Joe- Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

An orange glow illuminating the small room with warmth and comfort of home. Joe beside the great forge with young Pip at his side working the bellows. A scene of brotherly love as well as the small glimpse of a great life that Joe gave to Pip. All throughout the novel Great Expectations Pip is shown love and forgiveness by his sister’s husband Joe only to leave them in the dust and stomp on them with his dirt covered foot once he was given the chance to become higher than them.

Joe never looks for more, never asks more of those around him. He is content with what he has and has no unreal expectations to live by as he will stay by his forge everyday of his life in perfect harmony with the world. In truth he walked in the same all the days of his life. Bringing him happiness was that he didn’t seek revenge but rather forgiveness in every aspect of life. Very easy was the option to shun Pip from the loving, warm, extraordinary family that he left behind for something he thought to be greater but in reality a fake life of fame and money. However Pip’s side was never left and he stayed with him through it all bringing Pip forgiveness when asked for and help when needed.

Forgiveness that relieves the pain of the world and brotherly love given out to Pip isn’t the only wonderful aspect of Joe Gargery’s life as he also shares a shining wisdom hidden deep down in his heart of the life lived by different people. Saying that the life you are given should be the one that you live and simply be yourself to live a content and happy life. Contradicting to this is Pip’s sad fake life that takes away from his life. Dickens throughout the entire novel shows his thoughts that the greatest expectation in life is to love and be loved. Joe finds his love in work and lives fully through that finding great happiness in his work.

Blown away and forgotten, Joe remains loving and forgiving to even the worst of people ready to welcome them back into his wonderful life at any point in time. He becomes the warm welcoming character whome everyone loves, living his life richly and to the fullest with happiness showing everyone the way to live life happily and successfully.