The name "Pip" is a child-like nickname. It conveys the helplessness and irrelevance of a small young boy. Throughout the novel Pip remains in a child-like state of suspension, lacking vital knowledge about his benefactors identity. However, the way Dickens has related this to us is not sentimental, but often factual. Pip has received little sympathy from others and this is just a fact of life fro him, as he knows no different. This demonstrates the harsh Victorian society into which Pip has been born. Pip is dealing with appalling conditions and a harsh reality. Dickens was a social reformer, and was concerned with how society could be made fairer for the lower class and especially children. Dickens was born into a wealthy family, but his father gambled away their fortune. He was sent to London at an early age to work. He was too a victim of Victorian society. It is important we feel sympathy because Dickens is critical of the lack of education and saw children as the future. .
The long sentences with the harsh vocabulary create a feeling of anxiety. For example:.
"Dark flat wilderness".
This phrase implies discomfort, unease and a general feeling of malaise. The use of pro-longed sentences creates a sense of routine. The long sentences slow down the pace of the novel, reflecting his life. .
After the scene has been set we are introduced to the convict. The new adopting direct speech shakes us from the malaise, which shocks the reader, as much as it does the infant Pip. Dickens uses dialect and colloquial language here:.
"Pint out the place".
This abruptly shatters the languid, listless and depressing atmosphere and adds some vitality to the scene. A cathaphoric reference, where Dickens withholds vital information about his identity from the reader creates an enigma code. This makes the reader curious and leaves them intrigued as to his identity. Our first impression is a malicious and menacing one as he has frightened Pip.