Chok 1
Jad Chok
Mrs. Gatehouse
English 9B(H), period 1
01 June 2018
Influence of Success
Fame and fortune, a worldly desire wanted by all, bringing satisfaction, joy, and pleasure
to all… is what is thought to happen if obtained. Several times throughout history, even
currently, people put on the line anything and everything, for a chance at this. In the novel, Great
Expectations, by Charles Dickens, a young boy, Pip, shows an excellent representation of what
people are willing to do for this dream. Pip’s character transforms from a shy, loving, gentle,
and content young boy to a discontent, greedy, regretful, and a man willing to throw away his
bonds for something so simple as manipulative green paper.
When a person is brought into this world they are without a feint of sin; they are innocent
and clueless about what is to come in the world. In Great Expectations, Pip manages to maintain
his innocence throughout most of his childhood. He begins as a small seed, innocent and content,
he is giving, compassionate, and cherishes those around him. He would practically risk anything
to maintain both his bonds and innocence. “ My convict looked round him for the first time, and
saw me . . . I looked at him eagerly when he looked at me, and slightly moved my hands and
shook my head. I had been waiting for him to see me, that I might try to assure him of my
innocence. It was not at all expressed to me that he even comprehended my intention, for he gave
me a look that I did not understand, and it all passed in a moment. But if he had looked at me for
Chok 2
an hour or for a day, I could not have remembered his face ever afterward as having been more
attentive” (Dickens 39). Pip is always concerned about how people view his character; he wants
to leave out a courteous impression to the public. Here he is anxious to let Magwitch know his
innocence and wants him to know he has nothing to do with turning him into the police.
Magwitch sees through Pip and notices his affection and generosity, which in turn, moves him to
intense feelings of loyalty and love. Pip’s content interactions with people can impact them in
such a way; it seems they gain a new positive trait to their character. He goes to such lengths of
kindness and magnanimity; he is willing to lend even the worst of people a helping hand.
Success is an aspiration that contains both negative and positive effects. When an
individual achieves success, they go through a phase...
