Great Expectations

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Pip Influencer in the Great Expectations
It is tricky to pinpoint the exact character with the most significant impact on Pip’s life as we come through many characters, which in a big way influence pips life in one way or the other. For instance, firstly Joe and Mrs. Joe, these two acted more like his parents after the death of his parents. The two must have had a great impact on Joe’s life and particularly Joe, who was a more confident of Pip and with whom they shared and went through tough times together in Mrs. Joe’s hands. Secondly, we have Biddy, the young woman who helps Pip to learn fundamental studies. Pip primary influence is experienced during his encounter with Miss Havisham residence where he met Estella, who in big contrast gives pressure to pip to learn so that he may be able to fit in his class. We also have Herbert, who was more of a confidant to Pip than a mere friend, and he influenced Pip even in times of decision-making. However, in my primary opinion in bringing up the person and character in Pip at the end, the person who had the great impact in the most positive way is the stranger introduced to us in the first chapter –the ex-convict his real name Abel Magwitch.
Abel Magwitch is introduced to us in the first chapter where he meets Pip in his parents’ graveyard and threatens to kill him if he does not come back with some stolen food “wattles.” As we learn later, Abel Magwitch got a great admiration of Pip as he thought they suffered the same fate of abused as children and that Pip was defenseless.

Dickens introduces to us Abel at an early stage as an escapee who had nothing to himself. The development was an indication of the inescapable effect of the past on the present; at one time, he relied on him to provide him with stolen food. He is a person with a mixed character as the story develops he is represented as a criminal, a person who has wealth and status. Dicken tries to describe Abel as nobody, a person with no future and relate his fate with that of Pip.
When Jagger takes Pip, he is unaware of who was sponsoring him, he even thought it was Miss Havisham, only for Abel to reappear in is life again to confirm to him that he was the one behind the support- he was his benefactor. Abel introduces himself as Pips second father. Pip was even shocked why he his character was not influenced by Miss Havisham and her family but rather by Abel. Magwitch was more influential in the bringing up the real nature of Pip than other displayed characters in the book. As the story ends, it bring up the different character in Pip from the person we had from the start of the story. Magwitch created Pip’s life as a person with his money. Abel earned his money through hard work that necessitated Herbert to advice Pip to not take Abel’s money but rather work hard to make his own. The sense of hard work and determination in later pip life is more from Abel.
Abel changed pips way of thinking that he was able to make rational decisions in his life. Abel acted as he said as his second father by even advising him on several occasion in personal matters. Moreover, he even influenced his relationship with Joe and Biddy as we learn that Pip only returned home later after Abel had died.
Abel in the novel takes part in displaying Pip’s character, as we encounter with him in chapter one, he is as a young naïve boy who is transformed into the person at the end. The transformation was mainly through Abel being his benefactor.