Different Lives

“Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together, as I may say, and one man's a blacksmith, and one's a whitesmith, and one's a goldsmith, and one's a coppersmith. Diwisions among such must come, and must be met as they come.” (pg. 223)

In this important passage from Great Expectations, Joe explains to Pip that different people will always lead different lives; nothing works for everyone. Joe sharply contrasts his low-level societal status in life (as a blacksmith) with Pip's new high class and life (a "goldsmith"). Even though Joe is considered the lesser in his relationship with Pip, Dickens shows that Joe is really the wiser and more practiced in the ways of the world, as opposed to Pip, who is still very naive and doesn't truly understand the world.