The Victorian era Essay Example for Free

The Victorian era Essay Magwitchs reaction when Pip shows him where his mother immediately makes the reader feel sorry for him. Now then lookee here! said the man. Wheres your mother? There, sir, Said I. He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder. Due to the fact he is making a short run at the mere mention of someone seeing him, reveals Magwitchs deeper insecurities and fear of being caught. Also the fact he is scared of a woman would create an even greater feeling of sympathy for him, especially amongst those reading in the Victorian era, as it was uncommon to have a man scared of a woman. This reaction also suggests that Magwitch may not be as strong as he originally made out, but is only putting on an act to scare Pip. Magwitch demands Pip bring him file and wittles and as he does so he tilts Pip over the tombstone a little more. You bring em both to me. He tilted me again, Or Ill have your heart and liver torn out. He tilted me again. By recreating the tilting movement again and saying it in the same repetitive manner, represents the mounting fear and unease Pip is experiencing and also stresses the difference in power; with Magwitch at this point, looming over Pip in a menacing manner, thus leading the reader to feel greater sympathy for him in such a situation and much less so for Magwitch. As Pip watches the convict leave, he says glancing about him over the cold wet flat, I wish I was a frog or a eel. Wishing to be a frog or an eel shows us how difficult Magwitch find his surroundings and that in being a frog or an eel means he doesnt not have to suffer in the cold and wet marshes any longer. Also when he says a eel it gives a hint as to the fact the Magwitch is possibly illiterate as he says a eel instead of an eel. This creates sympathy for Magwitch as it not only tells us he is uneducated but also that he may never have had the chance to go to school. Magwitchs departure creates further sympathy for him as he hugged his shuddering body in both arms and limped toward the Low Church wall. The fact he is limping could either indicate he is hurt or that the cold has numbed his body. Either way the reader feels sympathy for Magwitch, as unlike Pip, he does not have the option of going back home. Instead he is forced to pick his way among the nettles, and among brambles. Once again this shows the reader the difficulties he is facing with his surroundings and in turn this makes the reader feel sorry for him as it is clear that he has nowhere else to go. As Pip describes his surroundings once again as the sun is setting, he talks of how he can faintly make out two things on the horizon- a beacon the sailors use to steer and the other, a gibbet, from whose chain a pirate once hung. As Pip describes Magwitch walking towards the latter it gives a sense of foreboding as though something terrible is about to happen and that the gibbet (for Magwitch) might symbolise death. This creates sympathy for Magwitch as it is shown as another reminder to the reader of the punishment he could face if caught. Dickens creates sympathy for his characters, Pip and Magwitch in many ways. By carefully structuring his story; he is able to swing the readers sympathy from Pip to Magwitch as the story progresses. By introducing Pip first, Dickens made the reader feel sympathetic towards his situation. However, he was also able to make the reader empathise with Magwitch as well despite his less than honourable actions. Dickens also uses the characters dialogue and body language to represent how a character feels and what they are thinking.