THE ROLE OF SOCIAL CLASS IN SHAPING THE MORAL DEVELOPMENT OF PIP IN CHARLES DICKENS’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Abstract

This article examines the role of social class in shaping the moral development of Pip, the protagonist of Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations (1861). Using qualitative textual analysis and close reading, the study traces how Pip's sense of identity, values, and moral judgment are consistently influenced by his changing social position. The analysis follows four key stages of Pip's development: his early life as a working-class child, his growing shame about his origins after meeting Estella and Miss Havisham, the corrupting effects of wealth and his so-called 'great expectations,' and finally his moral awakening when he recognizes the true worth of loyalty and human dignity. The findings suggest that Dickens uses Pip's journey to offer a sustained critique of Victorian society's obsession with class and material wealth. The novel ultimately argues that genuine moral growth is not produced by wealth or social status but by self-knowledge, humility, and compassion. This article situates Pip's development within the broader context of Victorian England, where rigid class boundaries shaped nearly every aspect of life.