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Drummle and Startop...odd names, but characters to remember -- especially Drummle.
A very hectic chapter -- and this is where some of Dickens' genius shows up. Notice how his writing style seems to reflect a lack of focus. This is how our brains work when we are surrounded by chaos, and he captures it perfectly. This is much different from the writing in previous chapters.
Imagine being thrown into this scenario after having been an only child -- an orphan -- in the Gargery household. Pip seems to hold his own as he makes sense of it all.
This chapter is an example of Dickens' take on the bourgeois level of society. What do you think his opinion of that level of society is?
5 comments:
Even though this was not a topic for this chapters blog, I wanted to bring up that in this chapter Mrs.Pocket's personality and actions are explained. We learn that she was the daughter of a Knight and that "he had directed Mrs.Pocket to be brought up from her cradle as one who in the nature of things must marry a title, and who was to be guarded from the acquisition of plebeian domestic knowledge." She was never trained in domestic things such a cleaning and raising children when she was brought up, so she is helpless and must have servants and people to do things for her. I almost feel sorry for her because, as quoted in the book, "so successful a watch and ward had been established over the young lady by this judicious parent, that she had grown up highly ornamental, but perfectly helpless and useless." She has no clue how to do anything for herself and she is useless in everything. I now understand why her children were "tumbled up" and why she seems so helpless, uninvolved, and uninterested in the lives of her children.
I love when authors use their writing to give the exact emotions of one of the characters or situations in the story. This was also seen in the Great Gatsby, there was a scene where Gatsby and Nick were at a party and you actually got the feeling of being drunk, and looking at the confusion around you. This was an amazing chapter. Being an only child and then being forcefully thrown into a chaotic family as the Potter's household definantly is, can be a confusing and very uncomfortable thing to encounter. I liked how when Pip was trying to remember and write down everything he was told on this certain time period, he almost listed off things without thought, as if he was rushed with piles of information that was hard to retain. It seems as if th Potters wanted to tell Pip their life story all at once. I dislike alot of characters in this book, and i believe that was Dckens plan. The list keeps growing and growing. It seems that al the characters that i seem to hate have one of the same chaacteristics, they are all full of themselves and believe they are Gods gift to this world. Mrs. Potter has just been added to this list. She believes she is royalty and if anyone lower then her tries to tell her she is wrong, or not doing something properly, she gets enraged and goes on a rant about royalty. Sorry to break it to you Mrs. Potter, your not royalty so stoip living off of the delusion that you are, and accept your life as it is.
Like Kelsey had said, each time I come across a new character my list of dislikes becomes larger. Pip always seems to encounter with people who must feel superior and on top of the world. These characters contrast with Pip and make him seem so vulnerable to the elite society. By Pip feeling belittled you can sense his motives to improve socially and educationally. I have noticed Dickens' view on the bourgeois level of society is portrayed through his characters. Like Miss Havinsham, Dickens favors the characters to have earned their fortune. Miss Havinsham's family fortune was made through the brewery which connects to the idea of self-improvement. Dickens emphasizes the class system of the bourgeois by contrasting different characters like the poor peasants who resemble Biddy and Joe, to the middle class of Mr. Pumblechook, and lastly to the rich like Miss Havisham.
Dickens is throwing the theme of social status at your face. As stated above, the wealthy characters in the book are continually snobbish and a sense that they believe they are so superior to everyone else. The people who are morally correct, Joe and Biddy, are not wealthy and do not contain a high social status. Pip's internal struggle between what he thinks is right and what society thinks is right are two very different things. Dickens uses this book to display how disturbed society is. Kelcey bringing up The Great Gatsby has made me realize how similar the themes are. The wealthy people, such as Daisy, are so absorbed in the foundation of money and reputation. Gatsby, like Pip, longs to become wealthy and have a high social status. They are both chasing a woman who expects to be financially taken care of. We can only hope Pip does not contain the same fate as Gatsby.
I did notice a difference when reading this chapter; especially at the beginning of the chapter, many things are crammed into the sentences. I am not sure who I feel worse for, Joe or Mr. Pocket. Both have cruel and controlling wives; I think that Mrs. Pocket is the worst of the two. Based on the chapter and the portrayal of Mrs. Pocket and the Pocket’s lifestyle, Dickens’ opinion is definitely a bad one, but also I think that he is saddened. Mr. Pocket seems so helpless, and I think that is why Dickens’ has the hair-pulling scene, twice. Mrs. Pocket is a wreck; she is not living in reality and plays right into the stereotypical upper class, title-inherited snob. I think that it is funny that Mrs. Pocket is so out of touch with her children that the baby actually cries when Mrs. Pocket holds her, and tries to get away from her. The life is so bad that you cannot help but feel sorry for the Pocket family. I think that this experience will help change Pip’s ways and show him that social status is not the sole thing in life.
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