Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectation is recognized as one of the most important examples of a bildungsroman, that is, a “personal development or education novel” of its main character (Rau). In this novel, using a first-person narrative, Dickens tells the story of Pip and how he grows from a nearly illiterate child who lives a life of struggles to a well-educated and economically comfortable gentleman. Scholar Nicholas Shrimpton suggests, however, that Pip's self-discovery is also a fundamental feature of the muscular novel (140). Although Great Wait is commonly defined as a bildungsroman, due to Pip's transformation, it can also be considered a "muscular novel" (Shrimpton 125). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get an original essay A muscular novel, according to Shrimpton, is a text in which the protagonist is not only a well-educated and physically strong man, but also extremely polite (125). Shrimpton asserts that the protagonist of a muscular novel must be “manly,” “gentle,” and “distinguished” (135). To fully understand this concept, it is important to analyze the three terms to determine the specific characteristics that the character must possess. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a manly man possesses or denotes "the good qualities traditionally associated with men, such as courage, strength and wit"; a gentle man has or shows "a gentle, kind, or tender temperament or character," while a distinguished man is "characterized by exaggerated or affected politeness, refinement, or respectability." As Shrimpton argues, Pip must be both a good-hearted, courageous, and well-mannered man. In the first part of Great Expectations, Pip is often presented as a tender-hearted boy. Early in the story, for example, Pip feels sympathy for Joe's illiteracy, and even though he knows he might get into trouble with his sister, he wants to help her improve her condition. Throughout the book, Pip tends to sacrifice himself or get into trouble just to help the people he loves; he doesn't care what might happen to him, he just wants the people around him to improve. Additionally, Pip doesn't feel embarrassed about being a sensitive boy who cries and he even admits, "God knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they rain down on the blinding dust of the earth , covering our hearts. I was better off after crying than before – more desolate, more aware of my own ingratitude, more gentle” (Dickens 191). According to the stereotype, men are not allowed to cry, otherwise they would lose their masculinity; However, Dickens rejects this cliché and gives the characters significant psychological complexity. Even before proving Pip's masculinity, Dickens gives Pip's character gentle traits. The fact that Pip himself admits to being “softer” is fundamental to the evolution of the character. Further proof of Pip's gentleness is given when he meets Trabb's boy in London and, for example, he restrains his main instinct and does not give in to Trabb's boy's provocation. Instead, he says, “To have wrestled with him in the street, or to have exacted from him a reward less than the best blood of his heart, would have been futile and degrading” (Dickens 275). Avoiding a physical confrontation with the Trabb boy, Pip once again shows that he does not have a harsh temper. At the same time, this scene presents Pip as a “distinguished” character. In fact, the use of the word “degrading” is no coincidence. Once in London, Pip acts like a gentleman, so physically fighting againsta person whose social status is lower would be humiliating. Instead, Pip writes a letter to Mr. Trabb in which he informs him that they would not do business together if he always hires people who act this brutally, and that he shows insufficient interest in his single company by hiring the wrong person (Dickens 275). By writing the letter to Mr. Trabb, Pip has the opportunity to show his superior status as a learned man. The way Pip resolves the situation is, in fact, appropriate for a man who is training himself to be polite, refined, and ladylike. Likewise, Pip's joining The Fiches of the Grove, a club whose members are all respected gentlemen, is another attempt by Pip to raise his status and become a distinguished man. However, while being a distinguished man, Pip still shows some gentle characteristics too. He admits that he would pay Herbert's expenses if only Herbert would allow it, and he fears that Herbert's financial situation will deteriorate due to the club's high costs (Dickens 301). Another scene in which Pip's gentleness is evident is when he asks Miss Havisham to help Herbert start a business (Dickens 419). Pip is more concerned about his friend's economic problems than his own. He just went bankrupt because he spent too much money living like a gentleman, but that doesn't seem to worry him. His goodness is so pure that it comes out in different situations. It could actually be argued that Pip's main characteristic is gentleness. He tries to act like a distinguished man, but he lacks the innate quality that can make him a distinguished person; on the contrary, it is evident that his kindness is a characteristic that truly belongs to him. Dickens, however, tries to give Pip also some typical traits of a manly character making him have a physical confrontation with other men. For example, one morning, while Pip is eating breakfast, he has a tantrum like: "[he] went so far as to grab the Avenger by his blue collar and shake him - so that he was actually in the air, like a booted Cupid” (Dickens 303). There is no understandable reason why Pip should have reacted so harshly; he explains that the Avenger's only fault was "assuming that [Herbert and Pip] wanted a scroll" (Dickens 303). It is obvious that Pip is doing his best to act in a manly manner in order to solidify his status as a gentleman. In fact, he could not be defined as a gentleman if he did not exhibit certain characteristics that are unique to men. His desire to be a gentleman seems to be his main impulse that causes him to act in bizarre ways that contradict his unquestionable nature as a gentle man. Another important period in which Pip is depicted as a manly character is when he sells everything he owns and leaves for the Middle East. Pip undertakes a long and unpredictable journey to Egypt without really knowing if he could arrive at his destination safely. He reveals that within a month [he] had left England and within two months [he] was a clerk at Clarriker and Co., and within four months [he] assumed [its] first undivided responsibility. For the beam across the parlor ceiling and Mill Pond Bank had then ceased to tremble under old Bill's barley crops and was at peace, and Herbert had gone off to marry Clara, and [he] had remained solely in charge of the branch East. until he brings her back. (Dickens 499) This is the scene in which Pip is mainly depicted as a manly character. He is presented as a courageous man who is not afraid to leave behind everything he has known and discover a new and unknown world. Pip's journey is particularly relevant because it introduces a 2017.