Name Game

Has anyone else thought that the names really fit the characters for the most part?  Literally just hearing the names of the characters, you could probably describe what they are.  For example, Magwitch.  That sounds dirty and rough, which our intial impression of him.  Estella, that just sounds stuck up! Mrs. Havisham sounds like a scary old lady that any young child, or older person for that matter, would be creeped out by.  Pumblechook makes me think of bumble, which makes me think of an idiot, which is what he is.  Any other names that fit the character you can think of?

Confusion...

So I understood the vast majority of the book. Even through  all of the ridiculously difficult language, I was able to grasp most of what was going on. However, near the end, there was the whole thing with someone watching them, and they had the boat to escape, but they needed a sign before escaping... That I didn't understand. And was Provis the same person as Magwitch? Help?

WHAT?!

So I was all excited when Pip realized that he liked Biddy! And he was going off to go find her, but where was she? Coming out of the freaking church married to Joe!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?! I thought that Biddy was supposed to marry Pip! It makes the most sense too! They would have been together in the beginning if he hadn't become infatuated with Estella, so I thought that was going to be the final resolution in the end. But NOOOOOOO! She had to get married to Joe! And good for Joe, he really deserves someone as great as her, but it just really threw me off. Was I alone here in thinking that they were supposed to be together?

Biddy's Love Advice

"'Because, if it is to spite her,' Biddy pursued, 'I should think--but you know best--that might be better and more independently done by caring nothing for her words. And if it is to gain her over, I should think--but you know best--she was not worth gaining over.'"

So, besides that fact that I'm DEFINITELY using this for my passage, I thought that it was a really cool quote. I think that it plays a lot into today's society as well. Biddy's telling Pip that if she's not happy with Pip and if he has to change in order to win her over, then she's not worth the time or effort. I think that's a really cool message that we should listen to today. It also describes how if someone's insulting you, don't take it to heart. Just block them out because you should be happy with what you have been given.

Original vs. Revised Ending

*SPOILER ALERT* This might give away some details of the ending!

The revised ending was indeed written by Charles Dickens, and it's the one featured first. It was suggested by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, the man who came up with that terrible first line: "It was a dark and stormy night." He also said, "the pen is mightier than the sword." 

If you haven't read the original ending, it in our copy of the book but comes after the story is finished. I read it (it's only a page and a half) and I actually like it better. Though the revised ending is happier for Pip, I think the original fits better with Estella's characterization. Also, I feel like the knot has been tied between Pip and Estella (ending their story) in the original ending, whereas the revised one suggests that the knot will literally be tied (they will be married). Abuse does change a person, and it's interesting to think that Estella is now broken, but she isn't a normal human, so I think the original is more fitting. Thoughts?

Tears for Magwitch

*SPOILER ALERT* IF YOU AREN'T DONE WITH THE BOOK, DON'T READ THIS!!!

Alright, I'll admit it. I teared up a little when Magwitch died.

Ever since he reentered Pip's life, he has been the most wonderful person and I just loved him. It irritated me greatly when Pip was repulsed by the man, and Pip only realized how much he cared for the ex-convict when the man was on trial. Magwitch himself even said it:

"And what's the best of all," he said, "you have been more comfortable alonger me since I was under a dark cloud than when the sun shone. That's best of all." (pg. 428)

At the same time, I understood Pip's sentiment about wishing Magwitch would die. The alternate would have been surely worse. In any case, Pip finally did the right thing when he spoke about Estella to Magwitch. His love for Estella finally proved to be helpful...

Zealous

zeal-ous [zel-hus]
adjective
full of, characterized by, or due to zeal; ardently active, devoted, or diligent.

In case you have forgotten, zealous was one of the many vocab words we sadly had to be tested on. And guess what? It was in the book! Granted, you all probably have already read it because I am 95% positive that I am further behind in the book than everyone else (Sorry, Mr. Halley! I'm trying!). Anyway, I stumbled upon this word in the beginning of Chapter 24.
Is it just me, or does anyone else get really excited when a vocab word shows up? Because for some reason it makes reading Great Expectations a little bit worth it. Is that just the nerd in me coming out?

Side note, my favorite word is amiable for a couple reasons...

• My name is Amy. AMY-able. Ya know.
• According to Dictionary.com, it's definition is, "having or showing pleasant, good-natured personal qulaities"
• So by association, I have pleasant and good-natured personal qualities. Obviously.

London

On the first page of chapter 21 Pip is conversing with Mr. Wemmick (who at the moment I cannot remember his significance). They're talking about London and how Pip is new and blah blah blah. All of a sudden, Mr. Wemmick says,

"You may get cheated, robbed, and murdered in London. But there are plenty of people anywhere who'll do that for you."

Okay, well. That quote kind of just stuck in my mind and freaked me out a bit. Why does Mr. Wemmick even need to mention that? I thoroughly doubt Pip is going to be cheated, robbed, or murdered, so...

Tears

"Heaven knows we need never be ashamed of our tears, for they are rain upon the blinding dust of earth, overlying our hard hearts."

I just really, really like this quote. Your thoughts?

What is Love?

Pip repeatedly assures the reader that he loves Estella, but he also says this:

"And still I stood looking at the house, thinking how happy I should be if I lived there with her, and knowing that I never was happy with her, but always miserable." (pg. 252) 
*I want to call dibs on this for my passage(s)!

This is such a thought-provoking quote. How can Pip have such conflicting feelings for this wretched girl? He loves her so passionately, but she constantly makes him feel bad about himself. Perhaps it is because he is conscious of how easily she could break his heart but she chooses not to; rather, she feels nothing for him, and it is because of her free will that he is still allowed to express his unrequited affections.

If I were to put their relationship into a modern-day scenario, I would describe Estella as a celebrity and Pip as the president of her fan club. When he has the chance to meet her, he is in awe of her stardom. Basically, he is in love with the image of her, but not necessarily her personality.

Still, this analogy is flawed. All we know of Estella is that she is nasty, because she was raised to be nasty to men, but there has to be more to her nature. She's a Dickens' character after all; they have multiple layers. Also, Pip is more than just her #1 fan. There's more affection than that. It's too complicated to understand, especially for someone like myself, who hasn't experienced the kind of love Pip has for Estella.

What is love, anyway? A dictionary definition would read something like: a deep affection for someone or something. In the case of Pip, there would be a mention about passion, but I still don't feel as if my question has been answered. I've read it described as an intense and intimate connection, where the person in love would do anything for the other.

So then what makes a person love another? The ideal answer would be the loved person's personality. Yet even Pip will agree that Estella isn't the nicest person. Is it physical attractiveness? I would hope people are not that shallow. What is it that is driving Pip to the brink?'

Maybe my musings are singular** in nature, but if you also wonder about this, share your comments!


**This word is also used a lot in GE, proof the Pip is infiltrating my vocab!

To Be Great (is to Be Misunderstood)

What does it mean for something to be great?

You're probably reading this right now and wondering how stupid I truly am, but I've been thinking about this word a lot as I read the book, and I think we really have to understand multiple definitions if we want to apply our knowledge to the first word in the title. So take a look at this picture below:

As you can see, there are multiple definitions given by the Free Online Dictionary. #6 and #14 are our most common uses for the word, yet I don't think Dickens thinks of the word in that sense. For example, Pip describes his guardian (Mr. Jaggers) as being a man of greatness, yet Pip is completely frightened by him, and I don't personally believe Jaggers is a nice guy. 

So what is it about this word that gives it an altogether different meaning in the time period and society Great Expectations takes place in. Why is the word 'Great' there? I think the word might have something to do with loftiness. My translation of "Great Expectations" in our English would read: Pip is expected to become a gentleman, but in doing so, he loses his very nature and emerges as a lofty person. 

What do you think this word "great" has to do with the story as a whole?

On a side note, the title of this post is a reference to a remark of Ralph Waldo Emerson. The quote is also food for thought...

Introducing Characters

I really like how Dickens introduces reoccurring characters beforehand. The convict is a prime example. He is briefly introduced in the beginning and will take a greater role later on in the story. Herbert Pocket and Mr. Jaggers were also presented to the readers before they became major characters. This piques the curiosity of the reader and gives an outline of certain characters before they become colored by Pip's thoughts. It also makes the reader feel closer to Pip, because all the significant instances in his life are related to us (sometimes too many of them!).

It kind of irritates me when the protagonist meets up with someone they knew before their story was written. Even if the detailed background is narrated by the protagonist, it makes me feel like this new character is disconnected with me. Maybe I'm totally crazy but I feel like the protagonist is hiding information from me, and I don't trust them anymore. Am I the only one who gets so attached to characters?

Thoughts on Pumblechook

What a twerp.  Pumblechook is taking all of the credit for Pip's new high class level.  I don't feel bad for Pip, however.  He is just greedy and obnoxious at this point.  I think that the convict actually is a good person and even though he shouldn't get credit, Pumplechook shouldn't be stealing the spotlight. Grrr. Not a fan of this greedy man.

Is it bad that I don't feel sorry for her?

Okay, is it horrible that I honestly don't feel sorry for Mrs. Joe at all?  She is mean and nasty and I am not a fan.  I don't feel sorry that she is brain damaged and beaten.  I think she is a brutal person personality wise and it doesn't really bother me that she was brutally beaten.  That's not true, I don't think it was right that she was beaten by a man, but I don't like her.

Who is the benefactor?

Pip seems so sure that Ms. Havisham is the anonymous benefactor giving him the funds to be a gentleman.  I am not so convinced. I don't now why, but I have a feeling it has something to do with that reoccurring convict.  The murder that they were discussing at the pub makes me think that convict got money from killing someone and he is giving the money to Pip.  I think he wants to get rid of the money to ensure there is no evidence against him.  This way Pip will get the blame.

Pip and Estellla

Have you noticed how often Pip is concerned with what Estella thinks about him.  This kind of makes me mad!  Why would would "love" someone that you think is constantly judging you.  Maybe he likes her tough girl edge or something.  I wouldn't want to be in a relationship like that.  Even if I could become a higher class citizen.  What do you think about their toxic relationship?

The Reoccuring Convict

Who is this man that Pip "helped" at the beginning of the book.  He keeps being brought back into the and I am curious as to why.  Do you think that he is going to get Pip into trouble, or possibly help him?  I don't knw why but I have the image of the ghostly man from the Polar Express in my mind when I imagine him.  What do you think this man's significance is?   If you already read it don't spoil it (cough cough Shruthi).

What the title means

Well thanks to lots of brainstorming sparked by each others ideas, we think we figured out the title.  Great Expectations refers to the great expectations that Pip's elders have for him.  He gets so involved in the expectations of being high in society and being successful that he loses his integrity.  He starts out as a great (yet naive) kid, and then, due greed of high class, he becomes shallow and unsatisfied with himself.  Any additional ideas.

Mr. Joe Gargery

I rather like the relationship between Pip and Joe. What made me come to this revelation after reading pages 43-44 where Joe is telling Pip about how he wanted Pip's sister to raise Pip. "There's room for him in the forge", this quote is from that section as well. Joe is telling Pip how he wanted to be a part of his life. I thought this entire conversation was awesome and it made me so happy because someone cares about Pip who isn't a creepy lady.

How I feel in pictures:

Comparison with Persepolis

Pip is kind of reminding me of Marjane. He is becoming more shallow in a way and I think it's because he is naive. Marji wants to be thought of as royalty because of her grandfather and Pip wants to be accepted into a higher social class with the Havishams.

Who is this kid?

When Pip returns to the Havisham house, he encounters this kid that picks a fight with him.  I'm confused on why they were fighting.  Also, Pip is worried that Estella looks down on him, but why did she let him kiss her on the cheek?  Help clear up these grey areas please :)

Five-and-Twenty Pound

In Ch. 13, the characters spend quite a few moments exclaiming over this "large" sum. It's pretty much an old-style version of "Holy Smokes! 25 stinkin' pounds!" if you haven't read it (pg. 96)

While reading this scintillating  (note the sarcasm) section, I couldn't help remember that when I was in London nearly three years ago, 25 pounds was enough for a high-class meal for one. The admission fee for Madame Tussaud's London Wax Museum was more than 25 pounds. Needless to say, this amount is very different in our world. Yet I went to London when the economy was at its lowest point, thus making everything in London more expensive for us.  

My question is, how much do you think 25 pounds really is in this world (converting it to our own equivalent)? It's definitely worth more in this 1800s time period, but today 25 pounds does have some substantial weight. 

Blog Background

I know we were discussing a change to a "Great Expectations-themed" blog, just so it related to our book. I liked the old background, but it also had a TV on it, which is not historically accurate, since this book seems to take place sometime during the early 1800s. So I took one of the pictures from the movie, and I like the eerie feeling it has. Can you guess which are the three characters depicted? You can probably get all of them and then some, due to some previous posts...

The Picture in my Head

In response to Amy, this is how I imagine where Pip is.  Does anyone see something else?

Book vs. Movie Depictions

According to the Masterpiece version of Great Expectations (by PBS) this is what some of the characters currently look like:

Pip (young)

Mrs. Joe Gargery

Joe Gargery

For images of Miss Havisham and Estella, see the post: "Pompous Little Brat and Creepy Spinster"

What are your opinions on the characters' depictions in the movie? Do you think they look like this? If you have some thoughts, leave them in the comments section.

P.S. For your viewing enjoyment, here is what Pip is supposed to look like when he grows up :)

Pip (older)

Anyone want to see the movie after we finish the book? :)

Pompous Little Brat and Creepy Spinster

My heart really goes out to Pip. On top of his home issues and strange convicts he now has to deal with Miss Havisham and Estella. Estella is arrogant and thinks herself so much better than the "commoner" that Pip is. Yet is she really better than Pip? Even if we assume she is related to Miss Havisham, she is still not a member of the aristocracy, and somehow I get the feeling that she is not as privileged as she has made herself out to be. She is as rude as they come and I want to smack her across the head. I felt like crying when Pip started to weep!

Miss Havisham seems like a total creeper. Why does she want to watch them play? Does she enjoy watching Estella belittle Pip? She is so sick. I just imagine her saying "I want to watch you play" and I get freaked out. I wonder if she's a child predator. She does have that whole thing with broken hearts, though, and she's still wearing her wedding gown. Does she want Pip to care about Estella, even though the brat shoots him down all the time? It's a messed up situation.

The pompous little brat (from Great Expectations: Masterpiece)

The creepy spinster (from Great Expectations: Masterpiece)

"Why is it that the young are never grateful?"

Mrs. Hubble, page 23

This question really got me thinking. Although she's talking about Pip not being grateful that his sister 'brought him up by hand', I feel like it can be taken into the context of today. I feel like a lot of adults, young or old, don't particularly enjoy today's youth, that we are ungrateful, trouble, and a whole lot of other negative things. Personally, though, I think that a majority of our generation is rather wonderful and deserve some recognition, and since the quote that started this rant is about youth being ungrateful, I decided I'd share what I'm grateful for at the ripe age of sixteen.

-The luxury of having three meals a day.

-A family that loves me unconditionally.

-An education.

-Friends that will always be there for me.

-Living in "the land of the free".

-My iPhone.

Where in the world is Pip?

So I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but where is Great Expectations taking place? I feel like both the creepy men have had strange dialects ("Who d'ye live with- supposin' ye're kindly let to live, which I han't made up my mind about?") Also, it's rather distracting to me for two reasons:
-It's a little harder to grasp what they're saying because they're talking in a different way than I'm used to.
-It reminds me a lot of the way Hagrid speaks in Harry Potter. Which causes my mind to drift to Harry Potter and then I have to reread.

Side Note: The title to this post refers to "Where in the world is Carmen San Diego", in case you were curious.

Mrs. Joe Gargery

To put it bluntly: What's her problem? Her only biological relative is Pip, but she's terrible to him. I'm surprised Dickens didn't make her into the archetype step-sister, but maybe he wished to show that blood relatives can be just as bad. She really irritates me; I find her thoughts to be petty and shallow. I think what cinches the nature of the sibling relationship is the fact that Pip thinks of her as "Mrs. Joe Gargery." It shows how much he fears her, and it also annoys me that the woman automatically assumes the name (and possibly the identity, though not in this case) of her husband. Anyway, everything about Mrs. Joe Gargery rubs me the wrong way. Bleh!

Creepy Convict

I'm unsure of the purpose of the scary old man at the beginning of the book.  I wonder if he will be important later on.  Do you think that Pip will actually bring the man what he promised he would? I feel like the fear the man envokes is empty, as in he isn't really dangerous, but he knows a young boy like Pip is easy to take advantage of.

How sad is it that he refers to his parents as the name on their tomb stones.  Can you imagine growing up never knowing anything about your parents besides what you assume based on their grave.