Thursday, February 26, 2009

Blog 2A

Book: Great Expectations
Pages Read this week: 125
Pages read this semester: 228
Weekly style: Questions
Summary
Pip is apprenticed to Joe and Miss Havisham pays them some money. Pip does not like this turn around in his life. Time passes as Pip begins working in Joe's forge; the boy slowly becomes an adolescent. He hates working as Joe's apprentice, but out of consideration for Joe's goodness, he keeps his feelings to himself. As he works, he thinks he sees Estella's face mocking him in the forge, and he longs for Satis House. Mrs. Joe is attacked by somebody after she had a verbal face off with Orlick, the other worker at the forge. Her brain is severely damaged and she becomes ‘invalid.’ Pip suspects its Orlick behind this, but Mrs. Joe shows no contempt for him. Biddy moves into Joe’s house to help them with household tasks. Pip is saddened when he comes to know that Estella has been sent abroad. He is attracted towards Biddy, but tells her about his love for Estella. Biddy warns him about her. Pip comes to know that he is soon going to inherit large sum of money through some unknown benefactor. He thinks it is Miss Havisham. He has to go to London where he will be tutored by Matthew Pocket, Havisham’s cousin. Pip leaves Joe’s house regretting his snobbish behavior towards people who had loved him. Pip does not like London at first. He meets Mr. Jaggers, the lawyer of his benefactor. He befriends Herbert Pocket who helps him in becoming a gentleman; and Wemmick, the clerk at Jaggers’ office. Pip does not like his fellow students. However, he tries to become good at table manners and observes everything he thinks is important for him.
Basically, Pip is learning things about his surroundings and himself in this part. We see him going through various developmental phases of life. And the changes in hi behavior and thinking become apparent as he enters adolescence.

Que. 1: What do you think will happen next and why?
Ans.: I am almost half way through the book, but with every page I read, I think more and more about what will be the ending of the story. I cannot find out where the story is headed towards. Indeed it is very sophisticated novel. Still, I have a general feeling that like most stories, this novel will also have a happy ending. I believe that Pip and Estella will marry. May be the story can go even farther from their marriage. It seems to me that some complexities will arise in their relationship, because Pip does not really know how to express his feelings in the most appropriate way. And since he is not very sure about Estella, may be somebody else will enter his life too. Pip’s past may come to haunt him again. Perhaps there will be something about Joe or somebody else that will again drag him bag to his slippery past of marshes. I think so because this usually happens in novels.

Que. 2: What/how does what you read make you feel? Why?
Ans.: To be honest, I have experienced all sorts of emotions by reading this ‘magnum opus’ of Charles Dickens. I smiled at young Pip’s innocence, and I felt hatred towards the type of life the opulent people lead. Sometimes I often wondered what the significance of this event is because it seemed to slow down the momentum of the story for me. I am pondering why money means so much for people. And definitely, why some people like to brag about some act of goodness they did for somebody. Since this is very complicated novel, I often feel lost trying to figure out the ages

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