In Dickens's Great Expectations, the alienation of the amiable Joe Gargery says a lot about the values ​​of the high society of the time. Joe represents the epitome of friendship and love, but he is constantly out of his element when surrounded by nobles or women like Miss Havisham. Through Joe's alienation, Dickens reveals the negative aspects of 19th century British society and makes Pip understand that he was wrong to move away from the forge. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Throughout Pip's parentless childhood, Joe was a hero. He was always there to comfort Pip after a beating from the ill-tempered Mrs Joe, and the two were "the best of friends". Joe stays with evil Mrs. Joe and treats her well because he loves Pip and wants to remain friends with him. Once you get past the first few chapters, the reader sees Joe as the personification of loyalty and kindness. These qualities are further amplified when Mrs. Joe is paralyzed by a blow to the head while Joe and Pip are away. Even though Mrs. Joe is neither able to speak nor move, Joe stays by her side and cares for her until she passes away. Despite Joe's ignorance of reading and writing, his life as a gentle blacksmith with Pip at his side leaves him wanting nothing more from life. Pip, however, soon discovers that he himself wants more than life at the forge. After Pip meets Miss Havisham and becomes fascinated with the idea of ​​being a gentleman, life changes for him and Joe. Dickens comments on upper-class elitism through Pip's actions after meeting Miss Havisham. Pip begins to hesitate about becoming a blacksmith, even though he always wanted to follow in Joe's footsteps. While at Miss Havisham's mansion, her adopted daughter Estella tells Pip that he has "rude hands" and "thick boots" (Dickens, 62), which destroys Pip's self-esteem. Pip. Until now, he had never even thought about his appearance. This brief glimpse into the life of a gentleman, however, corrupted his value system and caused him to strive to win the heart of the beautiful Estella. Exposure to high society eventually leads Pip to abandon his apprenticeship with Joe and live in London with the help of a mysterious benefactor. The first scene where Joe's social awkwardness is revealed comes when Miss Havisham asks Pip to take Joe to their next meeting. The meeting is very strange and Joe can't even talk to Miss Havisham. Instead, he directs all his words to Pip, who in this scene serves as a bridge between Joe's lower class and Miss Havisham's upper class. Dickens uses this scene to comment on upper class society. So far, Joe has been a warm and friendly person to everyone he has met, including two escaped convicts. However, when a noble person like Miss Havisham enters the scene, he freezes. Dickens uses this awkward reaction to imply that the highest figures in society are so corrupt that even Joe, a good and kind person, cannot talk to them. Unfortunately, this is the society Pip longs for. The second scene that reveals Joe's estrangement from upper-class society occurs when Joe arrives in London with Wopsle and wishes to see Pip. The modified Pip remarks, “If I could have kept him away by paying money, I would have paid money” (Dickens, 229). Pip's hesitation to see Joe in London confirms that he has changed a lot. The man he once loved and aspired to be like is now a burden and an embarrassment. Even though Joe is the embodiment of everything that is.