Friday, July 02, 2010

Chapter 13: All Dressed Up and Somewhere to Go


(Photo Credit: http://turbo.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2009/12/jude-law-sherlock1.jpg)

OK, so Joe Gargery is no Jude Law, but still, a pretty close fit to the look I imagined on Joe.

Why does Joe speak to Pip instead of answering Miss Havisham directly?

How does Joe show that -- in spite of his lack of education -- he is a smart man?

How is it that Pip suddenly doesn't want to be Joe's apprentice now, when his whole life he has looked forward to this day and all the "larks" they will have?

6 comments:

Hannah Skowronek said...

Pip has been doing some serious doubting of his family. Pip was raised in such a rough way, and Joe was the only person that was a friend to him, it is only natural that Pip look up to him. To Pip, Joe was the best thing in the world. Pip wanted to go on being happy, as he was around Joe, so he wanted to follow in Joe's footsteps. When Pip went to Satis House, he saw the world more from the view of Estella, and people of her status. He saw that the thing he once looked forward to with such desire, was looked down upon by the people at Satis House. Pip felt ashamed and he did not like it. It seems that Pip wants to be able to look Estella, and other people, like those at the Satis House, in the eye and have a reason to be proud of himself.

Lauren Carter said...

Ever since Pip had a brief taste of the upper class lfestyle, his innocence and "open-mindedness" has declined. he is very critical of where he has come from, even the person whom he admiredfor so long, Joe. When Joe agreed to come to Mrs. Havisham's, Pip became very uncomfortable when Joe looked so out of place. Obviously Joe was uncomfortable too, because he could never speak directly to Mrs. Havisham. I think Joe knows her true nature of making men seem worthless. Joe is intelligent in his own way. He isn't book-smart, but he definitely has street-sense. He knew that he had to dress appropriately fot Mrs. Havisham, and he has good morals.

Lauren.Halter said...

Mmm... Jude Law.

I agree that Joe felt very uncomfortable during his visit to Miss Havisham, which explains his refusal to address her. Like Pip, Joe seems to understand his place next to the upperclass and feels the need to make himself sufficent and decent for them. The fact that he insisted on dressing up proves this. I saw Joe display his intelligence while dealing with Mrs. Joe after the meeting with Miss Havisham. She was clearly upset at the idea of not being acknowledged by Miss Havisham, so Joe added a few white lies to make her feel included (which also helped in making her much more tolerable). Joe is comfortable with his lifestyle (except for when he is in the company of wealth), but Pip, on the other hand, is struggling. After being exposed to the grandeur of how Miss Havisham and Estella live, Pip feels insignificant and insufficent. Pip is fueled on by how he thinks Estella would regard him. Because of this, Pip no longer looks forward to being apprenticed to Joe; he sees nothing in being a blacksmith that would impress Estella. However, I've been forming my own ideas about Estella throughout the past few chapters. When Miss Havisham murmurs to Estella to "break their hearts" it is obvious that she is brainwashing Estella into a mindset that she holds due to her own personal problems. Estella has fluctuating attitudes toward Pip, which can be explained as alternating loyalty to the ideas that Miss Havisham is trying to instill in her. I believe that Estella is probably quite partial to Pip, and may even be attracted to his more rugged lifestyle (perhaps why she asked him to kiss her after he had fought the pale young gentleman).

Kelcey Garner said...

I agree with Lauren. Joe felt out of place, and very uncomfortable in the presence of Miss Havisham. By adressing Pip, Joe can relate his messages to her without having a actual conversation with this pecular and intimidating woman. Even though joe feels uncomfortable he seems to enjoy the visit and say it was "Astonising" which is both confusing and hypocritical. Why does he do this? I also agree with Lauren with the whole Estella brainwashing. I believe Miss Havisham is trying to live through Estella by making her break Pips heart the way she wishes she could possibly broken a pass relationship. Or possibly trying to teach Estella that she only can depend on herself and not beocme attatched to men because they will only lead to misfortune. I believe that Pip feels despondent about his future, he use to enjoy the idea of becoming a blacksmith's apprentice, but now that he is shown the lifestyle of Miss Havisham and Estella he feels hopless of ever becoming someone of high class if becoming a blacksmith's apprentice.


PS-Mr. Pumblechook annoys me to no end, and if he was in my presence i would either tell him off and show how full of crap he is, or just punch him....just saying

bethany martin said...

In this chapter it showed a lot about how Pip realized “his family”, or Joe, didn’t fit into the social society Pip wants to be in. After seeing how out of place Joe looked in the Satis house, Pip realized if he became a blacksmith like Joe he would be the same way. Before Pip knew nothing else, so becoming a blacksmith was something to look forward to because he idolized Joe. Now, after given the chance to see a “better” life, Pip realizes he no longer wants to be just a commoner. The realization of the way Pip is living seems to upset him, especially after Estella going to boarding school.

Jordan Paige said...

Pip is beginning to understand the difference between upper and lower class society. Before he went to school, all he wanted to do was follow in Joe's footsteps because Joe was his example of what adult life looks like. Pip looked up to Joe until he got a taste of what knowledge can do. At school Pip decides that he wants to become "uncommon." Then he goes to Miss Havisham's and sees what life in upper class society is really like. He becomes ashamed of his past dreams of being Joes apprentice because a blacksmith is a profession that people like Estella and Miss Havisham look down upon. Pip wants to make a better life for himself and get out of the common lower class society.