Great Expectations: Gods Law Vs. Human Law Essay -- Great Expectations

Great Expectations Gods Law vs. Human LawIn his account book Great Expectations, the problematic nature of moral judgementand justice that stems from a conflict between Gods law and benignant law is one ofsevenral topical themes that Charles Dickens addresses. This paradox regularlysurfaces in his treatment of plot and setting, and is more subtlety illustratedin his use of character. To facilitate the readers awareness of such aconflict, the vote counter often uses language that has Christian connotations whenrelating his thoughts and when giving descriptions of the environment,characters and events that take place. While these things allude to divine andmoral law, the story itself revolves around crime and criminals, therebybringing issues of human law into focus.The climate for this theme is established from the very beginning of thenovel. flecks act of Christian charity towards the condemn can also beconsidered a honorable crime. The story opens in a churchyard where the gr ave,symbolic of eternal judgement can be contrasted with the nearby gallows,symbolizing human punishment. Set on the eve in which we commemorate the birthof Christianity, an institution based on charity and love, Pip feels guilty forbringing food to a starving fellow human. Pip must steal food from his ownfamily to help Magwitch, thereby transforming mercy and compassion into crimes.As Pip is running home, he looks back at the convict and sees him limpingtowards the gallows "...as if he were the pirate come to life, and come down,and going back up again" (27). This imagery conveys a complicated perception ofguilt as something conscious of its own moral accountability, frightening andself-destructive. When Magwitch is caught, he gives a false confession tostealing the food from the Gargerys to protect Pip. Joe replies that hewouldnt want him to starve and that he was welcome to it. Pip highlights theconflict between divine and human law by comparing the Hulk that his convict isreturned to as "a wicked Noahs ark" (56). thereof in these first few chapters,the ideals of justice, mercy, law, and punishment are intermingled and confused.This confusion is furthered by Mrs. Joe, who actually transforms charityinto punishment. Her beatings, bullying and lectures of how she brought Pip up"by hand" at great personal sacrifice are a constant reminder ... ...er. In one short episode, Pip has describedhimself as a penitent, a prisoner, and a confessed wrongdoer.The conflict between Pips own instincts regarding morality andconventional perceptions of justice and punishment is manifested as the guilt heis burdened with throughout his childhood and materialisation adult life. Pip accumulatesthese feelings and attempts to suppress them throughout most of the story. Atone point the narrator takes a moment to reflect on his guilty moral sense     As I had grown accustomed to my expectations, I had insensibly begun tonotice their effe ct upon myself and those around me. Their influence on my owncharacter, I disguised from my lore as much as possible, but I knew verywell that it was not all good. I lived in a state of chronic inquietuderespecting my behaviour to Joe. My conscience was not by any means comfortableabout Biddy. (256) He goes into great debt in his attempts to distract himselffrom this guilt, and drags his dear friend Herbert on with him (which he alsoexpresses guilt about). His vain attempt to make reparations with hisconscience by sending "a penitential codfish and a barrel of oysters