Pip's sister, Mrs. Joe, has been aggressive throughout her marriage with Joe. She has literally been raising Pip "by hand". In a sense she has also been raising Joe "by hand" since Joe is similar to a child in the way he reacts and responds to his wife. So Mrs. Joe has proclaimed her self the alpha-male in the group. She is the one with all the control and respect from the neighbors. So when Joe does not respond to her she becomes angry and in order to get what she wants and to show that she is the leader in their "pack" she takes Joe's head and bangs it against the wall as punishment, showing that she is the alpha. While this goes on Pip is looking guiltily on in the corner because Joe is getting punished for something Pip has done. So he feels like he should be taking the punishment. Instead Joe steps in for him and covers for him. Joe does this because Pip is his friends and because I think he is used to it. When he was a child his father used to beat him just like his wife is doing now. So I think that these beatings don't really hurt Joe too much since he has endured beatings like these his whole life. He is trying to save Pip from a childhood like his.
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Confirming jack's statement, Mrs. Joe treats pip and Joe like little kids. Joe gets caught up in this whole thing with pip because this was how pip was brought up and since he is used to the abuse and childish treatment he takes a lot of it for pip so he doesn't end up like he did. "Joe had been put upon the kitchen door step to keep him out of the dust pan." Mrs. Joe does this because she treats him like a little kid and because she is having company over and is embarrassed to be associated with Joe so she keeps him away so they wont see him and if they do they will know that she superior to him
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