Thoughts on Reading

I enjoyed the overall story of the novel, just as a reading and not looking into every little detail. I mean by this that on my own I would have read this book for fun and liked the impact the story had on me. I admired all of the turns, twists, and mysteries throughout the book. I also feel like the characters were all developed very well, and all had their own very distinct characteristics that made them feel more real than just a character in the book. One of my favorite characters is Abel Magwitch, because I love his unselfishness, courage, and contentness with the life he has. The settings had a weaker effect on me, excluding the Satis house. Most of the settings didn't create a picture in my mind and I couldn't remember what the descriptions of most of them were while I was reading. The writing got easier to understand with everydays reading.

I honestly can say I did enjoy Dickens as an author. I like the old-style writings and him actually living in those times made it sound more realistic than someone trying to sound like they grew up speaking/writing like that. I didn't really sympathize Pip, because he had lots of really good friends, nice comfortable places to live(excluding the Tickler which most kids get a spanking every now then;)), and pretty much got all he aspired for in life. I did however sympathize Estella. She was grown to have a cold heart(not her fault), never knew her real parents, gave up her chance at love because of that, married someone who beat her, and really had nothing good happen to her except being blessed to be beautiful. The only mystery I solved without being told or looking was Pip's benefactor. I pretty much figured it out when the mysterious guy with the file gave Pip the two pounds when he as a kid. I didn't know any of the others until they were unfolded.

I did read the entire book, I finished it the day we were supposed to on the bookmark. I read the assigment on the bookmark every day on the day it was meant to be read, usually right when I got home from school/drill practice. At first I would try to skim pages that didn't seem that important, but obviously that didn't work since there are important things on every page, so I stopped after the first three days. I tried to read before it got too late, because when I get tired the reading makes me more tired and it takes me a long time to read one page, and I often forget what I read. I read either on the couch, or at the island in my kitchen. The assignments were kinda lengthy for me, and I usually forgot some things even if I read it at 5:00. I'm glad I read everynight and not skipping a few days, because I think that would've stressed me out more and had a bad effect on my overall comprehension of the novel. In conclusion to this, my overall comprehension was probably the highest it could have been for me.

*The "I" at the beginnging of my last paragraph is for some reason floating next to my second paragraph instead of where it should be, and I couldn't figure out how to fix it. Please excuse that.

Photo Post

One of the many important concepts in the first two stages of Great Expectations is Pip trying to figure out who he is and where he belongs. He starts off wanting to be apprenticed to Joe and becoming a blacksmith. Then he meets Estella and starts to question himself, for his love for her and the want to impress her encourages him to become a gentleman. Miss Havisham pays for his apprenticeship which should have made him happy, if he was who he used to be. "'I am not at all happy as I am. I am disgusted with my calling and my life.'"(128) He then in the second stage gets what he wants and does become a gentleman, but finds himself missing the life he had. This picture shows Pip(the boy) looking at his choices of who he wants to be; who he already is, or something more(the two different images in the mirror).

Making Connections

A book that is similar to Great Expectations is To Kill a Mockingbird. There are similar themes and motifs in both books. Both books have the motif of mystery, and both have the theme of growing up. Pip and Scout have different life styles and the plots are not similar at all! But they have similar meanings and Pip and Scout learn a few of the same lessons.

The motif of mystery is strong in both books. Some examples in Great Expectations are the question of Pip's benefactor, who hurt Mrs. Joe, the spirit in Estella, and more. A few from To Kill a Mockingbird are Boo Radley and his family, Mayella and her family, Dill's parents, and Scout and Jems mom. The mystery's in the books are not the same and have different feelings, but the motif is the same throughout the book.

The theme of growing up is also a big thing in both of these books. Pip and Scouts lives are pulled out throughout the books, but Pip does grow up more in age. They both learn things too much for them at their age, but handle everything very well. Pip goes through helping an escaped convict at a young age, having to go play at a creepy old ladies house and falling in love with her adopted daughter before the age of 18, and having to leave his family completely around the age of 18. Scout goes through bullying from her fellow classmates because of her dad defending a black man, a rape trial, and being attacked by a drunk man.
 This picture shows the growing up that was forced upon Scout in the rape trial.

One last similar thing is that Pip was to grow up to be a gentleman, and Scout to be a lady. There was a difference in the fact that Pip wanted to be a gentleman and his family didn't, and Scout didn't want to be a lady but eveyone else wanted her to. The both had the expectations of it though. These two books are very different in some ways, but in the themes and motifs I talked of they are the same.

Second Stage

One of the many new characters in the second stage is Mr. Wemmick. He is one of the first people Pip meets in London, and is a colleague of Mr. Jaggers. Mr. Wemmick and Mr. Jaggers work as defensive attorneys, for people who are shady and don't have the best qualities or morals. When Pip goes to Mr. Wemmicks' castle with him, he washes his hands and says that he is washing away all the guilt from his job. He also doesn't mix his work like with his home life.

Mr. Wemmick washing his hands for the symbolic way of washing away the guilt from his job shows that he doesn't agree with his job, but it's what he does. This shows the motif of shame and guilt. He feels guilty about helping the bad guys, and him washing his hands shows his shame. Something that happened in the first stage similar to this was when Pip stole food and the file and gave it to the escaped convict. He felt guilty for stealing and helping a bad guy, and his shame showed when he never told anyone because he didn't want Joe thinking less of him, because he knew it was a shameful thing to do.

Pip's Quote

In this quote Pip is referring to that in your life, the good and bad things that happen because of one thing happening on a different memorable day in your life. This day has altered him in a way that he finally realizes that everything happens for a reason, and there is always more coming up around the corner. Pip is older in age and maturatiy in chapters 10-16 in contrast to chapters 1-9. Some of the changes are positive, since now he has a want to learn and do something with his life that he really wants. There are some negative changes though, because now he's losing some of his innocense of a child and happiness with who you are. Before he didn't care if he was common, but now because of Estella all he wants is to be uncommon. But he is wanting knowledge now and to be a gentleman, which is good.
A memorable day that began my chain was when I moved in 5th grade to the house I live in now. I didn't move far at all, but I know that things would be different if I hadn't of moved. For instance one of my good friends Shelby lives across the street from me know, and whenever there's no school or something I can just walk over there instead of needing to wait for a ride. It's possible that if I hadn't of moved we might have not been as good of friends in middle school. A lot of my character was helped shaped by Shelby, and our parents becoming good friends when we moved to the neighborhood. I know that little things in my character would be different if that day hadn't of happened.