Change

“I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door, as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attended with a sacrifice of roast fowls; I had believed in the kitchen as a chaste though not magnificent apartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence. Within a single year all this was changed.” (Page 118)

Multiple times throughout the novel, change arises as an important theme. This passage in particular exhibits a development in Pip's character. Dickens shows that Pip has grown and matured in such a way that he no longer feels comfortable living with the Gargerys nor does he feel fit to work as a blacksmith. Pip mentions that all of his surroundings once offered him peace, but having dealt with these conditions all of his life, he is ready for a change; he is willing to give up this lower-class lifestyle and try something new. This event in the plot provides a turning point in Pip's life. Soon hereafter, Pip decides he wants to learn how to become a gentleman, something that would otherwise be difficult to come by. Fortunately the odds are in his favor and the theme of change arises yet again offering him the opportunity of a lifetime. Dickens uses this theme to show the transition that Pip undergoes both mentally and physically.