As in many of his novels, Charles Dickens portrays children as innocent victims of the actions of adults. This is a reflection of his continued bitterness over his being sent to work in a blacking factory as a child in order to help get his father out of debtors’ prison. His mother forced him to continue working even after his father's release.
In Great Expectations, Dickens portrays Pip as the victim of the abuse...
As in many of his novels, Charles Dickens portrays children as innocent victims of the actions of adults. This is a reflection of his continued bitterness over his being sent to work in a blacking factory as a child in order to help get his father out of debtors’ prison. His mother forced him to continue working even after his father's release.
In Great Expectations, Dickens portrays Pip as the victim of the abuse of his sister, Mrs. Joe. Pip receives very little education and resents this because he thinks it will limit his future as an adult. His encounter with Abel Magwitch, the convict, leads him to live in constant terror, fearing the convict will return to harm him.
Besides Pip, Estella is also portrayed as the victim of Miss Havisham’s desire to wreak havoc on all men. This prevents her from seeking a normal relationship with Pip and leads her into an abusive marriage.
Both Pip and Estella manage to escape the torments of the adults in their lives as they become adults themselves. The intimation that they eventually find a healthy relationship as adults presents Dickens’s hope for a happy ending for unhappy children.
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