CLASS AND COMPANIONSHIP: PIP AND HERBERT IN DICKENS’ GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Abstract

This article examines the complex relationship between class and friendship in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, with a focus on the bond between Pip and Herbert Pocket. The novel interrogates themes of social mobility, personal growth, and moral development through the lens of Victorian class structures. The companionship between Pip and Herbert provides insight into the tensions and solidarities that arise in a deeply stratified society. This study argues that Dickens uses their friendship to critique artificial social divisions and to show the redemptive power of genuine human connection.