Survey

I did the survey :) I don't know if you got the results or not. :)
Thanks

  

How many animals can you find? 

MYSTERY! This picture is full of hidden animals, but you just have to look closely at every little detail.  In Great Expectations there is a lot of those "little details" that tie into the novel.  A lot of the mysteries you have to look closely at before you can solve them.  From the very beginning of the novel to this point, there were always mysteries that streamlined all the events.  Who Estella's parents are?  Or who Pip's benefactor was? Or even, how did becoming a gentleman help Pip?  All these questions were there, but slowly they were answered.  That is why I like about reading this book, everything gets solved in the end. 

    

Nemo Lovers!

Great Expectations is all about a little boy named Pip who has a big dream to rise in society to become a gentleman.  Charles Dickens works through Pip's eyes, and shows through each chapter the difficulties of growing up.  When he eventually gets his "expectations" they don't seem as significant and wonderful as he had imagined.  It seems as a reader, that he had everything he wanted as a blacksmith right in front of him. He just didn't see it. 

 Great Expectations reminds me a lot of Finding Nemo.  Finding Nemo is all about a little fish named Nemo who lives in the ocean, but gets caught and taken to a fish tank.  How does this relate to Great Expectations?  Well, Nemo is a lot like Mr. Pip.  They both are growing up and making their own mistakes along the way. I chose Nemo because he didn't appreciate his dad.  Instead of loving and listening to his father, Nemo goes and does his own thing.  Pip acts the same way towards Joe, and doesn't appreciate him for all that he has given him.  Their "I know it all attitude" is apparent from the beginning, but they both have a big conscience that is always telling them right from wrong.  Through all of this both of their dad's still love them. 

            The theme of “growing up” is portrayed in both stories. 
I hoped you enjoyed! 

Gentlemen?

"After two or three days, when I was had established myself in my room and had gone backward and forward to London several times, and had ordered all I wanted of my tradesmen..." Chapter 24, pg. 196 (Pip)

            The main theme from "Great Expectations" is becoming a gentleman.  Dickens enriches the novel with doubles, symbols, and motif that all gravitate over this idea.  In the second stage, Pip has matured in age and is trying to get used to life in London.  He meets the "pale young gentlemen" Herbert, and starts to get settled to the new life that was thrown on him unexpectedly.  As a reader, the second stage hasn't been to interesting to follow, but what I found most interesting was how he gradually starts to spend more and more money.  Upon his arrival, he was told that he just had to ask Mr. Jagger for money and it will be given to him.  When he first goes to Mr. Jagger to buy furniture he is very hesitant and doesn't know how much to take, but then later it tells us that he is spending a lot of money. 

This increase in spending brings out the theme of becoming a gentlemen.  Being a gentlemen means that you are higher in society, you are rich, and you have the best of everything.  Pip's mind is slowly getting trained to spend his money just like a gentleman, without a care.  This same idea was also brought up in stage 1 when he is getting ready to leave Joe and Bibby.  Instead of showing appreciation towards them for their gratitude and kindness, he acts full of himself and believes that he is better than both of them.  To the reader, this change in Pip is devastating.  What happened to the innocent young boy?  All because of becoming a gentleman, he thinks that he is now in higher standings and able to do whatever he wants.      

The first link for both of us

"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day." 

Reading this quote more times than I can count, my opinion is that there is always that one day/event that alters or changes you in such a way, that from then on you are held in that direction.  That because of that one day a link is started that can never be broken…"bound you" from then on.  For Pip, that day was when he met Estella at Miss Havisham's Iron Gate.  Before this day Pip was surrounded by people of his own class.  His view of the world seemed to be the only view that he had.  When he went to Miss Havisham's, he saw all the jewels and gems and realized that he was just "common".  He no-longer had a romantic view of the world.  He no-longer had a childish view, but his ambitions changed.  He strived to become both "un-common" and a gentlemen for Estella. In my opinion, Pip went from a oblivious little boy to being hit with reality.  These changes weren't really positive or negative.  I think that most of us see it as negative because your connection with Pip's character is with a sweet little boy. When he grows older he grows out of his cuteness.  When he grows up he seems to lose a lot of his innocence and dreams that I think we all love.  

The one day that was my first link was my 8th grade camp experience.  At the end of the year all the 8th graders went to a retreat...more like a bonding experience.  It was a ton of fun and it opened my eyes to the reality that things that you love have to come to an end, but there is always another door opening.  That through thick and thin your friends or family are always going to be there for you.   

"I had believed in the best parlour as a most elegant saloon; I had believed in the front door as a mysterious portal of the Temple of State whose solemn opening was attached with sacrifice of roast flowls; I had beieved in the kitchen as a chaste through not magnificent appartment; I had believed in the forge as the glowing road to manhood and independence.  Within a single year all this had changed"  (Chapter 14, 106)