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, opposed to the sole purpose in which monopoly was created, to provide entertainment. This board game teaches children that money associates with power, and with wealth comes more opportunities. Dickens proposes money is like a drug, the more it accumulates, the more harm it brings. Money is a powerful weapon and negatively impacts and transforms people regardless of the quantity entrusted. Firstly, money…show more content…
Many people shift their personalities in Great Expectations, some unaware of the change, until it affected others or they were questioned by it like Joe was when he stated to Pip “‘Us two being alone now, sir- began Joe ‘Joe,’ I interrupted, pettishly, ‘how can you call me Sir?’” (219). Just the idea of Pip acquiring money alters Joe’s happy-go-lucky, child-like personality into a somber and serious one. Joe is distancing himself from Pip by addressing him as “Sir” instead of the usual nickname of “old chap”. He feels inferior around him knowing Pip’s new social standing. This illustrates how intimidated Joe feels around Pip. Many people are threatened by the success because they feel that the “elite” hold all the power to transform anyone’s life. Capatalism is perceived as dominating this structure. Pip’s new found wealth impacts and facts many characters, including himself. “If I could have kept him [Joe] away by paying money, I certainly would have payed money” (214). Pip always valued his friendship with Joe until he began to advance financially; he made many selfish decisions that pushed away the people he loves. Believing that this was his social protocol, Pip converts his personality from being kind and generous to snobbish and rude. The message being delivered is that money blurs people’s judgments and it masks and justifies any harm that

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