Survey =)

I took the survey on the website, but I wasn't sure how to post it in my blog.  Just wanted to say that I took it though.  I tried going back to the website so I could try to copy and paste it, but it wouldn't let me.

Photo Connections :)

I chose the photo of a man in prison for a few reasons.  The first reason is rather obvious.  It relates to the theme/motif of prison and convicts within the novel.  Up to the point that we have read, all of Pip's story, his great expectations, and livelihood have originated from convicts. His benefactor was a convict that he met as a little boy.  Now, Pip is trying to help and save that very man from going to prison again and being hanged.  He would not be in the position that he is in, with all of his money and wealth if it had not been for this convict.              The second reason I chose this picture has to do with the character of Pip.  I think that Pip feels trapped within himself and within his lifestyle.  He says multiple times throughout the novel that he wishes he had never met Miss Havisham or gotten his expectations.  As a child, he wanted to become a gentleman more than anything else, but as he finally got what he had always wanted, he realized that being a gentleman was not as great as he had thought it would be.  Since he has assumed this social status, he can't really back out of it anymore.  He is trapped in the lifestyle that he has, and he feels, in a way, like a prisoner.

The last reason I chose this picture is based on love.  Pip loves Estella, but she does not return those same feelings.  Again, I think he feels like a prisoner because he is on the outside looking in.  He is trapped within Estella's love, and he knows he can never have it. 

The prison theme is present in several aspects of the book, both literally and inferentially.  The relation to the book is very important in the story as a whole, and that is why I chose this picture. 

Marie Antoinette

     In the book Great Expectations Pip was a common boy that suddenly, rather out of no where, got his expectations and rose to the status of gentleman.  As he grew up he became increasingly ashamed of his family and lifestyle.  He wanted to become a gentleman, but when he grew up, he realized that being rich and having everything that he wanted wasn't all it was cracked up to be.  Pip got into trouble with debt, and while he knew that he couldn't afford to spend so much, he did it anyway.  The same is true for Marie Antoinette.
     
     When Marie became the queen of France, she lost all of her common sense. She spent money like crazy without giving a thought to who or what she was affecting with her current spending habits. Like Pip, she falls into the common "human motif" of greed.  She wasn't used to having all of the money that she now possessed, and she failed to use it wisely.  She bought anything she wanted when she knew there were much more practical and even more necessary uses for the money.  In the end, her greed lead to her death in a revolt.
    
      Not just her greedy nature relates her to Pip.  For example, she also fits into the theme of "becoming a gentleman".  Or in her case, becoming a queen. Marie grew up in a nice home and had a good life, but she was promised to be married to a prince and become the queen of France (which was a lot better than what she had).  She rose from being a commoner (not quite as common as Pip) to the much envied position as queen.  When she met the prince and all of the other people that were willing to wait on her, she realized that her life would never be the same, and she felt pressure to change herself and her lifestyle just like Pip did. 
    
     In all, there are important similarities between the movie of Marie's life and Great Expectations.  The story lines have many similarities and so do the themes and motifs of the characters.  I loved the movie, and so far I am loving Great Expectations.

The Second Stage :)

     In chapter 25, Pip talks about how he has aquired expensive habits.  Pip confesses to this guilty pleasure while he is studying with Mr. Mathew Pocket.  Pip doesn't have to work for any of his money. It is pretty much handed to him whenever he asks for it.  He may spend it on anything he wants, and he can spend it whenever he wants.  He doesn't have to work for his money because his generous benefactor, whoever that may be, simply gives him anything he wants.
     This scenario relates to the theme of becoming a gentleman.  During this era, the aristocracy were stereotypically rude and rather snobbish toward any of the people in the lower class.  As Pip becomes a gentleman, he starts to become a snob.  He looks down on Joe even more, and he also realized how differently people started to treat them; he liked the way he was being treated.  The main reason that Hubert hasn't turned into such a snot because he has to work for all of his money.  The gentleman Pip gets anything he wants, and that's why he fits into this theme.

Pip's Quote

Pip is referring to the day that he realized how common and ordinary his life was.  He started out realizing how ordinary he was when he met Estella.  She criticized him, and she made him feel terrible about himself and all that he had.  The first link is the first thing that made him realize his commonality.  Pip is now terribly ashamed of his entire life from Joe to his house to his profession.  Pip used to be satisfied with his life and family, but now he feels like he would die if Estella or Miss Havisham saw his house or saw him at his dirtiest at the forge.  These are definitely negative changes.  I now view Pip as an ungrateful, selfish child that believes he is above everyone else.  He wants to become a gentleman to please Estella even though she already hates him. 
Since I was a little kid, I have always loved to act.  I dressed up with my friends; I would pretend to be someone else on the phone; I would perform songs and poems for an audience of my parents, friends, etc.  I got into as many plays as I could.  In kindergarten, I was the lead angel.  In third grade, I had the lead role in a play with first graders to high school students.  In sixth grade I was in the music man both at my school and at Olympia; and I shared the lead role of our school play eighth grade year.  All in all, I love acting and drama which lead to my being in the drama classes now.  I am now much more comfortable performing in front of others, and I suppose this can all be traced back to the day that I was the "lead angel" in the Christmas Pageant when I was in kindergarten.