Family

[Cassandra]

What is dickens saying about family/the traditional structure of family? Is he saying that one’s immediate family is not the best source of affection? Think of Pip and Miss Havisham’s relationships with their family.

[literariel]

Pip and Miss Havisham do not have a good relationship with each other. One's immediate family may not always be the best source of affection for someone, depending on their past, present, and possibly future.

[Paulina]

I found with this book that one's blood relations are an underwhelming source of support. Ms.Havisham's relatives are only out for her money, (I know she's batshit crazy, but they ARE family, she deserves some respect).

It's also telling that the story begins with Pip sitting amongst his "family." We are quick to find out that they are all dead and he's sitting amonst a bunch of headstones, trying to guess their features from the words written on them. From the beginning we know that the families in the novel aren't of the traditional sense.

There is also something strange in the way that Pip's sister is both sister and mother figure, and a terrifying one at that. With her, being "tickled" is not pleasant. The same goes with Joe, he's both brother-in-law and father figure. It's a little warped.