Great Expectations 9

• "This was always followed by Collins's Ode on the Passions, wherein I particularly venerated Mr. Wopsle as Revenge, throwing his blood-stained sword in thunder down, and taking the war-denouncing trumpet with a withering look." (p. 43)
  

Charles Dickens alludes to the poet William Collins and his piece "Ode on the Passions." Collins published Odes on Several Descriptive and Allegorical Subjects. Collins work influenced the early Romantics. Here, Mr. Wopsle narrates the sixth stanza of the poem, where he plays the part of "Revenge." -- "And longer had she sung, but with a frown. Revenge impatient rose; He threw his blood-stain'd sword in thunder down. And with a with'ring look. The war-denouncing trumpet took..."

Work Cited:
"William Collins." Net Poets. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.netpoets.com/classic/biographies/017000.htm.
"Great Expectations." Google Books. Web. 3 Jan. 2010.

Great Expectations 8

• "Hammer boys round - Old Clem!
  With a thump and a sound - Old Clem!
  Beat it out, beat it out - Old Clem!
  With a clink for the stout - Old Clem!
  Blow the fire, blow the fire - Old Clem!
  Roaring dryer, soaring higher - Old Clem!" (p. 94)
  

Dickens alludes to the song "Old Clem" in Great Expectations while Pip is visiting Miss Havisham. The song originates from the blacksmith's patron Saint Clement. On November 23, The Day of Saint Clement, blacksmiths took a holiday. A senior apprentice, representing Old Clem, led a march that traveled around town and stopped at taverns to share the history of Old Clem. The blacksmiths would pass around a box for donations and the money gained was used to pay for the apprentices' meal. Growing up, Pip, the prospective apprentice, would hear Joe "hum fragments" (p. 94) and retained the lyrics to share with Miss Havisham. Unlike Pip, who is concerned about appearance, and Mrs. Joe, who is cruel and dominating, Joe's silent, yet diligent character suggest he is a traditional, happy-go-lucky guy. Even though he might be uneducated, Joe takes pride in his work. Humming a familiar tune shows his true enjoyment being a blacksmith. One could also notice that instead of singing out the words, Joe hums, indicating his timidness around Mrs. Joe.

Work Cited:
"Old Clem - Dickens expression. Help!" The Phrase Finder. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/14/messages/65.html.

Photo Credit:
Saint Clement. Photograph. Orthodox Images. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.orthodoximages.com/images/icons/patrons/dingman/Clement_Ding6x8.jpg.

Great Expectations 7

• But, judging from the wind, it looked to me that when he see the ghost in the queen's apartment, he might have made more of his stockings." (p.257)

Charles Dickens alludes to Hamlet, a play written by Shakespeare, throughout Chapter 31. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet portrays himself as insane, ultimately to reveal the cause of his father's death and his uncle's rise to power. Hamlet shows disgust towards his mother and her decision to so quickly marry his uncle. Hamlet desires to ruin the King's power and to make the truth known. Dickens alludes to Hamlet in Great Expectations because many of the main ideas draw parallel connections with each other. Like Hamlet, everything Pip is doing will lead to his eventual downfall. Hamlet desires to marry the beautiful Ophelia -- except other characters hinder that wish -- where Pip is madly in love with Estella, despite the fact that she cannot accept his affection. Overall, Great Expectations and Hamlet possess similar themes: trust, love, deception, status/power, etc.

Work Cited:

"Hamlet: Plot Overview." Sparknotes. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/summary.html.

Photo Credit:
Photograph. Concentric.net. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.concentric.net/~marlowe/olivier_hamlet3.jpg.

Great Expectations 6

• "Now, Biddy," said I, "I am very sorry to see this in you. I did not expect to see this in you. You are envious, Biddy, and grudging. You are dissatisfied on account of my rise in fortune, and you can't help showing it." (p. 150)

As soon as Pip realizes the opportunity he is given, he becomes extremely rude towards Biddy and Joe. Dickens introduces the significant theme of social class importance through Pip's excitement of becoming a gentleman. Being immature, Pip is excessively boastful (as he thinks this is how wealthier people act) until the point where he turns snobbish towards his main supporters. Throughout the novel, Dickens shows the importance of loyalty and maintaining good relationships, yet here, Pip is so eager to improve his status, he acts completely out of line towards his friends and family. Dickens stresses that social class has little matter in comparison to human relationships. Although Pip acts disrespectful here, eventually he comes to the realization that his bond with Joe/others is invaluable and worth so much more than what any status could give him.

Photo Credit:
Photograph. Chicago Now. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/improvised-blog/snob.jpg.

Great Expectations 5

• "Nevertheless, I knew while I said those words ... It was two years more before I saw herself. I had heard of her as leading a most unhappy life ... Given her a heart to understand what my heart used to be." (p. 487-490)

Edward B. Lytton, a novelist, was able to persuade Dickens to change the original, unhappy ending of Great Expectations. As a reader, the revised version of the ending doesn't appear to fit the overall tone of the novel -- it almost comes across as fairy-tale-like, where in most of the story, nothing ever turns out perfectly. Dickens may have had the desire to please readers with a happy ending, to illustrate love can be realized, or that Estella and Pip were destined for each other. While some believe the original is too harsh, harsh is more suitable than unrealistic.

Work Cited:
"Edward Bulwer-Lytton." The Lost Club Journal. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://homepages.pavilion.net/tartarus/lytton.html.

Great Expectations 4

• "Enough House!" said I; "that's a curious name, miss." / "Yes," she replied; "but it meant more that it said. It meant, when it was given, that whoever had this house could want nothing else. They must have been easily satisfied in those days." (p. 55)

Upon learning more about the Satis house, there seemed to be a deeper connection with the name "Enough House" rather than the one described by Miss Havisham. The word 'enough' connotes the feeling of 'having enough' or 'being too much to handle.' Yet, Miss Havisham appears to lead a life that was never 'good enough' for her. She is unsatisfied with her lifestyle -- hence the dreary, dark theme of the house, the wedding objects, and the stopping of the clock. Dicken's illustrates Miss Havisham's misery through the connotation of the word and it's deeper meaning.

Photo Credit:
Photograph. Flickr.com. Web. 3 Jan. 2010. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3565/3610550576_9e9ce2f953.jpg.

Great Expectations 3

• "Joe laid his hand upon my shoulder with the touch of a woman. I have often thought him since, like the steam-hammer that can crush a man or pat an egg-shell, in his combination of strength with gentleness." (p. 142)

Throughout Pip's childhood he was never accustomed to a maternal figure. In this passage, Pip describes Joe's touch as one of a woman. Pip's sister's cruelty and abuse failed to serve Pip with a proper parental figure, which is why Dicken's indicates Joe's patient, compassionate character to be one Pip respects. Pip lacked a stable father figure during his lifetime, but Joe defined his childhood, Mr. Jaggers was constantly referred to as "my guardian," Magwitch served to be a figure that constantly cared for Pip, and towards the end of the novel, Joe returned to nurse Pip back to good health.