JONATHAN, I feel I can practically read Miss Havisham's mind re. Pip and the apprenticeship.
She is dispensing with his 'services', but in the tradition of 'noblesse oblige', not
to mention a sense of one's own generosity and general superiority, one rewards the
faithful servant. Am I being too cynical?
I agree. By nature, Joe is a true gentleman.
JUDE, I remember on reading those words, how I smiled at the "gallon of condescension".
There is something to be said for the technique of telling a story from the viewpoints of
both the young narrator and his mature future self. Young Pip is so full of himelf; one
has to grin.
JOANP, I would hope that Dickens' contemporary readers would recognize the goodness and
worth in Joe, behind all the rough manners and poor education. We always tend to make
judgments of people too quickly, on outward appearance.
From what I've seen of Orlick, I can't imagine him doing anything more than what he
must to get by. Pip, well he is behaving in a callous and selfish manner, but as you
stated, he has enough sense of it to be ashamed. I think we must be patient with him,
considering his youth and his obsession with Estella.
That is an excellent question, FRYBABE, and one that bothered me, too. I can only guess
that Mrs. Joe was berating, and perhaps 'rampaging' against Orlick when he attacked her.
She may remember something of that, and is now trying to placate him and keep a watch
on him, for fear he may attack the rest of her family. Does that sound like a reasonable
possiblity?
