Great Expectations through Archetypal Theory
Great expectations is a book written by Charles
Dickens which is a depiction of the life of a poor guy, Pip, who strives to
become a gentleman to gain the love of a woman.
If you haven’t read the book you will
not recognize the hero characteristics of his protagonist. In fact, Pip is this
poor guy who wanted to a gentleman (high-class
man) to get the love of Estella – a rich girl. We will analyze the Hero journey
according to this article.
1- Ordinary world
The protagonist
is Pip, an orphan boy who lived in Kent. He lived with her sister and
brother- in-law in. He was poor and did not have an education.
2- Call to Adventure
The
hero journey makes a call to the hero, generally, in a unique way. The case of
Pip is when his Uncle Pumblechook took him to play at Satis House. This is the House of Miss Havisham which is a rich
widow. There, Pip meets a gorgeous girl, Estella. She is the reason why Pip
wants to become a gentleman. He wants to make money and gain status to marry
Estella. However, making money and become a gentleman is not easy, but a
difficult journey.
3- Refusal of the call
His
refusal to become a gentleman is not completely up to him but his situation. He
was told to be apprenticed to be a blacksmith and learn to forge iron. Pip
meets Orlick who eventually will attempt to kill him. This guy makes Pip’s life
impossible while he was working as a blacksmith. Pip felt uncomfortable because
his dream was not to be a blacksmith.
4- Meeting the mentor
Time past and Jaggers who is a lawyer appears an
amazing new to Pip. An unknown benefactor
has given a fortune to Pip, and he has to go to London to start to learn to be
a gentleman. Jaggers is the mentor who will teach him how the upper-class world
works.
5- Crossing the Threshold
This
is evident when Pip is required to go to London; a different world,
expectations, and culture. He knows he will never be the same.
6- Tests and allies
In London,
he meets Pocket and Wemmick who become his friends. He starts his education led
by Pocket’s father, but Pip feels nostalgia for his sister and brother-in-law.
However, he still wants to receive education to marry Estella- his love. He is
now twenty-one years old and his he starts to receive his fortune. Tragic
events make him come back to his house. Pip went to his sister funeral and
Orlick appears again in Pip’s life.
Orlick did not have good intents. He also discovers the truth about the origin of his fortune. He finds out
his benefactor is a convict called Magwitch.
7- Approach
Pip
comes back to his hometown and sees many changes. Miss Havisham asked Pip to forgive
her because she used Estella to play with Pip’s feelings. Estella married with
an upper-class man, Drummle.
8- Ordeal, Death & Rebirth
Pip
is summoned to a secret meeting by a stranger who turned to be Orlick. This one
tries to kill Pip but Herbert and his friends saved Pip’s life. Pip helps a
convict, Magwitch, to escape; however, they were found by the police and
Magwitch which is the origin of Pip’s fortune, was sentenced to death. Pip
eventually loses his fortune. Pip was disappointed because he had great expectations
that could not be reached- marry Estella and be a gentleman. He tries to marry
Biddy but this one had married his ex-brother-in-law.
9- Reward
Pip
felt devastated, so he decides to go abroad with his friend Herbert. He learned that looking for wealth and status does
not make people happy. On the contrary, he regrets to have lost the best
moments with his loved ones.
10- The Road Back
Years
passed and he comes back to regain the love of Estella. He finds out that she
was treated badly by his husband, so he approached
her to revive feelings.
11- Resurrection
Drummle,
the evil husband of Estella, dies. Estella has changed, she is not cold and
cruel to Pip but kind. They get together and leave the town hand in hand.
12- Return with Elixir
They were
finally together with the hope to never separate. Pip past through a lot of
trouble to make his dream come true. He thought that becoming rich would let
him get the woman he wanted and be happy, but he found out that friendship and
love are better tools to get what he wanted.
Great Expectations meets the twelve steps of
the hero journey. In fact, the story of Pip works as a motivational to strive
to be better in life. Pip Is an example of patience and hardship necessary to succeed
in life. At the end, he was changed by the circumstances and found that money
and status are not the key to success but love and friendship.
The End…
