Influence on Great Expectations Many characters influence Pip's life in Great Expectations. He learns many important lessons while interacting with each of these characters. The role of Pip in Great Expectations is developed through the positive and negative influences of Joe, Magwitch and Miss Havisham.
Joe is one of the influences that affect's Pip from a very early stage. Joe gives him a sense of honesty, friendliness, generosity, diligence and dignity. Joe is continually faithful to Pip throughout the entire novel. Joe is constantly being abused by Mrs. Joe without defending himself. Mrs. Joe uses the "tickler" and tar-water to punish Joe and Pip (chapter 2). This shows how Joe has a weak side to his character; Pip sees through this and doesn't admire the trait. When Pip was close to death Joe arrives to aid him (chapter 57). He takes care of Pip and leaves without being thanked. This reinforces all the values he had as a child sensed in Joe but could not fully understand. Later on as the story draws to an end, Pip learns to do honest labor. He looks back and realizes that he too, like Joe, is a working man.
Through Magwitch Pip learns to become a gentleman, Magwitch's gratitude and his own redemption during the third stage of Great Expectations. Magwitch also instilled fear in a young Pip. At the first encounter of Magwitch and Pip the convict tells Pip that he will not eat his heart and liver, but that another convict will do so (chapter 1). Pip is even forced to steal and lie for the convict. Pip goes through most of the novel believing Miss. Havisham is his benefactress and when he discovers that it is Magwitch his perspectives about his expectations completely change. Pip is revolted by the man he once felt sorrow and sympathy for. The time he spends with Magwitch from when he arrives to the sad moment of his death, Pip learns again many things he had forgotten and some new lessons as well.