Gentlemen?

"After two or three days, when I was had established myself in my room and had gone backward and forward to London several times, and had ordered all I wanted of my tradesmen..." Chapter 24, pg. 196 (Pip)

            The main theme from "Great Expectations" is becoming a gentleman.  Dickens enriches the novel with doubles, symbols, and motif that all gravitate over this idea.  In the second stage, Pip has matured in age and is trying to get used to life in London.  He meets the "pale young gentlemen" Herbert, and starts to get settled to the new life that was thrown on him unexpectedly.  As a reader, the second stage hasn't been to interesting to follow, but what I found most interesting was how he gradually starts to spend more and more money.  Upon his arrival, he was told that he just had to ask Mr. Jagger for money and it will be given to him.  When he first goes to Mr. Jagger to buy furniture he is very hesitant and doesn't know how much to take, but then later it tells us that he is spending a lot of money. 

This increase in spending brings out the theme of becoming a gentlemen.  Being a gentlemen means that you are higher in society, you are rich, and you have the best of everything.  Pip's mind is slowly getting trained to spend his money just like a gentleman, without a care.  This same idea was also brought up in stage 1 when he is getting ready to leave Joe and Bibby.  Instead of showing appreciation towards them for their gratitude and kindness, he acts full of himself and believes that he is better than both of them.  To the reader, this change in Pip is devastating.  What happened to the innocent young boy?  All because of becoming a gentleman, he thinks that he is now in higher standings and able to do whatever he wants.