GENERAL
1. Briefly summarize the plot of
the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose
(based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
The story begins
with Pip, a young orphan living with his sister and her husband in Kent,
sitting in a cemetery looking at his parents’ tombstones. A convict jumps up
from behind a tombstone, grabs Pip, and orders him to bring him some food and a
file to break his chains. Pip obeys. The convict is soon captured and during
the capture the convict claims to have stolen the items himself, protecting
Pip.
Pip
is taken by his Uncle Pumblechook to the Satis House, home to Miss Havisham.
During the visit Pip meets a beautiful young girl named Estella, who only
treats him coldly. Pip falls in love with her anyway and dreams of becoming a
gentleman and winning her heart. Pip’s hopes are eventually dashed after Miss
Havishman decides to help him become a laborer in his family’s business.
Under
Miss Havisham’s guidance, Pip is apprenticed to his brother-in-law, the village
blacksmith. Pip works unhappily in the forge while trying to get an education
with the help of Biddy and Orlick. One night Mrs. Joe, Pip’s sister, is
attacked. Pip suspects that Orlick is responsible for the attack. One day a
lawyer arrives with the news that
a secret benefactor has given Pip a large fortune and Pip must come to London
to begin his education as a gentleman. Pip assumes that Miss Havisham is his
secret benefactor and she intends for him to marry Estella.
In
London, Pip befriends Herbert Pocket and Wemmick. Pip expresses his disdain for
his former friends and loved ones but continues to pine after Estella. Pip
learns under Matthew Pocket, Herbert’s father, and learns edict from Herbert. Pip
and Herbert live a fairly undisciplined life in London. Orlick arrives in
London as Miss Havisham’s porter but is quickly fired when Pip reveals Orlick’s
past. Mrs Joe dies and Pip goes home for the funeral. Several years pass and
the convict reappears randomly. The convict, named Magwitch, turns out to be
the secret benefactor, not Miss Havisham. He reveals that he was touched by
Pip’s boyhood kindness and dedicated his life in Australia to making a fortune
so that Pip can become a gentleman.
Pip
feels morally bound to help Magwitch escape the police and his former partner
in crime, Compeyson. A mystery begins to evolve as Pip discovers that Compeyson
abandoned Miss Havisham at the alter and Estella is Magwitch’s daughter. As
revenge for Compeyson’s actions Miss Havisham raised Estella with a special
talent for breaking men’s hearts.
Before
Magwitch’s escape attempt, Estella marries an upper-class man named Bentley
Drummle. Pip visites the Satis House once again, where Miss Havisham begs for
his forgiveness. Miss Havisham’s clothing catches fire later that day, she
survives but becomes an invalid. Pip is called to the marshes near Kent where
he meets Orlick once again. Orlick nearly kills Pip when his life is saved by
Herbert. Pip and Herbert attempt to sneak Magwitch down the river but are
discovered by the police. Compeyson, who tipped the police off, fights Magwitch
and Compeyson drowns.Magwitch is sentenced to death, Pip looses his fortune and
falls ill, Joe comes to London to care for Pip, Orlick is sent to jail, Miss
Havisham dies and leaves her fortune to the Pockets.Pip goes with Herbert
abroad to work in the mercantile trade. After many Pip returns and encounters
Estella in the ruined garden of the Satis House. Pip finds that Estella’s
husband treated her badly (he is dead) and her coldness has been replaced with
kindness. The two leave the garden hand in hand.
2. Succinctly describe the theme of
the novel. Avoid cliches.
The theme of Great Expectations is Ambition and Self-Improvement. That
affection, loyalty, and conscience are more important than wealth or class.
3. Describe the author's tone.
Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
Charles Dickens tone in Great Expectations is somewhat
reminiscent of a diary or journal. Basically a reflective, remorseful story of
Pip’s life. Like that of an old man reflecting on his childhood.
4. Describe a minimum of ten
literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding
of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For
each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your
readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
· Point of view – “My father’s family name being Pirrip,
and my Christian name Philip, I called myself Pip…” (pg 1) Pip establishes
himself as the narrator and helps the audience to understand the tone.
· Tone – “At such a time I found out for certain, that
this bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard…” (pg 1) This
establishes the early bleak tone and though it changes throughout the novel
this is a good example.
· Characterization – “She seemed much older than I, of
course being a girl, and beautiful and self-possessed; and she was as scornful
of me as if she had been one-and-twenty, and a queen.” (pg 46) All the
characterizations that occur in the novel are the opinions of Pip helping to
add to the novel’s overall tone.
· Setting – “I strolled into the garden and strolled all
over it. It was quite a wilderness, and there were old melon-frames and
cucumber-frames in it, which seemed in their decline to have produced
spontaneous growth of weak attempts…” (pg 77) Dickens uses the settings to add
to the overall tone of passages, this one for example adds to the dispair of
the Satis House.
· Symbolism – “…was brought here. It and I have worn away
together.” (pg 76) Here Miss Hayisham refers to the cake as being her in rather
blatant symbolism.
· Foreshadowing – “Well? You can break his heart.” (pg 50)
This is a taste of the character of Miss Havisham and her story. Also it
foreshadows Estella’s character and actions as well.
· Irony – “’There's Matthew!’ said
Camilla, ‘Never mixing with any natural ties, never coming here to see how Miss
Havisham is!’” (pg 75) This is ironic because Matthew is one of the only people
who truly care for Miss Havisham and not her money.
· Antithesis – “So new to him; so old to me; so strange to him;
so familiar to me.” (pg 47) This
is used to highlight the differences between the old Miss Havisham and the
young Pip.
· Allusion – “When will you come to
London?” (pg 122) London referenced many times in the narrative as it is in
many other works.
· Simile – “He looked in my young eyes as
if he were eluding the hands of the dead people…” (pg 5) Dickens uses similes
to add to the descriptive nature of the novel.
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct
characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does
the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting
impression of the character as a result)?
Direct
“A fearful man, all in coarse grey,
with a great iron on his leg.” (pg 1)
“Though she called me ‘boy’ so
often, she was of about my own age.” (pg 49)
Indirect
“Well? You can break his heart.”
(pg 50)
“’I do not,’ returned Miss
Havisham, ‘I am yellow skin and bone’” (pg 73)
It would appear that Dickens uses
direct to paint a picture of the character’s physical appearance and then use
indirect to show how the characters act and the measure of their character.
2. Does the author's syntax and/or
diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
The authors syntax and diction
become more descriptive when describing characters. The novel seems to be based
around getting to know the characters and forming attachments to them and
Dickens does a really good job introducing you to them.
3. Is the protagonist static or
dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
The protagonist, Pip, is defiantly
dynamic and round. He is dynamic because his views change many times throughout
the novel and it is especially obvious because the narration changes with him.
Pip is round because he has all the characteristics you expect from a person,
not just one or two.
4. After reading the book did you
come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze
one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
I feel like I’ve met an actual
person, which is a first from the books I have had to read in my Literature
class. Pip is an actual person relaying his memoirs to me and the rest of the
audience.
“…I call myself Pip…” (pg 1)
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