In this chapter, Pip has just learned of his mysterious
benefactor, and he visits Mr. Trabb, who is a tailor, to get a proper suit of clothes
ready. When Pip enters the shop, Trabb is eating. When he sees that it is Pip, he pays
no attention to him. Pip, however, quickly tells Trabb of his good fortune, and
immediately, Trabb starts fawning over Pip:
“My dear sir,” said Mr. Trabb, as he
respectfully bent his body, opened his arms, and took the liberty of touching me on the
outside of each elbow, “don't hurt me by mentioning that. May congratulate you? Would
you do me the favour of stepping into the
shop?”
Pip really lets this
go to his head because he has not yet learned how a gentleman is supposed to act. It is
all new to him and he supposes that he should probably act in a manner befitting his new
station in life. He has just had a conversation with Biddy that totally surprises him
because Biddy is reacting to Pip's newfound snobbery and Pip mistakenly thinks she is
jealous.
Trabb continues to fawn over Pip, asking him to
put in a good word for him in London, hoping that Pip will continue to frequent his
tailor shop:
“I know, sir, that London gentlemen cannot be
expected to patronise local work, as a rule; but if you would give me a turn now and
then in the quality of a townsman, I should greatly esteem it. Good morning, sir, much
obliged.—Door!”
Also, Trabb
now refers to Pip as "sir" and Pip gets more and more puffed up the longer he is in the
tailor shop. Trabb also brings out more and more expensive fabric, and Pip chooses the
most expensive cloth for his suit. This is actually step one in Pip's rise to snobbery
on the way to his "great expectations."
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