Connections To Romeo And Juliet

I think that the relationships between the title characters and their parents are similar to situations today.  For example, I can metaphorically relate to the self conflict that Juliet feels.  She loves Romeo, but she is expected to love Paris.  She feels torn within herself between her heart and her parent's wishes.  I totally understand that feeling especially when it comes to school and extra-curricular activities. People expect things that either aren't realistic, or they want something for you so they try to force their ideas upon you.  Then the decision lies in who you will disappoint.  There's one thing I know for certain:  you can't please everyone.
As far as the reading goes, I doing it twice.  At home, I read in my room or in the car when it's quiet and I can really concentrate on what I'm reading.  For the most part, I clearly understand Shakespeare's language and writing styles.  I have read Shakespearian plays before, and that has been a huge advantage.  I thought I would have to use Spark Notes a lot, but it turns out that I haven't.  Reading Shakespeare is a lot easier than I would have thought, and I really enjoy Romeo and Juliet.  I definitely feel like I understand it better when we read in class.  We are able to share ideas about interpretations, and I like that aspect a lot.  Also, it is easier to pick up on the puns and such when it is read aloud.  Reading the material twice really implants it on our minds, and I think it is serving it's purpose very well.

Wrapping It Up :D

     I feel like the main message of Great Expectations was that money can't buy you happiness.  I think that everyone can relate to the experience of feeling inferior to someone or something.  No one can be the absolute best at everything, so there will always be someone that a person feels subordinate to, much like Pip and Estella.  Naturally, humans want to improve themselves which is why people will try to better themselves so that they can feel more confident and have more self esteem.  All of the self improvement, however, will not make a difference in a person long term.  For example, if you get 10 dollars, next time you want 20 dollars.  Now, money can give you short term happiness, but obviously, that won't last forever. Humans can never be satisfied, and at some point in their lives, everyone has to learn that no matter how much money is in their possession, money won't be able to make them truly happy.  In the end, people will realize that family and friends are the truly important things in life, and they need to keep the most significant things closest to their hearts.  This is pretty much the development of Pip's character through the novel, and I feel like no matter who picks up the book, the lesson can relate to the young, the old, the rich, or the poor.  Dickens was trying to develop a theme that is timeless, and by golly, he did a mighty fine job of doing it.

Thoughts on Reading

      The story line of Great Expectations was fine in the first stage, very dry and boring in the second stage, and it picked up a little bit in the third stage.  I liked the development of Pip's character, but the static characters in the book were by far the best.  They were the most likable and realistic characters.  The setting was so depressing.  Dickens always talked about the gloominess and I felt like I get enough of that living in Washington.  The writing style was pretty cool, actually.  It was a challenge, and I enjoyed the challenge of trying to decipher the meaning.  I thought he was an OK author.  His story was dry, but his writing style made it a little bit better.  I was able to sympathize and relate to Pip a little bit.  There have been people in my life that have inspired a change in me in a negative way.  I felt pressured to change, just like Pip did.  As far as being able to solve mysteries, I couldn't really solve any mysteries.  I had seen the movie and that kind of gave everything away.  I would not have been able to guess the ending though.  To be honest, I like the movie ending a lot better.
     I read the entire book of Great Expectations.  I didn't really have a habit of reading my book.  It got crazily fit into my schedule alongside all of my other homework.  With track 5 days a week and soccer 3 days a week, I was really hard pressed for time to spend on homework.  I did however manage to find time to read the book.  I typically read right before I went to bed or while I was in the car on my way home from track or to and from soccer.  I usually read when it was late and I was tired, but I don't think it really had an affect on my comprehension of the novel.  I didn't use Spark Notes that often, and I understood most of what happened.  The things that I didn't understand, I asked my group members.  I think the book was a rather dry read, and I would not read it if I didn't have to.

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.