“This was so much her normal state, that Joe and I would often, for weeks together, be, as to our fingers, like monumental Crusaders as to their legs” (24).
The Crusaders were men who tried to recover the Holy Lands of Israel from the infidels of the region. When statues of the Crusaders were made, their legs were crossed to show that they had been in the war. By likening Joe and Pip to the Crusaders, who were known for their piety, Dickens brings religion into the novel, which was very important to many people during the time that Great Expectations was published and most popular.
Works Cited: "Great Expectations Chapter IV." ENotes. 14 Dec. 2008. http://www.enotes.com/expectations-text/chapter-iv.
Photo Credit: http://www.totalwar.org.pl/gallery/Crusaders%20-07.jpg
Remember also that the Crusaders were driven by a particular ambition and it ultimately led to their collapse. Only those wise enough to recognize the folly of their efforts survived. How might this fit with the characters of G.E.?
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