Castillo 1 Karina Castillo Ms.

Gardner English 2 3 March 2014 Beaten, Bound and Broken Free In the nineteenth centur it !as not rare "or clothing to #e a $ain "actor in deter$ining social class. %i$ilarl , the &h sical disci&line o" children !as neither unco$$on nor scorned, unlike in the conte$&orar societ o" the 21st centur . 'ickens(s #ildungsro$an no)el, Great Expectations, is narrated in "irst &erson # *i&, the $ain character, !ho is o"ten said to ha)e #een +#rought u& # hand, -Dickens 40.. /is sister, # ado&tion, !ho cares "or hi$, o"ten #oasts a#out taking *i& in and raising *i& +# hand., Mrs. 0oe(s inter&retation o" the &hrase is that she nursed and cared "or hi$, !hen in realit the &hrase is a eu&he$is$ "or the cruelt she constantl i$&oses on *i& # #eating hi$. 1his cruelt is the "irst e2&erience *i& has !ith hands3 ho!e)er, in Great Expectations, hands trans"or$ "ro$ a s $#ol o" cruelt and "ear to one o" acce&tance and gratitude. 1his change $irrors *i&(s o!n de)elo&$ent in social status and his )ie!s o" social class. In the o&ening scene o" the no)el, *i& is in a gra)e ard at a oung age, o#ser)ing the gra)es o" his &arents. *i& has s&ent his !hole li"e #eing cared "or +# hand., 1his ele$ent is &ro)ided # Mrs. 0oe. *i&, una!are o" social classes and status, treats e)er one the sa$e4 !ith res&ect. 1he res&ect *i& e2tends includes es&eciall those !ho$ he "ears. *i& "ears the !rath o" Mrs. 0oe #ecause o" the &o!er o" her hands. Because o" this, !hen a con)ict, Mag!itch, co$es along the $arshes and handles *i& )iolentl , *i& still treats hi$ !ith res&ect. 5lthough *i& has no understanding o" social class and does not notice the lo! status o" the con)ict, he is

Castillo 2 +dread"ull "rightened, -3., and he thus calls the con)ict +sir, and calls u&on his e)er co$$and. *i&(s "ear o" the cruelt the con)ict $a cause hi$ dri)es *i& to treat the con)ict !ith the highest authorit . 1his is the "irst stage o" *i&(s connection o" "ear and res&ect. 5s *i& ages, he is called u&on # a !ealth !o$an o" the to!n, Miss /a)isha$. *i&6 an2ious, e2cited, and ho&e"ul6goes to Miss /a)isha$(s ho$e, %atis /ouse, still !ith no reali7ation o" the i$&ortance social class !ill hold in his li"e. 8&on $eeting Estella, Miss /a)isha$(s ado&ted daughter, *i& is suddenl stricken !ith lo)e "or her, si$ilar to ho! Mrs. 0oe(s hand had struck *i& so $an ti$es #e"ore. *i& is also hit !ith the #urden o" social class, !hich is alread a&&arent in Estella(s li"e. Estella disres&ects *i& # calling hi$ +#o , #ecause he is o" a lo!er social class, and she e)en teases hi$ a#out his hands. 9hen Estella e2clai$s +!hat coarse hands he has:, -4;. *i& is i$$ediatel asha$ed o" his u&#ringing. 5lthough *i& had +ne)er thought o" #eing asha$ed o" <his= hands #e"ore, the #eco$e a s $#ol in *i&s li"e, to $irror his social status. In *i&(s association !ith Miss /a)isha$, he #eco$es #ound to 0oe, and *i& #eco$es his a&&rentice. In his earlier li"e, *i& !ould ha)e #een &roud to #e #ound to 0oe, #ut no! that he is a!are o" the lo! social class that 0oe holds, he states that +in a corner><his= indentures !ere dul signed, -?1.. 1he i$age o" *i& #eing "orced into a corner to #e #ound recalls the s $#ol o" the hands, !hich &ose a ne! threat o" tra&&ing *i&. 1his ne! "ear o" hands and #eing tra&&ed in a lo! social class haunt *i&. 9hen *i& gets older, he co$es into a "ortune &ro)ided # a secret #ene"actor. 5t "irst *i&(s idea o" #eing a gentle$an &ertains to clothing and ho! he uses his $one . *i& leads a ha&& li"e !ith an educator, 9illia$ *ocket, and he $akes ne! "riends. In *i&(s oung adulthood his #ene"actor is introduced as Mag!itch, the con)ict !ho "rightened *i& so long ago. 5s a sign o" res&ect, Mag!itch +gras&<s *i&(s= hands heartil , raise<s= the$ to his li&s, kisse<s=

Castillo 3 the$, and still h<olds= the$, -24?.. In this e2change #et!een *i& and Mag!itch, the roles o" do$inant and su#ordinate are re)ersed. @o! that *i& has kno!ledge o" his social class he e)aluates Mag!itch and +recoil<s= a little "ro$ hi$, -24A.. *i& has de)elo&ed a ne! "ear in the touch o" another. It is no longer a "ear o" &ain or death, #ut a "ear o" "ilth and conta$ination "ro$ a lesser &erson. 1his de)elo&$ent in *i&(s &ersonalit is a direct correlation to his rise in social status. 9hen *i& learns that Mag!itch is his #ene"actor, his +#lood <runs= cold, -2B1., and his !hole )ie! o" li"e is challenged. 9ithin a "e! seconds, *i& #egins to reali7e that social class $a not #e as i$&ortant to the character o" a $an as he $a ha)e #elie)ed. %lo!l *i&(s "ear surrounding Mag!itch changes into acce&tance and gratitude. *i& tries to hel& Mag!itch esca&e #ecause Mag!itch is still a con)ict, #ut Mag!itch is ca&tured # the authorities, and is sus&ected to ha)e killed another con)ict, Co$&e son, !ith his #are hands. *i& has gro!n "ond o" Mag!itch, has #eco$e nearl una!are o" the ga& #et!een their social classes, and has e)en co$e to res&ect hi$ in the ti$e that the ha)e s&ent together. *i& is grate"ul "or Mag!itch(s su&&ort and honors the "act that des&ite his social class, he !as a#le to &ro)ide "or *i&. /is reali7ation o" the uni$&ortance o" a&&earance and social status leads hi$ to see hands as a s $#ol o" "idelit in his li"e. 9hen Mag!itch is carried a!a , *i& atte$&ts to cal$ Mag!itch(s +tre$#le<ing=>hands, -3B0.. *i&(s +re&ugnance to hi$ had all $elted a!a ,, and he "elt +a""ectionatel , grate"ull , and generousl , "or Mag!itch. 1he "inal ele$ent o" *i&(s ne!"ound disregard "or social class is seen !hen *i& holds +the hand that <Mag!itch= stretches<s= "orth to <hi$=, -3B?.. 1his last act is a sign o" acce&tance o" Mag!itch des&ite his social standing. *i& regards Mag!itch as a true gentle$an "or #eing so charita#le and caring as the Coin hands "ondl .

Castillo 4 Conclusi)el , *i&(s Courne starts in "ear, leads to kno!ledge, and ends in the #etter$ent o" *i&(s &ersonalit . 5t the end o" the no)el, *i& +takes <Estella(s= hand in <his=, and the <go=> in a> #road e2&anse o" tranDuil light..., -3?0.. 9here *i& had #een at "irst shunned # Estella a#out his +coarse hands,, she no! !illingl takes his co$"orta#l . 1he !o$an !ho had once taught *i& the i$&ortance o" his social class !as also trans"or$ed # the #rutalit and "orce o" her a#usi)e hus#and(s. 1he s $#ol o" hands has $ade *i& and Estella eDuals, and their "alse ideas o" social class are destro ed. 1he i$age o" *i& and Estella #ound hand in hand is the last i$age o" "idelit through their connection, !hich destro s the #inds o" social class "or each.