One major theme in the novel is appearance versus "reality". Discuss several things in the novel that weren't as they seemed to be. For example, Pip's Benefactor.
.
In Great Expectations, Pips benefactor seems to be Miss Haveshem. She.
seems to take him in as a lad and introduce him to Estella, the young lady that he later falls in love with and is lead to believe that he is meant to marry her. Also, Miss Haveshem gives him money for his apprenticeship to Joe. And she calls him back from London to see Estella after she returns from becoming a "lady." Pip had no choice but to believe that his benefactor was Miss Haveshem. Though in reality, his real benefactor was Abel Magwitch, the convict that he helped back in the marshes so long ago. Magwitch came into big money before he became a convict, and since Pip was so kind to him, he decides that he will give Pip money to become a "gentleman" himself. Therefore making Magwitch the benefactor. .
This is not the only case were you are lead to believe something that isn't true. Another case is with Miss Haveshem herself. In the beginning of the book, you are lead to believe that she was a crazy, cold-hearted women bent on taking revenge on the male race. You believe this because she tells Estella to make Pip fall in love with her and break his heart. But later, you find that she can be caring when she drops to her knees and begs Pip's forgiveness after she reveals that she intentionally led Pip on, and Estella is to marry Drummle. It is this that reveals the humane part of Miss Haveshem that is not clearly displayed throughout the novel.
Pip tells the story. Does hearing it from his point of view limit the reader's true knowledge of what really happened?.
Yes, hearing from Pip's point of view does limit the amount of information one would receive. When reading Great Expectations you only get one side of the story because one person tells it, Pip.