Great Expectations, the Second Stage

I think that one of the most important events which have taken place in the second stage of reading is when he first came to London. He expected something really impressive, because he associated London with being a gentleman. However, when he finds out how dirty London is, he is severely disappointed. The cause of this disappointment comes from the fact that he associated London with becoming a gentleman, which made him think that it was going to be an amazing place.

Pip's disappointment upon arriving in London goes along with the theme about how upper class isn't as great as it initially seems. When Pip first wants to become a gentleman, he thinks that everything about the upper class is perfect. But as he learns more about becoming a gentleman, he realizes more and more that the upper class isn't much better than where he used to be. Perhaps this is foreshadowing that Pip will eventually wish he could return to Joe and become a blacksmith, instead of learning with no purpose.