Dickens’ skill Essay

Dickens’ skill is especially shown in his creation of Magwitch. Discuss the convict’s importance both as a key figure in Pip’s life and as a means of criticising society. Dickens uses his skill to make the reader believe that Magwitch is an evil person at the beginning of the novel. Dickens describes Magwitch as seen through a child’s eye, which is Pip. The first image of Magwitch is exaggerated because of a child’s imagination and terror. Dickens uses sounds and smells to remember people. For example Jaggers always smells of scented soap after court and when Magwitch is emotional there is a click in his throat. Although these are minor details we recognise people quicker. At the beginning of the novel we associate Magwitch with animal and beast like manners. This is because the first impression of Magwitch through the young Pip and then the hunt for Magwitch by the soldiers. In chapter 28 while Pip is travelling to Satis House he hears a conversation between two convicts who are being transported by coach under guard. Here the convicts are described as â€Å"a most disagreeable and degraded spectacle. † Dickens uses words like â€Å"growling † to covey the impression that these convicts are animal like. Dickens describes the convicts as, â€Å"Then they both laughed, and began cracking nuts, and spitting the shells about. † Dickens is making the point that if you treat some one like animals then they will act like animals. This shows how convicts were treated in society and Magwitch was also a convict. The ship that Magwitch boarded was ironically called Noah’s Ark. This is where animals boarded in biblical time. Magwitch’s true personality slowly shows through the novel. For example in chapter 5 Magwitch tells Joe that he stole his pie and file. Magwitch even apologises to Joe when he says, â€Å"Then I’m sorry to say, I’ve eat your pie. † Joe replies with a compassion answer saying,† we wouldn’t have let you starved to death for it†¦ would us Pip? † Then Magwitch throat clicks. Here I think that this shows the two real gentlemen of the story. Although their grammar is not the best one shows remorse and guilt and the other shows compassion. I am very surprised when Magwitch says he stole the file and pie. This is because firstly he did not do it he only said this to divert suspicion from Pip, a boy he never really knew. Secondly in Victoria time people could be hanged for stealing and this shows that Magwitch is a very selfless person. In the most influencing chapter of the novel, chapter 39 where Magwitch returns Pip life changes. Magwitch’s arrival has mixed feelings and mixed blessings. Here we find out that Magwitch is Pip benefactor and Pip feels revulsion and disgust, which is also shared by us the readers, that his â€Å"expectations have been paid for by a convict. This is when Pip realises that he never had any â€Å"Great Expectations†, that Estella and Satis House were never intended for him and Miss Havisham was never his benefactress. In the chapter we now see Magwitch through an adult’s eye where he does not seem violence or evil. Pip uses words like â€Å"I shuddered†, â€Å"abhorrence†, â€Å"dread† and â€Å"repugnance† in this chapter but soon later change. Dickens skill is shown through this book very well because although Magwitch is one of the most important characters he disappears for a long time in the book. Magwitch is a key character in the novel to unveiling all of the mysterious in it. There is a gradual uncovering a denouement by him in chapter 42 called â€Å"Compeyson. † We find out a lot about Magwitch’s heritage that he was born poor and that he had no family. Magwitch talks of his first memories as a young child he says, â€Å"I first become aware of myself†¦ A thieving turnips for my living. Someone had run away from me†¦ and he’d took the fire with him and left me very cold. † This shows how society has neglected orphans his first memories is of stealing and being betrayal. Magwitch talks about his trial where Compeyson got 7 years and Magwitch got 14 years. Compeyson got half the sentence because, â€Å"First of all what a gentleman Compeyson looked with his curly hair and black clothes and his white pocket handkerchief and what a common sort of wretch I (Magwitch) looked. † Magwitch said that he had given up all hope when he said, â€Å"I was hiding among the graves there envying them as was in them. † This definitely shows how poor people and convicts were treated that society did not look after them and that these people felt no sense of place or belonging n the world. Dickens uses this chapter to show the inadequacy in the legal system and also that there is a lot wrong with society. Magwitch was not legally married to Molly but only married â€Å"over the broomstick† this shows that there is no legal marriage or protection for the poor. I think that society is using Magwitch, as a scapegoat so that they can charge him for crimes he did not commit so they can feel better about their society thinking it is safer. Whereas the real criminals in the novel are free, for example Compeyson a forger, Orlick a murderer and Drummle a wife beater. Magwitch clearly has an impact in Pip life for good and bad reasons. If Pip had never met Magwitch he would still live at the forge with Joe and probably in the future married Biddy. So basically Magwitch seems to have ruined Pip’s life. Although Magwitch does more harm then good he does not do it intentionally whereas Miss Havisham did. I think Miss Havisham is, in a way, a victim because she was left at the altar on her wedding day and cuts herself off from society. Miss Havisham got her revenge on men, which was Pip through Estella but later regrets what she has done. Although Miss Havisham has ruined his life he can still forgive her. I think Pip forgives her because although Miss Havisham is eccentric he has learnt that there can be another side to a person. I think that Pip found this out when looking after Magwitch first he is repulsed and now he loves and pity him. Magwitch brings out the good qualities in Pip he is his moral educator. For example Pip looks after Magwitch but does not take any more money off him. Here Dickens is idealising Pip through Magwitch. At the beginning of the novel Pip was child but now Magwitch has become the child because he needs looking after. From the part of the novel when Pip is with Magwitch he grows morally. He learns that a gentleman is not just a good education, wealth and stature it is about self-sacrifice, loyalty and compassion. Pip even risks his life for Magwitch when there is a note saying someone has news on Magwitch. Pip goes straight away even with an injured arm and there he finds it to be a trap that it is Orlick who tries to kill him. He learns the great value of friendship and he buys Herbert branch of Clarrikers’ business. I think Pip does this because he feels guilty for getting Herbert into debt in the first place. Not only did Pip feels pity for Magwitch when he is dying so did Jaggers. For example Jaggers tries to push back Magwitch’s trial date back so he can die in peace but it fails. This is shown when it says, â€Å"Mr Jaggers caused an application to be made for the postponement of his trial. † Again Dickens makes a point about the legal system when he says, â€Å"The trial was very short and very clear. † Basically Dickens is criticising how he poor were judged in court; it was guilty until proven innocent for them. At Magwitch’s trial he is condemned to death and he says, â€Å"My Lord, I have received my sentence of Death from the Almighty, but I bow to yours. † Magwitch says this in the most elegance way and shows his courage in accepting his death sentence. By the time of his trial and death he has acquired a dignity which did not seem to be evident when he was the animal which â€Å"glared and growled† and frightened Pip half to death at the beginning of the novel.