For me, a book is only good when it is relatable, Great Expectations (though it had the tendency to get boring and slow) was relatable and thus a good read. I know what it feels like to think how much better my life would be if I had money, if I had expensive clothes instead of "common" clothes, if I got to live in a big, amazing city, if I had a gorgeous boyfriend. I also am aware of the fact that even if I got all of these things my core wouldn't change and I would become unhappier because I would have nothing to blame for my unfullfilled feeling. Through this novel Pip realizes this same as well. A main theme brought out into this book is that money, looks, and intellect don't bring happiness, and that expectations are basically you wanting life to do the work for you. Life isn't going to magically disolve your problems, if it did all old people would be happy! Pip gets rich and yet he still feels the same as he did when he was little: wanting. His core emotions are deeply enrooted in his soul, he had anger that he wasn't good enough, anger that he got what he wanted an nothing changed, anger that Estella would never be his. I can relate this to my own life.
Another theme that was easily relatable to my life was theme of happiness comes best when your being yourself. In my own life I often feel like I don't act like who I truly am or that I don't even know who I am. Pip seemed to feel like a boat in the middle of an ocean, floating aimlessly with the wrong goal in mind, he wanted to get better for Estella, he wanted to change for all the wrong reasons; not for himself but for others. He cared to much what others thought of him, he persistingly tried to be something he wasn't and cringed at the things he was. This was the most relatable for me because I often feel like I have no direction, I feel like I try hard at a lot of the wrong things and that I am not my own person. In truth, what I got of Great Expectations was a journey of someone unguided to find who they were and what they truly wanted under the surface.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Color Psychology in Great Expectations
Regardless of time and place, visual cues and gestures are naturally understood. Know matter what language you speak a smile is a peace offering and a laugh is a sign of friendship. The same goes for colors, the visual perceptual property is universally symbolized with certain meanings; blue is calming, and yellow is joyful. In Great Expectations the author, Charles Dickens, uses colors to illustrate underlying emotions, foreshadow the coming events, and enhance the characters.
Generally speaking, the colors black and red provoke strong feelings and emotions, black is often seen as desperation and red is commonly portrayed as anger. More than once Dickens uses this color combination to foreshadow bad thoughts or feelings that are quick to follow. For example, Pip says, "...My sister, Mrs. Joe, with black hair and eyes, had such a prevailing redness of skin..." and soon follows up with his dislike of her hard upbringing. The black of desperation is a frequent theme throughout Pip's childhood, however; anger isn't as common, instead it lurks beneath the surface of Pips anguish. Black overshadowing red, is symbolization that the desperation Pip feels is nearer to the surface, while the brighter feeling or "color" is deeper down and harder to uncover under the desperation or "black." Similarly, Dickens uses this same combination to foreshadow the events of Pip discovering his benefactor. On the night of his discovery Pip describes the storm raging outside as he looks through the window "...when I shaded my face and looked through the black windows..., I saw that the lamps in the court were blown out, and the lamps on the bridges and the shore were shuddering, and that the coal fires in barges on the river were being carried away before the wind like red hot splashes in the rain." The emotions following this sentence are clearly disguised anger and a deep sense of desperation. At this point Pips expectations have fallen through, and he is still the same confused soul as the day he left his home; none of his core emotions have shifted. He still feels unhappy, disappointed and in search of fulfillment, overall he is angry. Angry that he became a gentleman and still feels common, angry that Estella still doesn't love him, angry that he never treasured Joe and Biddy, above all he is angry that he got what he wanted and still isn't satisfied; I think this burning fire is portrayed in Dickens writing as real "red hot" fire. The almost completely black night characterizes the desperation swallowing up the anger, the darkness swallowing up the fire.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My story
Theme: Boring, dull life + opportunity arises + _______________(fill in blank many different outcomes)
1. Twilight: Bella is dull, then comes Edward and her life drastically changes; the difference is that Bella is happy afterwards.
2. Click: Adam Sandler wants to control his "dull" life but then realizes that he loves it more than he realized and wants it back.
3. Hatchi: A movie about a dog who loves his owner and then his owner dies; Hatchi waits until his death for his master.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens illustrates the hardships of human expectations, the challenge of the unknown, and the impressible desire to charge ahead in hope of better circumstances. The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman shows a similar theme in a completely opposite light. Unlike Pips known but unfaced desperation, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior is all about shattering the illusions of expectations.
Great Expectations and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior both display themes that shed light on human expectations. In Great Expectations Pip is disappointed when he reaches London, "...We Britons...settled it was treasonable to doubt our having and our being the best of everything: otherwise...I think I might have had some faint doubts of London..." (p172) Though Pip doesn't come out and say it, it's obvious to the reader that he is disappointed in London, he had greater expectations and they fell through. Dan (main character in The Way of the Peaceful Warrior) has similar feelings of disappointment in his own life. Dan is at the Olympics competing in gymnastics where he gets a perfect score, "...My teammates jumping and screaming in excitement...Then it was over. A long-awaited goal was accomplished." His great expectation was to win, to be a champion; he accomplishes it and then realizes it's gone, it wasn't fulfilling.
Through their expectations Dan and Pip are both searching for fulfillment, yet neither realizes it at first. They both go on with their lives waiting for happiness, for fun, for enlightenment but as Socrates clearly points out, "...Life is the only real teacher. It offers many experiences, and if experience alone brought wisdom and fulfillment, then elderly people would all be happy, enlightened masters." Expectations are people expecting life to do the work for them, and to me that is what Great Expectations and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior uncover.
A quote that fits:
"There is no need to search; achievement leads to nowhere It makes no difference at all, so just be happy now! Love is the only reality of the world, because it is all One, you see. And the only laws are paradox, humor, and change. There is no problem, never was, and never will be. Release your struggle, let go of your mind, throw away your concerns, and relax into the world. No need to resist life; just do your best. Open your eyes and see that you are far more than you imagine. You are the world, you are the universe; you are yourself and everyone else too!" - Socrates The Way of the Peaceful Warrior
1. Twilight: Bella is dull, then comes Edward and her life drastically changes; the difference is that Bella is happy afterwards.
2. Click: Adam Sandler wants to control his "dull" life but then realizes that he loves it more than he realized and wants it back.
3. Hatchi: A movie about a dog who loves his owner and then his owner dies; Hatchi waits until his death for his master.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens illustrates the hardships of human expectations, the challenge of the unknown, and the impressible desire to charge ahead in hope of better circumstances. The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman shows a similar theme in a completely opposite light. Unlike Pips known but unfaced desperation, The Way of the Peaceful Warrior is all about shattering the illusions of expectations.
Great Expectations and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior both display themes that shed light on human expectations. In Great Expectations Pip is disappointed when he reaches London, "...We Britons...settled it was treasonable to doubt our having and our being the best of everything: otherwise...I think I might have had some faint doubts of London..." (p172) Though Pip doesn't come out and say it, it's obvious to the reader that he is disappointed in London, he had greater expectations and they fell through. Dan (main character in The Way of the Peaceful Warrior) has similar feelings of disappointment in his own life. Dan is at the Olympics competing in gymnastics where he gets a perfect score, "...My teammates jumping and screaming in excitement...Then it was over. A long-awaited goal was accomplished." His great expectation was to win, to be a champion; he accomplishes it and then realizes it's gone, it wasn't fulfilling.
Through their expectations Dan and Pip are both searching for fulfillment, yet neither realizes it at first. They both go on with their lives waiting for happiness, for fun, for enlightenment but as Socrates clearly points out, "...Life is the only real teacher. It offers many experiences, and if experience alone brought wisdom and fulfillment, then elderly people would all be happy, enlightened masters." Expectations are people expecting life to do the work for them, and to me that is what Great Expectations and The Way of the Peaceful Warrior uncover.
I used a picture of water because it is so simple, but so powerful. Much like expectations :)
A quote that fits:
"There is no need to search; achievement leads to nowhere It makes no difference at all, so just be happy now! Love is the only reality of the world, because it is all One, you see. And the only laws are paradox, humor, and change. There is no problem, never was, and never will be. Release your struggle, let go of your mind, throw away your concerns, and relax into the world. No need to resist life; just do your best. Open your eyes and see that you are far more than you imagine. You are the world, you are the universe; you are yourself and everyone else too!" - Socrates The Way of the Peaceful Warrior
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Jaggers And Wemwick
Two memorable characters Jaggers and Wemwick are already a big part of Second Stage. I thinkt that they represent very similar personas to Pip. They are both tough and hard working and they both seem wise and slightly intimidating. They are also brought up around mystery; when Pip is waiting for Jaggers and all these people are standing in line and then Jaggers just brushes them off which is wierd and makes him very INTIMIDATING!
This portrays to the motifs of mystery, prison and dark ambience that is found in the first stage of the book. When Pip describes Jagger he goes into great detail about how big/large/wide his features/actions/things are. Similarly, when describing Jaggers office he uses intimidating wording like gloomy, dismal, gray etc. He describes Wemmick with this same essence of ominous.
This portrays to the motifs of mystery, prison and dark ambience that is found in the first stage of the book. When Pip describes Jagger he goes into great detail about how big/large/wide his features/actions/things are. Similarly, when describing Jaggers office he uses intimidating wording like gloomy, dismal, gray etc. He describes Wemmick with this same essence of ominous.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Dominoes
That quote refers to one little thing, one day, one time in which something happened and forever altered your life. The "...iron or gold, thorns or flowers,..." part is referring to whether or not that happening was a good one. If it is a good change that day could give you a beautiful garden but if that one first little link was something bad you could get a land of thorns and it all boils down to that very first link.
The first day that Pip met Mrs. Havisham and Estella - and his long chain began - he realized how small and "common" his world was. I think Pip also realized the state of Mrs. Joe and Joe and that, even though they were older than him, were just as unwise and conforming (In my opinion he tested this theory by feeding the lies of Mrs. Havisham and her dogs and her black coach to them and found it to be further true: his guardians lived in just as small a world as he did). He came to be more self-aware realizing that the way he looked was the basis of how others treated him. After that day at Mrs. Havishams Pip wanted more. He wasn't happy with being the blacksmiths apprentice or having rough hands.
In chapters 10-16 Pip becomes more independent (especially in his thinking), just a few days later Pip is already asking Biddy "...if she would impart all her learning..." to him in hopes that this the new knowledge would make him more "uncommon." Pip also begins thinking with bigger ideas and seems to be understanding concepts with a new grasp of knowledge. It seems to me that he also has built a heavy hatred towards Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook and I can tell that he is ready to take off if something were to happen, without giving them a thought; I first realized this when they took his money (calling it theirs) because they gave absolutely no care to him or his wishes and thus he became emotionally resigned. In some ways these changes are positive and in some ways they are negative. The fact that he is becoming emotionally resigned from Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook is negative and positive, it's good that he is staying away from their constant complaints of him but a part of me fears that he will paid for it later on with abandonment issues (which is negative). Also the fact that Pip is beginning to understand concepts with greater knowledge is positive except for the fact that he seems to be using his knowledge to plot against/lie/keep secretes from Mrs. Joe and others close to him.
The summer before 5th grade I fell and broke my arm and looking back now (4 years later) I realize that that one happening has really shaped a lot of my life. Before I broke my arm I had an illusion that I was invincible, I thought that I would never break a bone, or die, or have a disease because I had never had any physical problems before, however, after I broke my arm that safety bubble I had been floating in, popped and dropped me back onto the ground. I have been relatively cautious since then when playing sports, or doing something physically risky. For instance when I play soccer I am not very aggressive and try to stay back from players who are running straight down the field with a mad look in their eyes. Before I broke my arm that fear was not there, I would run straight at the player without any fear of getting hurt. Breaking my arm was a small event in my 14 years of life but it has made a huge difference in who I am today. I think I owe the fact that I like to play tennis to breaking my arm because tennis is a no contact sport and I hated it when I was little, yet now I actually enjoy the idea of a whole 100 feet between me and the person with who I am playing.
The first day that Pip met Mrs. Havisham and Estella - and his long chain began - he realized how small and "common" his world was. I think Pip also realized the state of Mrs. Joe and Joe and that, even though they were older than him, were just as unwise and conforming (In my opinion he tested this theory by feeding the lies of Mrs. Havisham and her dogs and her black coach to them and found it to be further true: his guardians lived in just as small a world as he did). He came to be more self-aware realizing that the way he looked was the basis of how others treated him. After that day at Mrs. Havishams Pip wanted more. He wasn't happy with being the blacksmiths apprentice or having rough hands.
In chapters 10-16 Pip becomes more independent (especially in his thinking), just a few days later Pip is already asking Biddy "...if she would impart all her learning..." to him in hopes that this the new knowledge would make him more "uncommon." Pip also begins thinking with bigger ideas and seems to be understanding concepts with a new grasp of knowledge. It seems to me that he also has built a heavy hatred towards Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook and I can tell that he is ready to take off if something were to happen, without giving them a thought; I first realized this when they took his money (calling it theirs) because they gave absolutely no care to him or his wishes and thus he became emotionally resigned. In some ways these changes are positive and in some ways they are negative. The fact that he is becoming emotionally resigned from Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook is negative and positive, it's good that he is staying away from their constant complaints of him but a part of me fears that he will paid for it later on with abandonment issues (which is negative). Also the fact that Pip is beginning to understand concepts with greater knowledge is positive except for the fact that he seems to be using his knowledge to plot against/lie/keep secretes from Mrs. Joe and others close to him.
The summer before 5th grade I fell and broke my arm and looking back now (4 years later) I realize that that one happening has really shaped a lot of my life. Before I broke my arm I had an illusion that I was invincible, I thought that I would never break a bone, or die, or have a disease because I had never had any physical problems before, however, after I broke my arm that safety bubble I had been floating in, popped and dropped me back onto the ground. I have been relatively cautious since then when playing sports, or doing something physically risky. For instance when I play soccer I am not very aggressive and try to stay back from players who are running straight down the field with a mad look in their eyes. Before I broke my arm that fear was not there, I would run straight at the player without any fear of getting hurt. Breaking my arm was a small event in my 14 years of life but it has made a huge difference in who I am today. I think I owe the fact that I like to play tennis to breaking my arm because tennis is a no contact sport and I hated it when I was little, yet now I actually enjoy the idea of a whole 100 feet between me and the person with who I am playing.
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