This is a guide for my AP English Literature students to help them make sense of the literature we encounter, and I will include some cool stuff that will lead others to love and admire a variety of authors and their works.
Orlick has guilty written all over him! From the description that Pip gives in chapter 15 as a "broad-shouldered loose-limbed swarthy fellow of great strength, never in a hurry, and always slouching" (118) we see that Orlick has a rather evil demeanor. He also never liked Pip, Joe, or Mrs. Joe. He feels threatened by the presence of Pip, who he thinks is there to take over his job. When Pip was young, Orlick even told him that the devil lived in the corner of the forge and that Orlick himself was a personal friend of the devil. If this does not scream evil I don't know what does. When Orlick throws a childish tantrum because Pip gets a half-holiday and he does not, Mrs. Joe gets involved and a hate is developed for Mrs. Joe. Although the weapon seems to be Pip's convict's filed leg, Orlick most likely did the crime. Orlick is no dummy, he wasn't going to use a blacksmith's hammer to knock Mrs. Joe out. He found a weapon that would make him look as if a convict came and knocked her out.
The use of the blacksmith's iron leg, however, make Pip feel exetremely guilty. He thinks it is his fault that Mrs. Joe, the woman that has kindly brought him up "by hand," was brutally hurt because he gave the file to the convict. Pip believes at first that it was his convict that did this to Mrs. Joe and that if he hadn't given the convict the file she would have been alright. Pip, still cannot tell anyone about this, because he still has fear that something bad will happen to him if he does.
I completely agree with Elizabeth about Orlick. Based on everything we have previously read about him and his relationship with Pip and his family, I do not doubt that he had something to do with Mrs. Joe's fate. This would also explain Mrs. Joe's new kindness towards him. Out of fear, she calls Orlick to her and seems eager to please him. I also think that the symbol "T" that she draws is relevent in the novel, other than just a hammer.
As Elizabeth and Robin have said Orlick is most definitely a bad character but I don't necessarily think he is gulity of this crime. I am also keeping an open mind in relation to what Mr. Jaggers says in Chapter 18, about the law in England being every man is to be innocent, until he is proven gulity (sounds familiar!). So, I'm not sure who is to blame for this crime, though I will say that both Orlick and the convict seem equally as blameworthy as the next. And I'm going to have to disagree with you Mr. Earl in that I think Mrs. Joe certainly did deserve this fate.I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, as the reader, in that I don't have to read her complaints and nagging anymore! The only thing that I feel sorry about is that poor Biddy has to take care of her now. I'm also surewhy Mrs. Joe is being so nice to Orlcik now, maybe she has always had a crush on him and all she needed was a bonk on the head to release her true feelings?
I agree with Elizabeth and Robin. Olivia's comment made me giggle, but also kinda think. Because when I was reading I couldn't help thinking that maybe there was something between Orlick and Mrs. Joe. Also, I agree with Olivia in the fact that I thought Mrs. Joe deserved it. I know that sounds terrible and like I am a horrible person, but as a reader I hated the way she treated everyone around her. It really bugged me, so now it's nice to see that she can't do that anymore. I also think seeing Joe's compassion and feelings towards Mrs. Joe being hurt shows just how compassionate and loving he is. Now matter how horrible she has treated him, he still sticks by her and helps her. It's sweet.
I honestly don't know what made Mrs. Joe act differently towards Orlick. I think he's a jerk and a nasty character. The only thing I can think of is that maybe she is still in fear of him because he was the one who did this to her, or there is some love interest, but that one makes me laugh a little. :)
Yes, even though Mrs. Joe is a terribe, menacing woman, I don't believe that she deserved her abuse either. I believe she is being so nice to Orlick because it was he who bonked her over the head with his hammer (which easily explains her drawing of the "T" or hammer) and she is desperate to ensure this doesn't happen again by being nice to him and giving him attention. Seems a bit feeble to me, but what do I know...
I defiantly think it was Orlick. It seemed to be more logical that he would be out near Pip's house, however the motives of the stranger make more sense, so I was a tad confused on this part. As for Mrs. Joe, I don't know if she really deserved this, however, I think she needed to be shaken out of her state of absolute control. She needed to be shown that it is ok if she doesn't have complete control over herself and everyone else around her. I'm hoping she will learn something from this experience. I am also very confused that Mrs. Joe is now being so nice to Orlick. I think, maybe, she is just "forgiving" him, so she can get his services.
I am almost positive that it was Orlick. The "T" that Mrs. Joe kept drawing was in the shape of a hammer, which is obvious that it was Orlick. Pip thinks that he may have had something to do with Mrs. Joe's attack because of the file that was found by her. And even later when they find out that Orlick was the attacker, he still feels at guilt. This may possibly be because this fate could have been bestowed upon someone else by the convicts, and Pip would have been at fault for helping them in the first place.
ALso, I think that Mrs. Joe is being so nice to Orlick is because she is scared. She knows he is the attacker so of course she feels nervous and anxious that he is in her presence, and she doesn't want to do anything to provoke him again. That's what I feel is the reason. It even quotes on page 131, "She manifested the greatest anxiety to be on good terms with him..." This sounds to me as if she were more scared than pleased to see him.
Like many of the other comments, I think that Orlick is the one that knocked out Mrs. Joe. But although she is drawing the t and many people thinks she wants to see Orlick, I think that might be her way of saying it was him that hit her. Because Mrs. Joe can’t really think normally yet, she was trying to get the family to realize he had something to do with it, but they misinterpreted her writing the t instead as she wanted to see him. I think the reason she is being so nice now is that she knows something the characters and readers don’t, possibly what he is capable of?
This chapter seems to tell us a lot, even if it is not in words. There are many describing words as usual. The “scene of the crime” is described to the reader like a CSI show. Because the detectives are described as rather lazy and inexperienced, not much will be solved with their help. I think that Biddy and Pip will eventually solve the mystery together. The stranger from the pub will be the culprit, if you ask me. Even if it is not this strange man, then I do not believe a new character will be introduced. Whoever the attacker was, they must have thought they killed her. With that as their intent, since they did not steal anything. Unless the attacker was not there for just Mrs. Joe alone.
Contrary to what most say, I dont think it was Orlick who injured Mrs. Joe. If he did why would Mrs. Joe still allow such a dangerous fellow in her home. I still do believe though, he is a shady character and he has a threatening aspect about him but i dont believe he hurt Mrs. Joe. They did fight before but why would Orlick endanger his job, that he was fighting to keep and scaring Pip away from, to get back at Mrs. Joe for a petty fight. Besides the crime scene doesn;t say it was Orlick, it reveals a convict was there escaping from his shackles. On Mrs. Joe's side I think the attacker taught her a lesson but I wish he wouldn't have hit her so hard so that she would still be able to be an active woman and so that we could see her changed demeanor. It isn't fair she was busted into such a state. Well i guess she left Joe and Pip without a voice or say many times, but it is still brutal.
Like almost everyone else, I agree that it is Orlick. He just seems like a slimy guy to me and it's more than a coincidence that right after he quarreled with Mrs. Joe she is attacked. In response to Victoria, just because he hurt her doesn't mean she will never want to see them again. For example girls that have abusive boyfriends, even though they injure them it makes them afraid to speak up about it and they still stay in close contact with the abuser. Mrs. Joe is being nice to Orlick because she is afraid of him. I agree that Mrs. Joe did not deserve this fate but it is kind of refreshing to not hear her nagging comments anymore, but I'm hoping at some point she will be able to speak again.
I think the attacker probably is Orlick, why else would the author make him so important to the crippled Mrs. Joe? A funny part in this chapter was when Mrs. Joe almost broke her own neck from shaking it, which would have been an amusing turn of events. Piplup needs to stop blaming himself for the attack, if the convict had filed away at his restraints why would he then leave them in the middle of the floor? I’m glad Joe is shaken up by what happened to his wife, I would have been mad if he wasn’t upset. He may have been burdened by her nagging, but she was still his wife.
Keeping with the bouts of originality that seem to be lining this page of comments, I believe that Orlick is most likely the man who attacked Mrs. Joe. The character description of the man alone proves that the author would like us readers to keep a close eye on him. Along with this, the fact that he seems to be the only one that Mrs. Joe has any interest in after the assault forces readers to have some interest between him and her current state. Along with this, the drawing of a "T" which we all seem to agree signifies a hammer, ties Orlick to the assault on Mrs. Joe. It may seem weird that Mrs. Joe acts so friendly to Orlick if he is indeed her attacker, yet as the book clearly states, the attack was from behind. This, along with the brain damage, could easily make Mrs. Joe none the wiser in who attacked her, leaving her interest in Orlick as something as simple as her trying to atone for her past treatment of him.
Many clues in the chapter point to Orlick as Mrs. Joe's attacker. They had a fight before the attack, giving him motive, and he would have the strength to knock Mrs. Joe down with a "tremendous blow". The stranger has no motive and may not have had the strength. Mrs. Joe may be nice to Orlick now so that he will not attack her again, and may ask for him everyday to keep track of his actions She could also want Orlick to get to know her either so that he will feel guilty for what he did, or so that he would feel bad if he ever was about to attack her again.
I do agree that the attacker was probably Orlick. His demeanor is very shady, his constant slouch, and his growling voice all portray him as a possible antagonist. Orlick has motive after his intense argument with Mrs. Joe; being promptly beat by Joe also added fuel to the fire. All that Pip knows about him is that he is a journeyman with a temper; for all we know, Orlick might actually be a convict, maybe even the one other convict from the beginning. I do not think that Pip’s convict, who is suspected, could have attacked Mrs. Joe. If Pip’s convict was that evil, why then did he not attack Pip? I do not think that Pip’s convict could attack another in cold-blood. In addition, I am not sure if Mrs. Joe is being nice to Orlick solely out of fear. Although I believe that Orlick is the attacker, and I think that Mrs. Joe believes it as well, her back was turned when she was attacked, which means that she is probably only guessing that Orlick was the one that hit her. I think that now with her injuries, she may be trying to change herself and not be so cruel. I do still believe that Mrs. Joe is a bit afraid now that she sees that Joe cannot protect her all the time.
As with almost everyone else I believe that Orlick is the one who attacked Mrs. Joe. Orlick and Mrs. Joe had just fought and we already know that Orlick has quite a temper from the way he reacted when he found out that Pip was going to get half a day off. Also the stranger at the pub had no motive for attacking Mrs. Joe and it would not make much sense for him to give money to Pip the attack his sister.
16 comments:
Orlick has guilty written all over him! From the description that Pip gives in chapter 15 as a "broad-shouldered loose-limbed swarthy fellow of great strength, never in a hurry, and always slouching" (118) we see that Orlick has a rather evil demeanor. He also never liked Pip, Joe, or Mrs. Joe. He feels threatened by the presence of Pip, who he thinks is there to take over his job. When Pip was young, Orlick even told him that the devil lived in the corner of the forge and that Orlick himself was a personal friend of the devil. If this does not scream evil I don't know what does. When Orlick throws a childish tantrum because Pip gets a half-holiday and he does not, Mrs. Joe gets involved and a hate is developed for Mrs. Joe. Although the weapon seems to be Pip's convict's filed leg, Orlick most likely did the crime. Orlick is no dummy, he wasn't going to use a blacksmith's hammer to knock Mrs. Joe out. He found a weapon that would make him look as if a convict came and knocked her out.
The use of the blacksmith's iron leg, however, make Pip feel exetremely guilty. He thinks it is his fault that Mrs. Joe, the woman that has kindly brought him up "by hand," was brutally hurt because he gave the file to the convict. Pip believes at first that it was his convict that did this to Mrs. Joe and that if he hadn't given the convict the file she would have been alright. Pip, still cannot tell anyone about this, because he still has fear that something bad will happen to him if he does.
I completely agree with Elizabeth about Orlick. Based on everything we have previously read about him and his relationship with Pip and his family, I do not doubt that he had something to do with Mrs. Joe's fate. This would also explain Mrs. Joe's new kindness towards him. Out of fear, she calls Orlick to her and seems eager to please him. I also think that the symbol "T" that she draws is relevent in the novel, other than just a hammer.
As Elizabeth and Robin have said Orlick is most definitely a bad character but I don't necessarily think he is gulity of this crime. I am also keeping an open mind in relation to what Mr. Jaggers says in Chapter 18, about the law in England being every man is to be innocent, until he is proven gulity (sounds familiar!). So, I'm not sure who is to blame for this crime, though I will say that both Orlick and the convict seem equally as blameworthy as the next. And I'm going to have to disagree with you Mr. Earl in that I think Mrs. Joe certainly did deserve this fate.I feel like a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders, as the reader, in that I don't have to read her complaints and nagging anymore! The only thing that I feel sorry about is that poor Biddy has to take care of her now. I'm also surewhy Mrs. Joe is being so nice to Orlcik now, maybe she has always had a crush on him and all she needed was a bonk on the head to release her true feelings?
I agree with Elizabeth and Robin. Olivia's comment made me giggle, but also kinda think. Because when I was reading I couldn't help thinking that maybe there was something between Orlick and Mrs. Joe. Also, I agree with Olivia in the fact that I thought Mrs. Joe deserved it. I know that sounds terrible and like I am a horrible person, but as a reader I hated the way she treated everyone around her. It really bugged me, so now it's nice to see that she can't do that anymore. I also think seeing Joe's compassion and feelings towards Mrs. Joe being hurt shows just how compassionate and loving he is. Now matter how horrible she has treated him, he still sticks by her and helps her. It's sweet.
I honestly don't know what made Mrs. Joe act differently towards Orlick. I think he's a jerk and a nasty character. The only thing I can think of is that maybe she is still in fear of him because he was the one who did this to her, or there is some love interest, but that one makes me laugh a little. :)
Yes, even though Mrs. Joe is a terribe, menacing woman, I don't believe that she deserved her abuse either. I believe she is being so nice to Orlick because it was he who bonked her over the head with his hammer (which easily explains her drawing of the "T" or hammer) and she is desperate to ensure this doesn't happen again by being nice to him and giving him attention. Seems a bit feeble to me, but what do I know...
I defiantly think it was Orlick. It seemed to be more logical that he would be out near Pip's house, however the motives of the stranger make more sense, so I was a tad confused on this part. As for Mrs. Joe, I don't know if she really deserved this, however, I think she needed to be shaken out of her state of absolute control. She needed to be shown that it is ok if she doesn't have complete control over herself and everyone else around her. I'm hoping she will learn something from this experience. I am also very confused that Mrs. Joe is now being so nice to Orlick. I think, maybe, she is just "forgiving" him, so she can get his services.
I am almost positive that it was Orlick. The "T" that Mrs. Joe kept drawing was in the shape of a hammer, which is obvious that it was Orlick. Pip thinks that he may have had something to do with Mrs. Joe's attack because of the file that was found by her. And even later when they find out that Orlick was the attacker, he still feels at guilt. This may possibly be because this fate could have been bestowed upon someone else by the convicts, and Pip would have been at fault for helping them in the first place.
ALso, I think that Mrs. Joe is being so nice to Orlick is because she is scared. She knows he is the attacker so of course she feels nervous and anxious that he is in her presence, and she doesn't want to do anything to provoke him again. That's what I feel is the reason. It even quotes on page 131, "She manifested the greatest anxiety to be on good terms with him..." This sounds to me as if she were more scared than pleased to see him.
Like many of the other comments, I think that Orlick is the one that knocked out Mrs. Joe. But although she is drawing the t and many people thinks she wants to see Orlick, I think that might be her way of saying it was him that hit her. Because Mrs. Joe can’t really think normally yet, she was trying to get the family to realize he had something to do with it, but they misinterpreted her writing the t instead as she wanted to see him. I think the reason she is being so nice now is that she knows something the characters and readers don’t, possibly what he is capable of?
This chapter seems to tell us a lot, even if it is not in words. There are many describing words as usual. The “scene of the crime” is described to the reader like a CSI show. Because the detectives are described as rather lazy and inexperienced, not much will be solved with their help. I think that Biddy and Pip will eventually solve the mystery together. The stranger from the pub will be the culprit, if you ask me. Even if it is not this strange man, then I do not believe a new character will be introduced. Whoever the attacker was, they must have thought they killed her. With that as their intent, since they did not steal anything. Unless the attacker was not there for just Mrs. Joe alone.
Contrary to what most say, I dont think it was Orlick who injured Mrs. Joe. If he did why would Mrs. Joe still allow such a dangerous fellow in her home. I still do believe though, he is a shady character and he has a threatening aspect about him but i dont believe he hurt Mrs. Joe. They did fight before but why would Orlick endanger his job, that he was fighting to keep and scaring Pip away from, to get back at Mrs. Joe for a petty fight. Besides the crime scene doesn;t say it was Orlick, it reveals a convict was there escaping from his shackles. On Mrs. Joe's side I think the attacker taught her a lesson but I wish he wouldn't have hit her so hard so that she would still be able to be an active woman and so that we could see her changed demeanor. It isn't fair she was busted into such a state. Well i guess she left Joe and Pip without a voice or say many times, but it is still brutal.
Like almost everyone else, I agree that it is Orlick. He just seems like a slimy guy to me and it's more than a coincidence that right after he quarreled with Mrs. Joe she is attacked. In response to Victoria, just because he hurt her doesn't mean she will never want to see them again. For example girls that have abusive boyfriends, even though they injure them it makes them afraid to speak up about it and they still stay in close contact with the abuser. Mrs. Joe is being nice to Orlick because she is afraid of him. I agree that Mrs. Joe did not deserve this fate but it is kind of refreshing to not hear her nagging comments anymore, but I'm hoping at some point she will be able to speak again.
I think the attacker probably is Orlick, why else would the author make him so important to the crippled Mrs. Joe? A funny part in this chapter was when Mrs. Joe almost broke her own neck from shaking it, which would have been an amusing turn of events. Piplup needs to stop blaming himself for the attack, if the convict had filed away at his restraints why would he then leave them in the middle of the floor? I’m glad Joe is shaken up by what happened to his wife, I would have been mad if he wasn’t upset. He may have been burdened by her nagging, but she was still his wife.
Keeping with the bouts of originality that seem to be lining this page of comments, I believe that Orlick is most likely the man who attacked Mrs. Joe. The character description of the man alone proves that the author would like us readers to keep a close eye on him. Along with this, the fact that he seems to be the only one that Mrs. Joe has any interest in after the assault forces readers to have some interest between him and her current state. Along with this, the drawing of a "T" which we all seem to agree signifies a hammer, ties Orlick to the assault on Mrs. Joe. It may seem weird that Mrs. Joe acts so friendly to Orlick if he is indeed her attacker, yet as the book clearly states, the attack was from behind. This, along with the brain damage, could easily make Mrs. Joe none the wiser in who attacked her, leaving her interest in Orlick as something as simple as her trying to atone for her past treatment of him.
Many clues in the chapter point to Orlick as Mrs. Joe's attacker. They had a fight before the attack, giving him motive, and he would have the strength to knock Mrs. Joe down with a "tremendous blow". The stranger has no motive and may not have had the strength. Mrs. Joe may be nice to Orlick now so that he will not attack her again, and may ask for him everyday to keep track of his actions She could also want Orlick to get to know her either so that he will feel guilty for what he did, or so that he would feel bad if he ever was about to attack her again.
I do agree that the attacker was probably Orlick. His demeanor is very shady, his constant slouch, and his growling voice all portray him as a possible antagonist. Orlick has motive after his intense argument with Mrs. Joe; being promptly beat by Joe also added fuel to the fire. All that Pip knows about him is that he is a journeyman with a temper; for all we know, Orlick might actually be a convict, maybe even the one other convict from the beginning. I do not think that Pip’s convict, who is suspected, could have attacked Mrs. Joe. If Pip’s convict was that evil, why then did he not attack Pip? I do not think that Pip’s convict could attack another in cold-blood. In addition, I am not sure if Mrs. Joe is being nice to Orlick solely out of fear. Although I believe that Orlick is the attacker, and I think that Mrs. Joe believes it as well, her back was turned when she was attacked, which means that she is probably only guessing that Orlick was the one that hit her. I think that now with her injuries, she may be trying to change herself and not be so cruel. I do still believe that Mrs. Joe is a bit afraid now that she sees that Joe cannot protect her all the time.
As with almost everyone else I believe that Orlick is the one who attacked Mrs. Joe. Orlick and Mrs. Joe had just fought and we already know that Orlick has quite a temper from the way he reacted when he found out that Pip was going to get half a day off. Also the stranger at the pub had no motive for attacking Mrs. Joe and it would not make much sense for him to give money to Pip the attack his sister.
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