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.
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.
@Sam: It's an interesting point you bring up. I wondered about that as well. I don't know how far you've read but I just finished Chapter 5 and I think there's something off with this man. There's another convict he has a problem with, and in Chapter 5, he's caught in a strange position with that aforementioned escaped prisoner. He gives me the chills and at the same time, I don't know how much he's just saying. How can he know that Pip will actually bring him the food? Still, whatever type of person he is, he gives me the creeps!
ReplyDelete@Sam: I also find it sad that his life is so miserable. Unlike some other Dickens characters, Pip appealed to me right away in the first paragraph as he described what a mouthful "Philip Pirrip" is (I tried saying it out loud and it is really hard to say it fast!). I definitely felt pity for him when he called his mother "Also Georgina". He definitely garners sympathy out of us with his sad life, and like many other of Dickens' characters, he seems to have terrible luck. Great Expectations is already living up to my expectations, even if the writing is slightly different.
ReplyDeleteThe writing is a little tought to get through! I think the convict is really odd as well. Not only is he creepy, it is almost hard to understand what his motives are. Why did he take, dare I say, a liking to Pip? Maybe he had children of his own? Maybe he is just extremely creepy?
ReplyDeleteIt is really hard to understand his motives, especially because he hasn't really popped back up yet. I have a feeling that there must be more to him, since he was right at the beginning. Maybe he isn't just a creeper He does have an antagonist, and Pip does refer to him as "my convict", so maybe he'll also be some sort of good guy.
ReplyDeleteI think it was really interesting for Dickens to show how Pip tries to infer what his parents were like from their tombstone. I can't imagine having grown up without my parents, so it really makes me feel bad for Pip. Dickens probably put this in the book just to show how innocent and naive Pip is, at least in his childhood.
ReplyDelete