Great Expectations Rhetorical Analysis

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Money’s Detrimental Shadow In the well known board-game Monopoly, children enjoy playing and feeling like an adult by owning and selling property. Although, in the book Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, Monopoly is depicted as a basic foundation for the recurring theme of money, which he weaves throughout the story. This is opposed to the sole purpose in which it was created, to provide entertainment. This board game teaches children that money is associated with power and with wealth comes more opportunities. Dickens proposes that money is like a drug, the more it accumulates, the more harm it brings. Money is a powerful weapon that can negatively impact and transform people regardless of the quantity entrusted. Firstly, money has a dominating role in society and has many uses apart from paying expenses. Its purposes…show more content…
In addition, money produces an unrealistic cloud which represents the false personality being cast over society. These mistaken identities bring about misconceptions and can drive away those who were led by these personalities. This compares to how some women cover up their imperfections from others while leading them down the route of illusion. Once secluded from society, they will expose their flaws which they are only comfortable revealing to themselves, afraid of society’s judgement. This blinding cloud was surrounding Mrs. Joe when she snapped, “It’s bad enough to be a blacksmith’s wife (and him a Gargery), without being your mother” (Dickens 7). Mrs. Joe’s actions represent that not only does an abundance of money have a negative effect on people, but a lack of money does as well. Financially, she depends on Joe for his money and feels there is no escape from her social status.

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