Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations is recognized as one of the most important examples of a bildungsroman, that is, a "novel of personal development or education" of his major character (Rau). In this novel, using a first-person narrative, Dickens tells the story of Pip and how he evolves from being a nearly illiterate child living a life of struggle to a well-educated and economically comfortable gentleman. Scholar Nicholas Shrimpton, however, suggests that Pip's self-discovery is a key feature of Muscular Novel as well (140). Although Great Expectation is commonly referred to as a Bildungsroman, due to Pip's transformation it can also be considered a “muscle novel” (Shrimpton 125). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayA muscular novel, according to Shrimpton, is a text in which the protagonist is not only a well-mannered and physically strong man, but also extremely polite (125). Shrimpton states that the protagonist of a muscular novel must be “manly,” “gentle,” and “gentle” (135). To fully understand this concept, it is important to analyze the three terms to determine the specific characteristics that the character must have. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a virile man has or denotes "those good qualities traditionally associated with men, such as courage, strength, and wit"; a kind man has or displays “a mild, gentle, or tender temperament or character,” while a kind man is “characterized by exaggerated or affected kindness, refinement, or respectability.” As Shrimpton argues, Pip should be at the same time a kind-hearted man, but also courageous and polite. In the first part of Great Expectations, Pip is often presented as a soft-hearted boy. At the beginning of the story, for example, Pip feels sympathy for Joe's illiterate condition, and even though he knows he might get into trouble with his sister, he wants to help him improve his condition. Throughout the book Pip tends to sacrifice himself or get into trouble to help the people he loves; he doesn't care what might happen to him, he just wants the people around him to better themselves. Furthermore, Pip does not feel embarrassed about being a sensitive boy who cries and even admits: “Heaven knows we must never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain on the blinding dust of the earth, which covers our hearts. After crying I was better than before: more sorry, more aware of my ingratitude, kinder” (Dickens 191). Stereotypically, men are not allowed to cry because otherwise they would lose their masculinity; however, Dickens rejects this cliché and gives the characters considerable psychological complexity. Even before demonstrating Pip's masculinity, Dickens gives Pip's character gentle traits. The fact that Pip himself admits to being "kinder" is fundamental to the evolution of the character. Another proof of Pip's kindness comes when he meets Trabb's boy in London and, for example, restrains his main instinct and does not give in to Trabb's boy's provocation. Instead, he says, “To have fought with him in the street, or to have exacted from him a reward less than his heart's best blood, would have been useless and degrading” (Dickens 275). By avoiding physical confrontation with Trabb's boyfriend, Pip once again proves that he does not have a harsh temper. At the same time, this scene presents Pip as a “kind” character. In fact, the use of the word “degrading” is not accidental. Once in London, Pip behaves as a gentleman should, thus physically fighting against a person whose social status islower would be humiliating. Instead, Pip writes a letter to Mr. Trabb warning him that they would not do business together if he still hired people who behave this way.brutally, and that he is showing inadequate interest in his one 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 literate man. Pip's way of resolving the situation is, in fact, appropriate for a man who is training himself to be polite, refined and kind. Likewise, Pip's joining The Chips of the Grove, a club whose members are all respected gentlemen, is a further attempt by Pip to elevate his status and become a gentlemanly man. However, despite being a gentlemanly man, Pip still displays some gentle characteristic too. He admits that he would pay Herbert's expenses if only Herbert would let him, and is worried that Herbert's financial situation will worsen due to the club's high costs (Dickens 301). Another scene where Pip's kindness is evident is when he asks Miss Havisham to help Herbert set up a company (Dickens 419). Pip is more worried about his friend's money problem than his own. He just went through bankruptcy because he spent too much money to live like a gentleman, but he doesn't seem worried about that. His goodness is so pure that it emerges again in different situations. It can be argued, in fact, that Pip's main characteristic is kindness. He tries to behave like a kind man, but he does not possess the innate quality that can make him a kind person; indeed, it is clear that his kindness is a characteristic that truly belongs to him. Dickens, however, also tries to give Pip some typical traits of a virile character by making him have physical confrontations with other men. For example, one morning, while Pip is having breakfast, he is seized by a fit of rage as "[he] went so far as to grab the Avenger by his blue collar and shake him off the ground - so that he was actually in the air, like a Cupid in boots” (Dickens 303). There is no understandable reason why Pip should have reacted so harshly; he explains that the Avenger's only fault was “in assuming that [Herbert and Pip] wanted to a sandwich" (Dickens 303). It is evident that Pip tries his best to act in a manly manner to consolidate his status as a gentleman. He could not call himself a gentleman, in fact, if he did not display some characteristics that are peculiar to men. Desire of being a gentleman seems to be his primary impulse that makes him act in bizarre ways that contradict his indisputable nature as a gentleman. Another significant moment in which Pip is portrayed as a manly character is when he sells everything he has and goes to the Middle East. Pip embarks on a long and unpredictable journey to Egypt without really knowing if he will reach his destination safely. He reveals that within a month, [he] had left England, and within two months [he] was employed at Clarriker and Co., and within four months [he] took on [his] first responsibility undivided. For, the beam across the parlor ceiling and the Mill Pond Bank, had then ceased to tremble under old Bill Barley's shoots and was at peace, and Herbert had gone away to marry Clara, and [he] had remained in exclusive head of the Eastern Branch. until he brought her back. (Dickens 499) This is the scene where Pip is portrayed primarily as a manly character. He is presented as a courageous man who is not afraid to leave everything he knew behind and discover a new and unknown world. Pip's journey is particularly relevant because it introduces a slightly different sense to the terms manly. 2017.