by Daryl Bagley

Created on: February 23, 2011   Last Updated: February 24, 2011

In Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations, Joe is strong, dull, and caring.
To begin with, Joe is strong. Joe is a blacksmith, a job requiring lots of physical labor (Dickens, 7). And because Joe has been working since he was a child his arms must be very strong (Dickens, 46). When Joe beats up Orlick we see that Joe has the strength to take down opponents (Dickens 108). Pip says that “if any man in that neighborhood could stand up long against Joe, I never saw the man” (Dickens, 108). This quote from Pip shows us that Joe has exceptional fighting skills and strength, more than the other men Pip knew.

Additionally, Joe is dull. When Joe was a child, he did not go to school   (Dickens, 45). Joe says that he is “awful dull, most awful dull”, proving that even Joe himself cannot deny the fact that he is dull (Dickens, 48). In Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations, Joe speaks with a dialect. His dialect includes bad grammar and improper pronunciations. This shows us that Joe is too dull to use proper English. Nor can he read. He shows us that he is unable to spell his own name, believing it to be J-o.

Finally, Joe is caring. When Pip comes back home after meeting the convict, Joe promptly warns him of Mrs. Joe, who has already been out twelve times, and working on her thirteenth. She has Tickler with her, the stick she uses to beat Pip and Joe, and she is not happy with Pip. Joe gives Pip some quick advice to lower the pain of the beating, showing that he is caring towards Pip (Dickens, 11). Even though Joe knows that many people do not agree with him, he still supports the fact that Mrs. Joe is “a fine figure of a woman”. This shows that Joe can love the unlovable (Dickens, 47). After learning that the convict has stolen food from Joe’s house, Joe does not anger, but shows sympathy towards the man, showing that Joe is caring towards strangers (Dickens, 39). Though he himself cannot read, he yearns for Pip to learn. Even when Pip is haughty towards Joe, Joe still nurses him back to health.

In conclusion, Joe Gargery is a strong, dull, caring character in Dickens’ novel, Great Expectations. He is unbeatable in fights, has never been to school, and always cares for Pip, and everyone else he meets.

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