A sort of Hercules in strength, and also in weakness.

– Charles Dickens

Great Expectations, Chapter 2. Joe Gargery is portrayed by Pip as a kind of gentle giant. He has the physical toughness of a blacksmith, but also possesses a gentle nature. Pip’s description tells us how much he idolized Joe as a boy and looked on him as a father figure. At the beginning of this quote he tells us: “He was a mild, good-natured, sweet-tempered, easy-going, foolish, dear fellow.”