Great Expectations is the tale of a boy's transition to adulthood as Pip, the central character, searches for fulfillment. Born of no particular wealth or distinction, he might have lived completely content with his modest pedigree had it not been for his association with Miss Havisham and consequently Estella. It was with Estella's bold expression of “contempt” for Pip's “coarse” appearance that a shadow of discontent was cast over his humble existence. Pip was quickly overcome by this darkness; it aroused in him aspirations towards a brighter, more “unusual”, “gentlemanly” existence. This article traces Pip's attempts to achieve that status and how he ultimately finds satisfaction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The novel begins with Pip as the quintessential innocent, but the death of his parents and an encounter with a runaway convent quickly sets Pip on his difficult journey to adulthood. This initial incident triggers the restlessness that governs most of the tone of the novel. The impressionable Pip is disappointed on his first excursion to the ironically named house of Satis. Pip is deeply affected by the aforementioned affront on the part of the cunning and seductive Estella; his overwhelmed heart becomes the most important influence on his young life. Soon after his meeting with Estella, Pip comes to equate being a gentleman with being happy. At the same time he becomes aware that his current situation severely hinders his ability to become a gentleman. Pip's ambition to become a gentleman, although unlikely, is not unfounded. The early part of the Victorian era saw the rise of the middle class and consequently a great blurring of social distinctions. Unsophisticated people began to prosper through mercantile trade, gaining equal footing with the Victorian “gentlemen” previously defined by the possession of wealth and property. A specific trait associated with gentlemen in Pip's society was education, but beyond that the society's definition of politeness was ambiguous. Dickens's writing is equally ambiguous; leaves readers to speculate on what a Victorian gentleman looks and is perceived as. Pip quickly gains his perspective on the social conception of a gentleman. His desire to achieve this goal might have been respected as assertiveness if it were not for his reckless motives. His only goal is to gain Estella's respect and admiration. He feels that self-confidence defines a gentleman, as does a self-assured claim to superiority, distinctive mannerisms, and a thorough education. Pip is unaware that knowledge does not equal intelligence, nor does it guarantee sophistication. Pip never directly confirms that he believes that leaving the lower-class world of work would elevate him in Estella's eyes, but he laments his status based on the assumption that it would. He then begins to feel dissatisfied with his devoted "true friend," Joe, and their way of life: "I wish my boots weren't so thick and my hands so rough," he says, and goes on to reveal that he himself believed he was “ignorant and backward” (105). Joe tries to console him by comparing Pip's basic education to that of a prince, but Pip is not swayed. Pip is completely determined to become a gentleman when the opportunity presents itself. Miss Havisham's lawyer informs him of her "expectations". Pip begins to enjoy the thought that his life is actually headed towards that of a gentleman - and towards Estella. Hasty in.