Essay: Great Expectations – Charles Dickens

Joe Gargery’s strong moral compass and unconditional observance of ethical codes prove him to be arguably one of the wisest characters in Charles Dicken’s Great Expectations. Joe is unfailingly compassionate towards those he loves and ensures that he only acts in ways that he sees fit to benefit others. Although uneducated and unsophisticated, Joe’s demonstrated instinctive insight and responsibility illuminate the truth that he is mature rather than ignorant and juvenile.
Joe embraces his ideologies and consistently acts in the manner of what he believes is wrong and right. After Pip confesses to Joe his series of lies about his time at Miss Havisham’s, Joe asserts that telling lies is dishonorable. He proclaims, “…lies is lies. Howsoever they come, they didn’t ought to come, and they come from the father of lies, and work round to the same. Don’t you tell no more of ‘em, Pip. That ain’t the way to get out of being common, old chap…If you can’t get to be uncommon through going straight, you’ll never get to do it through going crooked” (54). Joe’s proclamations convey his stringent moral character. He states that dishonest acts are the same “howsoever they come,” underscoring the idea that he does not sway his line of belief; Joe consistently demonstrates this maturity in effort to guarantee Pip is raised properly.
Joe and Pip’s relationship is one of mutual respect, however, Joe often takes on the role of a father figure, as he is intent in instilling maturity and integrity in Pip’s upbringing. Joe selflessly loves and cares for Pip; Pip recognizes Joe’s reliability and knows he will back him in any situation, including ones where he may be obligated to take Pip’s side instead of Ms. Joe’s. At the reader’s first encounter with Joe, we see him alerting Pip of Ms. Joe searching for his whereabouts, warning, “‘Mrs. Joe has been out a dozen times, looking for you, Pip. And she’s out now, making it a baker’s dozen.’ ‘Is she?’ ‘Yes, Pip,’ said Joe; ‘and what’s worse, she’s got Tickler with her’” (13). In this encounter, it is understood that Joe wishes well for Pip. Furthermore, his wisdom and insight is abundantly exhibited in the method of how he supports him. He makes certain that he is taken care of, telling Pip, “’But I did mind you, Pip,’ he returned, with tender simplicity. “When I offered to your sister to keep company, and to be asked in church at such times as she was willing and ready to come to the forge, I said to her, ‘And bring the poor little child. God bless the poor little child,’ I said to your sister, ‘there’s room for him at the forge!’” (42). Joe’s account of being the one who conceived the idea of raising Pip establishes his maturity, responsibility, and sagacity although he was not parented and educated himself.
Despite the fact that Joe is unrefined and uneducated, his wisdom and unwavering reliability illuminate the truth that his maturity is the driver in the vehicle of his resilient character. Even as Pip undergoes transformations in both his values and priorities, Joe’s love and care for him is unaffected. It is recognized throughout the first nine chapters that Joe’s purpose is not only to lead Pip to an honorable adulthood, but to additionally show him you do not need to be in the upper-class to appreciate life.