Money is the Ultimate Power in Great Expectations (Free Essay Example)

“Money is power, freedom, a cushion, the root of all evil, the sum of blessings” (azquotes.com). Dickens shows how money is the ultimate power in the novella, Great Expectations. In the novella, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, Pip is a young boy who tries to become a gentleman, to higher his social status, so he can be with the love of his life, Estella. Mr. Jaggers helps Pip, to become a gentleman when Pip gains a big fortune from his secret benefactor. Compeyson on the other hand abandoned Miss. Havisham at the altar, and got Magwitch arrested due to crimes. Dickens demonstrates how money is the ultimate power through the characters Jaggers, Pip, and Compeyson.

Pip´s eagerness to gain money to become a gentleman suggests that money is the ultimate power. This is because before when he had no money he was just a blacksmith's apprentice, but now he was known as a proper gentleman, due to all of the money, and effort he has put into becoming a gentleman. As stated in the novella, Dickens states “After this memorable event, I went to the hatter’s, and the bootmaker’s, and the hosier’s, and felt rather like Mother Hubbard’s dog whose outfit required the services of so many trades. I also went to the coach-office and took my place for seven o’clock on Saturday morning. It was not necessary to explain everywhere that I had come into a handsome property;” (Dickens 161). This statement reveals that Pip is splurging on new things because of all of the money he has gotten. This also explains that money is power for Pip because now he can become a better gentleman. Another quote I found is from the pdf, From Sham to “Gentle Christian Man” in Great Expectations. In the pdf, the author writes “The novel’s protagonist, Phillip Pirrip, or Pip, rejects his original place in the social system and seeks an entirely new station to which he has no claim other than the size of his pocketbook, over which he has no actual control.” This conveys that Pip, wanted to become a gentleman, and the only way Pip would be able to do that is through money. This is because with money there is power. The quote also displays that Pip has no control over his money, which in the end will lead to Pip having a lot of debt.

Jaggers is well respected in town, because of his job as a lawyer, and for being wealthy, this clarifies that money is the ultimate power. Jaggers reveals this because he is a well-known lawyer in the book. He is also well respected, and highly known in the town. He also teaches Pip, how to use his money wisely, and how to manage it. As told in the novella, Dickens indicates “My name," he said, "is Jaggers, and I am a lawyer in London. I am pretty well known. I have unusual business to transact with you, and I commence by explaining that it is not of my originating. If my advice had been asked, I should not have been here. It was not asked, and you see me here. What I have to do as the confidential agent of another, I do. No less, no more” (Dickens 145). This appears to express that Jaggers is introducing himself to Pip, and is telling him that Pip has come into a big sum of money and that Jaggers will help teach Pip how to become a gentleman. Also in this quote, he says that he is pretty well known and that he is a lawyer. This clarifies that Jaggers is rich enough to be able to teach Pip how to manage his money and to become a gentleman. 

Compeyson uses his money to escape crime, and to lessen his sentence, this illustrates that money is power. This is because Compeyson is portrayed as a person with a criminal background, similar to that of Magwitch, however, Compeyson is educated and also has money. This makes him more powerful than Magwitch, and Compeyson makes his sentence shorter than Magwitch because the judge thought he was a gentleman. As described in the novella “Compeyson, he looks at me very noticing, and I look at him. He has a watch and a chain and a ring and a breast-pin and a handsome suit of clothes.“‘To judge from appearances, you’re out of luck,’ says Compeyson to me” (Dickens 367-368). This indicates that Compeyson has a lot of money, and he is trying to look more like a proper gentleman so people will respect him. Also, Compeyson uses his money to get a lesser sentence than Magwitch showing that money is the ultimate power.

In the novella Great Expectations, Charles Dickens demonstrates how money is the ultimate power. Through the characters Jaggers, Pip, and Compeyson, Dickens depicts how money is the ultimate power. Charles Dickens clarifies that money is the ultimate power through Pip because Pip is very eager to earn money. Dickens also shows that money is power through Jagger because Jagger is a very respected and rich lawyer. Lastly, Dickens reveals that money is power through Compeyson because Compeyson uses his money to look like a gentleman so he can have a lesser sentence than Magwitch. 

Works Cited

Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Bantam Dell, 2003.

Sandburg, Carl. “Money is power, freedom, a cushion, the root of all evil, the sum of blessings” azquotes.com.

Tobin, Mary Ann. From Sham to "Gentle Christian Man" in Great Expectation. Critical Insights, 2009. Web.p.ebscohost.com. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/lrc/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=64b1e0fc-1fee-462b-b4cb-25b6ebb7e90e%40redis.