Ralph Waldo Emerson said," Treat a man as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be." In Charles Dickens' novel Great Expectations, the reader follows Pip through his struggle with his own expectations of himself and what he thinks is expected of him by the society around him. In Pip's overwhelming desire to meet the expectations of his unknown …showed first 75 words of 2852 total…

…showed last 75 words of 2852 total…w that, in time, life goes on whether you are paying attention or not. Joe and Biddy have had a child and built a wonderful life for themselves, the romance of Satis House has crumbled like the house itself, and Estella's decision to marry someone she did not love has taught her even more of life's lessons. He realized that if you waste today while wishing for tomorrow, you will let life pass you by.