it's a process

The now famous Mr. Pip (at least in room 1130) is under intense speculation these days.  No, he is not always the most admirable bloke you would ever read about, but it's not entirely fair to accuse him of the human nature we all possess.  His fixation on self-improvement so as to rise in social status in itself is not something he can be reasonably be blamed for.  But the misconceptions he will claim following from this are more likely to be looked down upon. Success is not a bad thing to want, but when it goes so far as to skew our perception of reality, mistakes are made and only life can possibly make clear the distorted obsessions of years gone by.  I'm sure we are all guilty of it in some way or another;  of letting our desire for something completely take over what we may have once thought to be important.  It easily throws off the balance, and like Pip, we often times cannot see the bigger picture until life is lived and experience is had.  Pip's fanciful ideas about the upper class enable him to think that this is where lies all he could ever hope for, and that the world of money and sophistication are the needed ingredients for a purposeful existence. I give him the benefit of the doubt in that while it takes him some time to understand the errors of his previous notions, he does come to realize that the character of people does not lie in their profession or the size of their estate. Human identity comes from within.  Some internalize this early on, while others have to first endure a process of development, and then there are those who never figure it out.  So kudos to Pip for at least having the sense to take a hint after a while.  It's more than can be said of some. 

for our continued intelligence...

accoucheur- a male midwife

mangle (n.)- a machine for smoothing and pressing clothes, household linens, etc.

etymology- study of the sources and development of words

contumacious- willfully and obstinately disobedient 

connubial- of or relating to marriage

ablution- washing or cleansing of the body

rimy- a coating likened to a frosty film