The Industrial Revolution in Britain was a time of newfound social freedoms. New inventions and scientific discoveries have enabled faster and cheaper production of goods. Manufacturing processes created jobs and fostered the birth of new industries. For the first time, people believed in social mobility. People believed they could make their fortune and break out of the class they had been trapped in all their lives. In Great Expectations, Charles Dickens creates a world similar to that of the Victorian era, where class divisions can be overcome. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayThe novel's protagonist, Pip, is given a fortune that allows him to study to become a gentleman. This unknown wealth quickly demoralizes him and he dissociates himself from his previous life with his new social status. In addition to ignoring his past for a life of seductive wealth, he leaves behind Biddy for a chance with the unattainable Estella. The influence of money and Estella on Pip deeply corrupts his morals and character throughout the story. Pip's relationship with Estella and Biddy, and vice versa with wealth and poverty, suggests Dickens's views on society; that advancing one's social position will not advance one's character. Pip initially fails to recognize Biddy's purpose in his life. Biddy is first introduced to the story as the granddaughter of Mr. Wopsle's great-aunt. She works at her grandmother's school, where she meets Pip. Pip always describes her as being a sweet and kind child, who was also mature and intelligent for her age. His character shares several similarities with that of Pip; she is also an orphan, belongs to a considerably lower class, and she too was hand-raised. They spend a lot of time together and Biddy begins to really care about Pip. When Pip asked her to teach him to read and write, "Biddy, who was the most obliging of the girls, immediately said she would do it" (Dickens 66). Biddy, like Pip, lives a simple, meager life. She is perfectly content with her social status and has no interest in becoming rich and leaving her lower class. Although she seems to be an ideal companion for Pip, he never expresses romantic interest in her. He never gives her very flattering descriptions of her beauty. Pip says that "his hair always wanted to be brushed, his hands always wanted to be washed, and his shoes always wanted to be mended and pulled up to the heel" (40). Although Biddy certainly has feelings for Pip, he never conveys the same emotions. He never becomes romantically associated with Biddy and the ordinary people she represents. Pip is unable to understand that Estella is beyond his reach and that pursuing her will only cause him pain. Pip meets Estella when his uncle Pumblechook arranges for him to meet Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham is extremely wealthy and her adopted daughter, Estella, shares in her prosperity. From the second meeting between Pip and Estella, he knows that she is beyond his reach. His upper-class arrogance and contempt for Pip and his ways instantly forms a divide between the two characters. Pip notes that she was "beautiful and self-possessed" and that "she laughed at [him] as much as if she had been twenty-one and a queen" (51). She is extremely rude to Pip, making him feel inferior and worthless. She breaks all his pride, making fun of his behavior and his dress oflower class. She makes him ashamed of the things he was proud of. Pip says that "his contempt was so strong that it became contagious and [he] caught it" (55). The two clearly have nothing in common, but Pip is enchanted and falls under his lustful spell. She lives a life of luxury, boasting of her wealth and high social class. Pip, a simple hardworking boy, cannot match the greatness she exudes. She changes his view of society, cementing the idea of ​​social hierarchy in his innocent mind. He doesn't see that she is not interested in him, but he dedicates himself to becoming a gentleman so that she will accept him. He wants to get rid of the mockery and ridicule of a life with which he no longer wants to be associated. When Pip realizes he has an anonymous benefactor, his connection to his life at the forge begins to wither. As its monetary value increases, so does its moral corruption. Pip uses this new wealth to distance himself from his past life and, therefore, from Biddy. When he sees her again, after being exposed to the luxurious life of money, his attitude is much more pretentious and he lets his pride go to his head. He makes her feel bad about her social class, as his new perspective did him. Pip explains how terrible his life as a worker was and asks him "what it would mean to [him], to be crude and common, if no one had told [him so]" (116-117). Biddy is hurt by this bold statement, remarking that "it was neither a very true nor a very polite thing to say" (117). Pip's tone suggests that he no longer identifies with Biddy and that his current prosperity makes him inherently better than her. Although he is rather vain towards Biddy, Pip knows deep down that he would be better off if he were with her. He tells her “if only I could fall in love with you,” to which she responds, “but you never will, you see” (119). Biddy knows that Pip will never love him but she continues to treat him with the same kindness and respect that she showed him when he was younger. She continues to be a presence in his life, helping his struggling family when Mrs. Joe is seriously injured. It represents a kind of moral solidity, presenting a picture of what Pip's life might have been if he had not been corrupted by the lure of wealth and had not become a gentleman. The two remain friends, but Biddy eventually marries Joe. Through Biddy, Pip sees the life he could have materialized if he had not let his lust and greed determine his path. After Pip is exposed to Estella and her life of luxury, he is determined to become a part of it and separate from his people. Estella's appearance leads a naive Pip to believe that she is above him, and he becomes obsessed with her and her social status. He fails to see class as anything other than rich and poor, and his new perspective makes him realize that he is the latter. He is determined to rise above his former poverty, in the hope that Estella will eventually accept him. His anonymous benefactor offers him the opportunity to advance in class and wealth, and he believes this is his opportunity to win Estella. When he finds her, he is completely captivated by her beauty. He says that "Estella seemed more delicately beautiful than she had ever appeared before, even to [his] eyes" (242). He still considers her a divine presence and equates her elegance with superiority. He continues to adore her and longs for her acceptance even more than ever. Instead of the passionate embrace he so eagerly awaited, he is met with the same contempt she showed him when they were younger. Estella is cruel to him and continues to look down on him and his social class. Pip recognizes how.