An Analysis of Great Expectations: A Bildungsroman

Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is well known for following the story of a small boy, Pip, on his journey into adulthood. Pip undergoes a ton of physical,  emotional, and psychological changes throughout the novel. However, Estella, Miss Havisham’s adopted daughter, matures along with Pip.

In the beginning of the book, Pip is an innocent, submissive, young child. The loss of his parents and the abuse from his sister has made him passive and reserved. Pip’s only friend is Joe, his sister’s husband, so Pip relies on him for everything. When Miss Havisham requires Pip’s presence in her run-down mansion, suddenly Pip feel even more inferior. This is caused by Estella’s crude nature and her blatant honesty about his low social status. Pip feels like he needs to fix his family and his behavior for Estella. Pip eventually becomes a gentleman, and that makes him view Joe and some of his childhood friends as below him.  When Joe comes to visit Pip in London, Pip is embarrassed by his sloppy manners and incorrect grammar. During Joe’s visit, Pip even says, “and [Joe] dropped so much more than he ate, and pretended that he hadn’t dropped it; that I was heartily glad when Herbert left us for the city” (Dickens 174). Pip doesn’t even want his roommate to be around Joe. So far, Pip’s maturity has just caused a meek boy to transform into a boastful man.

The readers never got an incredible impression of Estella from the start. When we meet Estella, she is rude and torturous towards Pip. She has no filter and shows that her only purpose is to hurt men. As the plot progresses, we learn that her personality is Miss Havisham’s doing and that Estella did not choose to grow up like that. Personally, I think that Estella really does want love and affection (and to be able to reciprocate it, too). Estella’s development has almost been the opposite of Pip’s. She has become more reasonable and more resilient towards Miss Havisham. For example, when Miss Havisham told Estella she was cold, Estella responded, “I am what you have made me.” (Dickens 238). Estella is gradually becoming lot less heartless (even though she still is).

 

 

An Appreciation Post for My Dog

Disclaimer: I know that there is a lot of political controversy that I could write about, but I think that we all need to just appreciate some things in life.

This is my dog, Mac.

Well, that’s his nose. Here’s a better picture:

Mac is a chocolate Australian Labradoodle (Labrador Retriever and Poodle). He’s five years old, but we’ve had him for two. We got him from a friend battling cancer. As much as she loved Mac, a big dog like him was not going to help her recover. So, we agreed to take care of him for a couple months.

Sadly, she passed away after a long struggle. We made the decision to keep Mac permanently, going to show that good outcomes can come from bad situations.

On a happier note, Mac is a wonderful dog. One thing is certain, though. Mac loves attention, even if it means getting disciplined. He loves trouble so much that we gave him a middle name, Charles. My mom said that anyone in our house who is going to cause problems needs one. His three favorite ways to get in trouble are:

1. Stealing socks and other cloth objects (towels, gloves, etc.) from upstairs, parading around until someone notices what is in his mouth, and then sprinting down the stairs so that you have to chase him.
2. Sleeping on the couches, even though he knows he’s not supposed to.
3. Eating anything and everything off of the counter when we leave the house. (His favorite foods are my mom’s gluten-free desserts.)

The worst punishment for Mac is not receiving attention. On days when he is extra mischievous,  we ignore him for an hour. He tries everything to be pet, but he learns his lesson by the end.

Even though he loves to be ornery, I love Mac. I am thankful we have him and love coming home to him everyday.

Can We Choose Who We Love?

Can we choose who we love? This is a question that most of us have not thought about before, but have an opinion on. Personally, I believe that we can not directly control who we love, although we can control whom we associate with. If we never talk to someone or get to know them, chances are, we are not going to fall in love with that person. Once we meet someone though, we can not control our feelings for them. Romantic love is involuntary, but does not mean that it will always be reciprocated by both people.

On the other hand, I think we can control who we do not love. I think it is much easier to make a conscious decision not to fall in love than to fall in love. This might seem contradictory, but it is true. Think about it. There are some people that you know you will never fall in love with, for one reason or another.  First impressions heavily impact these simple choices. It is easy to decide within the first minute of meeting someone if you’ll bond with them. Some people and their personalities do not mix and match with and you and your personality and this is can not be controlled or changed by either person.

Another concept that I have pondered is if love, if not repaid by the other person, expires. Is it possible to completely stop loving someone if they do not love you back? I personally think that the only way to truly stop loving someone (and I do not mean start hating them) is to fall in love with someone else. Unless they love you and you are together forever, I think you have to fall out of love by falling into love again with another person who will make you feel loved back.

I also wonder if you did not originally love someone, but discover that they love you, if you can fall in love with them then? I know that sounds confusing, but can someone loving you influence the way you feel about them? If you did not consider someone an option before, can knowing about their feelings change the view you have on them? If you decide to love them back, is it true love? Love is a crazy concept because it is swayed by biology, psychology, environment, and society. It is unpredictable because everyone has a different opinion on how it should work and who should have it.

I apologize for the intensity of all of these questions, I know they are all kind of confusing. If you have an opinion (or multiple opinions) on any of these topics, leave a comment. Also, if you have other eye-opening questions, feel free to comment them below too.

What do you think about love? What is love actually? Does love exist? Why do we feel love? Why am I asking so many profound questions? (To answer that last one, I actually have no clue.)

My New Year’s Resolutions

Hello, y’all. This is the first post of 2017, and if you haven’t noticed, I’m posting early. In this New Year, I plan to procrastinate less. I also plan to work out more and eat healthier. I know that these are typical resolutions and that they normally result in failure, but nonetheless, it’s worth a shot. For Christmas, I got a weight set (with 2 lbs, 3 lbs, and 5 lbs) and new Nike tennis shoes, so I’m hoping those things will motivate me. Another resolution I have is to read my Bible more. I always run out of time because of homework (most likely procrastination) or because I’m simply too tired. Hopefully, I can make it an important priority so that it is not tedious, but relaxing.

Usually, I’m not one for resolutions, nor “New Year, New Me.” I think that without specific goals, these things are frivolous. One can try and try to make change, but without motivation and persistence, it’s near impossible. This year, I hope that I can find a balance and be able to accomplish what I set my mind to, along with all of you!