While reading the beginning of Great Expectations I couldn’t help but see the similarities between main character Pip and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. Both men were orphaned at a young age and due to this, grew up in less than perfect households. For Pip, he lives with his sister Mrs. Joe and her husband Joe Gargery. Although it isn’t the worst place to grow up his sister is often very tough on him and likes to keep a strict house. We see in Wuthering Heights that Heathcliff was also an orphan boy who found a home with and was adopted by Mr. Earnshaw who always treated him like his own son. Heathcliff’s living situation can’t be considered perfect either as he was often tormented and pushed around by his ‘brother,’ Hindley, who never considered Heathcliff his brother. Like Heathcliff, we see Pip being treated poorly in the first few chapters by the convict who grabs him and pushes him around demanding Pip to return the next day with food and a file so he can cut himself out of his chains. It seems that both Pip and Heathcliff are two men who suffered a lot of hardships while growing up. Not only did they not have parents but they were pushed around by the people they were surrounded by growing up. I think it’s interesting to see how similar these characters are in their early stages of childhood and I wonder what sort of character Pip will become as the story progresses. Will he stay a shy and fearful boy unable to communicate with others or will he become a confident man who stands up for himself?