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.