Guilt

            
             Erik Erickson's theory of psychosocial development (Santrock and Yussen, 1987) offers a perspective on a child's social development. Erickson proposed that social development is the result of the interaction between internal biological forces and external cultural pressures. As such, he proposed eight stages of development throughout the life span. The conflicts one experiences at each stage can be resolved in either a positive (adaptive) or negative (mal-adaptive) way. The individual is provided with a "sensitive period" in which to successfully resolve each crisis before a new crisis is presented. I think that the various conflicts Pip goes through and retrospectively describes in Charles Dickens' Great Expectations are the same psychosocial conflicts Erickson argues everyone experiences. .
             The first chapters of the novel represent Erikson's third stage of psychosocial development, Initiative vs. guilt. In this stage children take on new tasks and play, and feel guilty when their activities result in failure or criticism, the child learns what he/she can control and develops a sense of free will or a corresponding sense of regret and sorrow for inappropriate use of self-control. The book begins with Pip in the Graveyard visiting his parent's graves. Here he meets Magwich the convict who asks him to steal a file and food. To ensure his return with such items the convict tells Pip there is a second man with him who will eat his heart and liver if he fails to return. Here Pip struggles with right and wrong. While he knows it's wrong to steal, he wants to help the suffering human being he views as a fellow victim. Pip's sister Mrs. Joe is also introduced in the first chapters. She reminds Pip of the fact she brought him up by hand, and doesn't let him forget he owes his existence to her. .
             Unfortunately Pip doesn't resolve this crises positively. Around the same time Pip is expecting to be caught for stealing the food he is being constantly reminded to be grateful for his on existence, something he can't control "Be grateful Boy, to them which brought you up by hand- ( Dickens 56).