9. Great Expectations (pg. 60)

9. Great Expectations (pg. 60): “He calls the Knaves, Jacks, this boy!”:
Knaves is another word for Jacks. Estella and Pip are playing a card game. In a deck cards, the “jack” is one of the face cards that has a picture of a young man who is either a soldier or a servant. A Jack was called a knave until the mid-1500s and referred to “a male servant to royalty.” A card game in the 17th century that was popular in pubs led to the use of the word Jack for Knave as the popularity of the game increased. Estella would have considered the use of the word “Jack” crude because it was a slang word that the lower classes used and had not yet been adopted by the educated or upper class. With this quote, Dickens is highlighting the class difference and social standing between Estella and Pip.

“The Jack and the Knave.” Bicycle. 2009. 26 December 2009. http://www.bicyclecards.com/pages/the_jack_and_the_knave/39.php

“knave.” Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 27 December 2009. Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/knave.

Davis, Os. “Playing Cards: Their meanings, symbology, and history.” Live Casino Direct. 19 October 2009. 26 December 2009. http://www.livecasinodirect.com/casino-view/playing-cards-history-meaning/