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Pip finds himself in an entirely new setting here. What does the setting described by Pip suggest? In other words, what does the setting symbolize here?
Pip and Clara have some very clear similarities in their lives. What do you see as being similar?
Why does Magwitch seem so comfortable here, especially with Barley roaring below him at all hours?
10 comments:
The setting that Pip describes is of a very used shipyard- it has lots of parts of boats around and oil and grease abound. Pip gets lost amongst all that is going on in the setting, which could symbolize how Pip has had a pretty confusing life. Pip has struggled internally with who he was and wanted to be as well as externally with who the people around him really were (namely his benefactor and Estella). Now that symbol was a shot in the dark, but that's what I came up with :D. Pip and Clara have huge parallels to each other, with the big similarity being an overbearing family member. Pip having his crazy sister who was the tyrant of his childhood, and Clara having a drunken father who controls her life out of her obligation. As well, Pip had Joe to fall back on through Mrs. Joe's craziness, and Clara has Herbert to be able to find some salvation from her father's overbearing behavior. Magwitch being kept at Mrs. Whimple's house is probably similar to him being kept in jail (something that is the norm for him). He's "locked away" in this house until Pip can get him to safety, and for Magwitch, I'm sure being hidden in a house is much easier than being kept in a jail cell.
I don't think you're very far off with your symbolism, Ashley! I thought the very same thing. The confusion of the shipyard, as Ashley said, is representative of the confusion that has spanned Pip's life as a gentleman. I also think that the filth and shadiness of the area plays off of Pip's current predicament. Pip and Clara do have significant parallels. I agree with Ashley in that Old Barley is Clara's version of Mrs. Joe, but I don't see Herbert as being her Joe as much as I see Mrs. Whimple taking on the role. Mrs. Whimple is not Clara's real mother, and yet she is treated as such by her, much like the relationship between Joe and Pip. I also agree with Ashley in that Magwitch is comfortable in the home because of it's current state as a prison to him. Magwitch also seems at ease around the loud roars of Old Barley, probably because of his time spent in prison. I'm sure that convicts don't always use their inside voices.
Pip's surroundings at the moment describes a dark and hardy place, that's is full of shady life. The shipyard is presented as a place where work happens, tough, and formidable. The setting symbolizes the hard life that Pip went through while he was in his village. The place is quite parallel to his days at the forge, where it was grimy and tough. Both Pip and Clara do whatever it takes to serve whatever force that bound them away from life. With Pip not being able to experience life outside his village thanks to his sister. We see that Clara also is bound to her dictatorial, drunk father.
It's true, this is a completely different setting than Pip has been in in a very long time, which is ironic because it is closer to the situation in which he was born than the situation in which he has been living in for the past few years. Clara is definitely very similar to Pip in the way they were raised. Pip was very much a servant in his own home to Mrs. Joe. This is basically what Clara is, a servant to her father. I agree with Ashely that each of these characters have someone to fall back on, but I think Laura is exactly right in saying that Mr.s Whimple for Clara, is more parallel to Joe for Pip, than Herbert would be. I think the only reason Magwitch is comfortable here because he knows he is secluded and nobody will find him there.
Pip asks if Gruffandgrim was Mr. Barley's real name. He had to ask. Did anyone ever ask if Pip was Pip's real name? Pip gets lost in the marina almost immediately, and i would say that his wanderings might be symbolic of something but he says in the text that whatever he did doesn't matter, so I guess it doesn't mean anything and is just a senseless list of things you would find in a shipyard. I have no idea how to take the growling noises, they seem frightening and supernatural. I suppose it would be difficult for someone with gout to cut cheese but I'm not really sure what the true reasoning behind that statement is.
Although Pip grew up with Mrs. Joe yelling at him (similar to Old Barty's yelling) he has not been in this kind of environment in a long time. I feel that Pip feels uncomfortable with this way of living, while the convict takes comfort in it. The convict, unlike Pip, has always lived in a harsh environment. He has stolen to support himself, lived with Compeyson who drove another man mad, lived in prison, and he has been on the run. Because he has lived in such an unstable environment his entire life, he feels at home in Clara's house.
Living in the new setting is very reminiscent of Pip's life at the forge and on the marshes. Also the family is a parallel to Pip's family. The way Clara is treated is similar to the way Pip was treated as a kid by a grumpy, domineering adult. I definatly see Mrs. Whipple as a parallel to Joe especially with the relationship shown between Clara (Pip's parallel) and her, they are both close and support each other. It is interesting seeing the convict, pip, and a family like his reunited on a similar location. It seems like it lets Pip dwell in the past and see what he made with his actions and mistakes. I think this is important to the overall meaning of the book. Pip sees how easily the convict lives at the new location. He is probally more comfortable there because he is out of the way in a sense, he isnt in the city where being found out is more likely.
The new setting of a shipyard represents Pip's new vision of his expectations. The shipyard is old and rundown. It is a confusing and complicated place which is very different from what Pip expected. Pip expected to follow only one path, but instead he got a maze of paths. This corresponds to Pip's expectations. He thought he would be rich and get to marry Estella. Instead, he has an old convict to take care of, and many debts. Pip is also very confused about what to do about the convict and wary of the possibility of being the reason for his death.
The way that Pip describes his surroundings definitely creates a grimy feel; more of a ransack junkyard for shipbuilding. I think that the shipyard setting symbolizes the change in Pip. He is confused because this setting seems new to him, however, his home with his sister and Joe was very close to the water as well. It is similar to when he first arrived in London; he was very unfamiliar with the city, and was a bit overwhelmed. I think that Pip has gotten so used to the city life that when he now comes back to a more rural environment, like is he is not comfortable any more. Pip and Clara do have a few similarities in their lives. They both do not come from wealth, both are parentless (Mr. Old Barley should not count as a father), and they both have crazy family members (Mrs. Joe and Mr. Barley). I agree with Lauren that Mrs. Whimple is a better comparison with Joe than Herbert is. Mrs. Whimple and Clara’s relationship is more parent-child, similar to Joe and Pip’s relationship; while Herbert and Clara’s relationship is more of a husband-wife connection. Magwitch is so comfortable because his time in prison has changed him. Similar to soldiers who come back from war, prison has changed Magwitch forever, which is why even with all of his wealth, Magwitch is still more comfortable being in a “prison-like” environment, cooped up in the Barley house.
The new setting is that of a family, much like what Pip grew up with. Clara is serving her father, like Pip worked for Mrs. Joe. The reminder of how life used to be for Pip comes as a shock to him. He realizes again how different his life is, and all because of Magwitch.
When Pip arrives at the house he is amazed by how comfortable Magwitch was. This seems to be the first time that others are worried about his welfare. With all the support for his protection Magwitch can't help but to be relaxed surrounded by his new "friends."
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