We now empathise with him and as a response will not be satisfied for him to be punished for his mistakes.
The revised ending of Great Expectations is Pips Cinderella' story. Like Cinderella, who wants to be the belle of the ball in order to win the heart of Prince charming, Pip wants to become a 'Gentleman- in order to win the heart of Estella. This is a fairytale that can only be accomplished with the help of a fairy godmother or in Pips case a fairy godfather. This book is not a love story about Pip and Estella, but since it was Pips infatuation with Estella that lead him to his great expectations, their story needs to have an element of romance. Therefore Great Expectations should end like all fairytales and good romances, the hero gets his girl and they live happily ever after. .
Many readers like a happy ending however; in this case it is possible that there are those who feel Estella does not deserve Pips love. This is why this ending is so right. Dickens genius writing skills in the final line of the novel I saw the shadow of no parting from her' (chapter 40 page 484) allows the reader to make their own assumptions for their future. There is no indication in this line that directly tells the reader if Pip and Estella marry or just remain acquaintances. .
Both endings represent the social classes either showing a division, as in the original or equality, as in the revised. Pip and Estella where affected by their social standing through out most of their lives. The significance of which side of the social ladder each belonged to had a direct impact on their ability to associate with each other. Often a person's social class or desire for a higher social standing can cloud people's thoughts. They seem to lash out with harsh words and not think about the feelings of others. Pip and Estella's social standing often put them in the position of either being the deliverer or the recipient of these lashings.
