In Dickens' Great Expectations, the alienation of the lovable Joe Gargery speaks volumes about the high society values ​​of the time. Joe represents the epitome of friendship and love, but is constantly out of his element when surrounded by nobles or women like Miss Havisham. Through Joe's alienation, Dickens reveals the negative aspects of 19th century British society and helps Pip realize that he was wrong to walk away from the forge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay During Pip's parentless childhood, Joe was a hero. He was always there to comfort Pip after beatings from the irascible Mrs Joe, and the two were "always best friends". Joe stays with the evil Mrs. Joe and treats her well because he loves Pip and wants to remain his friend. Once the first few chapters pass, the reader sees Joe as the personification of loyalty and kindness. These qualities are further amplified when Mrs. Joe is paralyzed by a blow to the head while Joe and Pip are away. Even though Mrs. Joe is unable to speak or move, Joe remains by her side and cares for her until her death. Despite Joe's ignorance of reading and writing, his life as a gentle blacksmith with Pip by his side leaves him wanting nothing more in life. Pip, however, soon discovers that he himself desires something more than just life at the forge. After Pip meets Miss Havisham and becomes fascinated with the idea of ​​becoming a gentleman, life changes for both him and Joe. Dickens comments on the elitism of the upper class through Pip's actions after meeting Miss Havisham. Pip begins to have second thoughts about becoming a blacksmith, even though he has always wanted to follow in Joe's footsteps. While at Miss Havisham's mansion, her adopted daughter Estella tells Pip that he has "coarse hands" and "thick boots" (Dickens, 62), which destroys Pip's self-esteem. Until that moment he had never thought about his appearance. This brief glimpse into a gentleman's life, however, corrupts his value system and pushes him to fight to win the heart of the beautiful Estella. Exposure to high society eventually causes Pip to abandon his apprenticeship with Joe and live in London with the help of a mysterious benefactor. The first scene in which Joe's social awkwardness is revealed comes when Miss Havisham asks Pip to take Joe with her to their next meeting. The meeting is very strange and Joe can't even talk to Miss Havisham. Rather, he directs all his words to Pip, who in this scene serves as a bridge between Joe's low class and Miss Havisham's high class. Dickens uses this scene to comment on upper class society. Up to this point Joe has been a warm and friendly person to everyone he has met, including two escaped convicts. When a noble person like Miss Havisham enters the scene, however, he freezes. Dickens uses this awkward reaction to imply that the most important people in society are so corrupt that not even Joe, a good and lovable person, can talk to them. Unfortunately, this is the society Pip aspires to. The second scene that reveals Joe's alienation from upper-class society occurs when Joe arrives in London with Wopsle and wishes to see Pip. The changed Pip observes, “If I could have kept him away by paying money, I would have paid money” (Dickens, 229). Pip's hesitation in seeing Joe in London is confirmation that he has changed a lot. The man she once loved and aspired to be is now a burden and an embarrassment. Even though Joe is the embodiment of all that is good, the upper class cannot accept him because his manners are not.