy is the total opposite of both Mrs. Joe and Estella. Although she has feelings for Pip, she knows that Pip already loves Estella and for that, she remarks that she's glad to be his trusted friend. However Pip knows she has all the qualities of a good person, yet he has a deep desire for a higher lifestyle that she cannot conform to. However, when Mrs. Joe is attacked Biddy moves in to take care of her. Her vision, hearing, memory, and speech are all affected. She suffered from brain damage, which made her incapable of remembering anything from her past. Later, we find out the attack gave Mrs. Joe some perspective on her life, her values, and how she was treating others. It made her more grateful for the care and love she was receiving while she was ill instead of wondering what her life could've been like if she was wealthier. This change in her was all because of Biddy. She became a more humble and patient person. There are several similarities and differences between Mrs. Joe and Biddy.

For example, they both cared for Pip and were a big part of his upbringing and both were orphans. They basically had a rough childhood and had to face countless hardships. Mrs. Joe had to raise and nurture Pip when he was a child and when he was in age Biddy taught him how to read and write. However, there are differences between Mrs. Joe and Biddy as well. In the beginning, Mrs. Joe was a stern, cruel and overbearing figure to both Pip and Joe. She was a bittersweet woman who had a history of arguing with others.

While Biddy was a village girl always trying to appeal to Pips better side, she made use of an opportunity to do well for herself by overcoming her orphanage age and becoming a schoolmistress. She was soft-spoken, gentle, and courteous toward others, which is why Pip always admired her act of kindness. In conclusion, Dickens portrays women as unstable, relentless, and demanding through his characterization of the female characters especially Mrs. Joe. He uses the theme of poverty in his literature. Mrs. Joe would appear as an offensive character when examining her role in the novel because she was a cruel and harsh woman who treated everyone poorly. However, Biddy would not have appeared offensive since her role in the novel was described as loving and caring compared to the rest of the female characters. Overall, Dickens states that the only favorable women are the one that can live at home and take care of a family and be happy with their position in life.

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