The Importance of Mrs. Joe in Great ExpectationsThe Importance of Mrs. Joe in Great Expectations has two main parts: character meaning and character symbolism. The importance of Mrs. Joe is to complete the figure of Joe. The symbolism of Mrs. Joe is the physical manifestation of Joe's fears, in combination with his desire for an imposing father figure. Joe's reign of terror is obviously necessary to his existence. At the beginning of Great Expectations, Joe must be identified as a major character. Without the weakness that Mrs. Joe instills in Joe through her reign of terror, Joe is never able to develop his own character. Joe is identified as a compassionate and sensitive character; The most direct way to display this feature is to make the character appear vulnerable. Mrs. Joe is the tyrant against whom Joe is rendered helpless. Joe, unless he is a frightened character, does not recognize the friend he has in Pip. Without Joe as a major role in Pip's life, Pip also seems very incomplete. Joe also serves as a comedic interlude to an otherwise dark story. When she had exhausted a torrent of such questions, she threw a candlestick at Joe, burst into loud sobs, took out the dustpan - which was always a very bad sign - - put on her heavy apron and began to clean to an appalling extent. Not satisfied with dry cleaning, she took a bucket and scrub brush and cleaned us house and hearth, (author's last name and page number). Truly, a fearful creature is one that can destroy a house, cleaning up when anger assail it. Comedy also has a serious side, as we remember our mothers taking out their great frustrations on household chores of cleanliness. Thus, Mrs. Joe serves well as a mother to Pip. Besides the age difference and Pip and Joe's maternal housekeeping duties, the attitude of a dismissive mother is also apparent. This, of course, brings Joe even closer to Pip, in relation. Mrs. Joe serves as a link to allow Joe to appear as Pip's father. Additionally, Joe, although terrified of Mrs. Joe, is a very honorable man and would never consider divorcing her. Joe chooses to preserve the holy matrimony rather than seek its solace.