Thursday, September 18, 2008
Prompt to respond to before class on Sep22
Great Expectations: Re-read the section describing Magwitch eating his dinner out on the marshes (ch. III, second page, paragraph beginning "I was soon at the battery . . . through the paragraph beginning "I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food . . .") and the description of the family eating Christmas dinner with Pumblechook, Wopsle, and the Hubbles (Ch. IV first page, paragraph that begins "We were to have a superb dinner . . . through the end of the paragraph that begins "we dined on these occasions in the kitchen . . .") What do you notice in these two descriptions? Consider atmosphere, style, character, setting, theme, symbolism, diction, syntax, etc.
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When Charles Dickens describes his characters he uses unusual adjectives and descriptions that are sometimes humurous and always amazingly vivid. The way he described the Convict "handing mincemeat down his throat in the most curious manner-more like a man who was putting it away somewhere in a violent hurry, than a man who was eating it..." (pg 18) is funny but it also shows the level of starvation he had. The Convict is given an animalistic air that at once shows his un-refined qualities and his capability of hurting Pip. Dickens describes the Convict as shivering and in the preceding paragraphs gives the marsh an atmosphere of a dark, wet fog. He sets up a scene using descriptions of how a character reacts to it, which is an interesting style. Besides all of his gruffness, the Convict shows a human side to Pip after he says "'I am glad you enjoyed it.'" (pg 19)
In the second passage, the descriptions of how Mrs. Joe cleans the house make you feel Pip and Joe's discomfort. Dickens' one very long sentence "In the mean time...and each the counterpart of the other." (22-23) Makes the reader understand what's happening like they're watching her clean. Such a long sentence lets the mind imagine a person running around the house, making things pressed and clean.
A side note, did anyone else notice the "Cleanliness is next to Godlines..." and how that relates to BNW? I don't know if that's a real saying or if Huxley got it from this book.
Pip's thoughts on how he sees himself are shown when he describes how he feels his Sunday suit fits. That's a reoccuring theme of how much he hates himself. And once he goes to the tailor after he's recieved his money, the clothes fit well and he likes himself. For setting and style, there's a clever interjection "...the front door unlocked (it never was at any other time)..." (24) which is short but says a lot about the style of house Mrs. Joe keeps.
The most important quality of Dickens is his description. The saying that ms. Minor said in class about how once Dickens describes something, you can never forget it is quite true. He makes his characters very real, I am a little chagrined that occasionally he gets so long winded and boring but usually he seems to be dead on. Another point which was aptly pointed out by Natalie is the description of Pip in this situation, it is not altogether humanizing him but rather showing that he is still a child not ready for the world.
I find that part quite amusing because modern day writers often portray children as either ready to step up to the challenges or insecure about themselves but knowledgeable about their circumstances. Perhaps it is because of a different era but Pip seems to be more childish, he is always thinking one step at a time. He doesn't realize that the convict could be dangerous and he happily gives him food and watches him eat, very much like a curious child would. No reason to be scared or anything. I think Dickens is masterful at description and building characters, the overall story however was a bit dissapointing.
Dickens has a recurring pattern of descriptions in most of his novels. In the first passage, he describes the Convict's behavior desperate and a bit crazed when given food, which is similar to the starving orphan Oliver Twist. Pip is described as naive and driven to obedience by fear, like David Copperfield. The atmosphere is described very well, but has the same dark, bleak mood. However, like Natalie said, Dickens uses the setting to portray how the character responds, which is quite unique .
I found the second passage to be amusing because some of the descriptions were hilarious like the phrase "In his holiday clothes, he was more like a scarecrow in good circumstances." Dickens managed to have funny descriptions throughout the novel, which gives the reader a break from the amount of depressing and dark happenings.
After analyzing both passages, it seems like the dinner with the convict was much more enjoyable to Pip than the dinner with his family. Pip was very amused by the way the convict was treating him and seemed curious about this strange man, but during the Christmas dinner with his family, Pip did not seem to have a very fun time. Not only was he nervous and anxious about his robbery being discovered, but he was not very fond of the people who were at his home.
Charles Dickens also uses different moods in the dinners. During the dinner with the convict, the mood seems to be of curiosity, amusement, and compassion, while the mood at Pip’s home is of misery and discomfort. Dickens also satirizes the characters in Pip’s home and makes them seem less kind than the convict himself.
One important similarity in both passages is the amount of description Dickens uses. Pip's observative nature reveals a lot of description and humor in both dinners. Both passages also contain some funny parts, images, and satirized characters. The way Pip describes the convict’s eating habits and Mr. Wopsle's appearance was very funny! Another thing I found funny was when Pip said, “When I handed him the file and he laid it down on the grass, it occurred to me he would have tried to eat it, if he had not seen my bundle.”
Overall, both passages contain a lot of description, imagery, and humorous elements which helps you picture and understand what is happening in the scene.
Much like what Hareesh and Natalie have already stated, I find Dicken's description of characters and the overall atmosphere where they interact to be quite amusing, wry, and very witty. One thing I noticed was that Mr. Dickens often describes his characters by relating them to inanimate objects. For example when he questions the possibility of Mrs. Joe "wash[ing] her skin with a nutmeg grater..."(8) and later in the description of Mr. Hubble at Christmans dinner with his "sawdusty fragrance..." and "extraordinarily wide apart legs...so in my [Pip's] short days I always saw some miles of open countryside between them..." (25). I think this technique was very good of Dicken's to have used because it is so easy to relate with. It's not so abstract, nor is it hard to understand. I believe it was important for Dicken's to keep his writing style very relatable, especially during the time period, because his goal was to appeal to a broad audience--lower and the upper classes of society.
I think the type of food Pip gave to the convict really shows his young and innocent nature. Pip gave to him not just scraps, but gave him good food--food Pip and his family eat on numerous occassions, like during the Christmas dinner. This could perhaps symbolize the lack of knowledge he has for the social caste system of England at this early point in the novel. Any other person, most likely, would have taken the convict nothing at all.
After the convict nervously inhales his meal, Dicken's compares him to a dog of Pip's who eats in a similar manner, perhaps suggesting people of his status/condition are nothing more than animals living off the scraps of higher society. It's interesting because this is a very long paragraph, one solely comparing Magwitch to a dog.
The atmosphere at both the churchyard and dinner scene back at the Calgary's is very similar. both taking on a somewhat claustrophobic nature. Pip seems tense in both situations--fearing for his life while standing next to a convict devouring his food and sitting at a table with his sister, Mrs. Joe, who has a tendency to be extremely unpleasant at times. Both seemed very uncomfortable for Pip.
Ultimately, Pip is awarded his "gentleman" status all because he so kindly shared a meal with a stranger.
Charles Dickens spares nothing when trying to describe something or someone. But, he doesn't spend great lengths of words to describe something or someone either. Instead, Dickens loves to relate things about people to things that we have all seen in a funny, vivid, clever way, making things stick to the walls of your imagination. He brings the best example for you to see for yourself. Dickens changes what would be a normal scene of a hungry man eating food to a man who was "putting it away somewhere in a violent hurry", giving the reader the feeling of the rush Magwich was having with his food and a mental image of a man eating his food like a hurricane resident puts away supplies. He makes this change again when he makes Joe into "a scarecrow in good circumstances"(pg23) in their holiday clothes, making the reader see the small and tightness of the clothes on Joe while giving the reader something to laugh at.
In both passages, Dickens shows (when put side by side) that eating with a convict isn't so different from, as it would normally be, eating with Pumblechook, Wopsle, and Mr. and Mrs. Hubble.
Both experiences put Pip on the side of uncomfortable, and doing things that he would never normally do in places that he isn’t normally suppose to be. In the first one with the convict, there is Pip in the marshes watching a convict eat the food he gave him. In the second passage, there is Pip in a parlour that is used once out of the year watching Mr. Pumblechook, Mr. Wopsle, and Mr. and Mrs. Hubble eat the food that Mrs. Joe had given them.
In both sections Dickens used similes that depict the animalistic features in the characters. The first section Dickens wrote, “the man took strong sharp sudden bites, just like the dog.” Showing the intensity of Magwitch’s hunger. While, in section two Mr. Pumblechook was described as having “a mouth like a fish.” This use of animalistic features in similes shows up constantly throughout the book.
Dickens cleverly uses descriptive details that include humor to allow readers to feel what the characters are feeling. In section 1 Pip observed Magwitch devouring the food and concluded “ he was altogether too unsettled in his mind over it, to appreciate it comfortably…or to have anybody to dine with him, without making a chop with his jaws at the visitor.” This gives out an emotion that Pip is certainly scared but at the time amused by Magwitch.
The atmosphere in section 2 gives out the feeling that everything and everyone is not in its or his/her proper place. When Joe wore his holiday clothes “he was more like a scarecrow in good circumstances.” At the dinner everything was like it was rehearsed and people were just pretending, Pumblechook spoke “exactly the same words,” and “Mrs. Joe replied, as she now replied.” The feeling that they do not fit what they are doing was being compared with Joe in his Sunday dress, “ we dined on these occasions in the kitchen, and adjourned for the nuts and apples, to the parlour; which was a change very like Joe’s change from his working clothes to his Sunday dress.”
When I read these two sections, the one thing I notice every time is the array of diction that Dickens uses. His descriptions of characters are very short, but very immaculate at the same time. Like Vanessa said, I believe Dickens used brief descriptions to allow the reader to picture the character they wish to see him/her as. We can see this in his description of Pumblechook in the second passage. He he describes him as a "large hard-breathing middle-aged slow man, with a mouth like a fish, dull staring eyes, and sandy hair standing upright on his head, so that he looked as if he had just been all but choked..." This description is very brief, but at the same time it provides a foundation for readers to use as a catalyst for creating our own images of Mr. Pumblechook. He also uses this technique in introducing the other characters present such as Mr. and Mrs. Wopsle, and Mr. and Mrs. Hubble.
The second passage also portrays a somewhat busy atmosphere. I know that most of us can relate to the type of atmosphere that he uses to convey the gathering of friends and family at Christmas time. It's always very busy, and at some point or another, we have all felt as Pip did during the scene. Because of the diction used in character descriptions, and atmosphere of the second passage, I found it to be very amusing.
One fairly obvious difference is the size of the passages; one's barely a page, whereas the other one spans more than two pages and one needs to flip pages to see it all. And the lengths of the passages correspond to the lengths of the scenes. In the Magwitch scene Pip hands Magwitch some food, they talk, and then Magwitch gobbles it all down. Compare this to the Christmas dinner scene where Pip rambles on about the arrangements, rambles about going to church, and rambles about the company that comes to the party.
Another difference is what body part of Pip gives us the story. In the Magwitch scene, we see what Pip sees and hear what he hears, so the story comes from his eyes and ears. In the Christmas scene, we chiefly inhabit Pip's brain and thusly are subject to all its trifles and flourishes. It's two main philosophies of storytelling going head to head; “this happened, and then this happened” versus “death by exposition.”
The mood of the two scenes is different. In the Magwitch scene, there are literally no positive adjectives with a few negative ones, which creates a darker mood and an utterly miserable setting. In the Christmas scene, there are a handful of bright and happy adjectives in just the first paragraph. And it doesn't end there. This lends to a brighter, happier atmosphere. The choice in diction has a profound impact on the “feel” of the scene.
Another interesting difference is that the characters in the Magwitch scene occupy the lower tier of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, while the Christmas Scene characters occupy the higher reaches. In the Magwitch scene, Pip is concerned for his survival. This is the second lowest tier. Magwitch is starving, cold, and possibly sick. These are firmly in the lowest tier. The Christmas scene characters are happily socializing. This is the third tier from the bottom. Furthermore, the tiers for the two scenes don't overlap, as nary a mention of eating can be found in the Christmas scene.
Oddly enough, the only similarities between the two scenes are the mention of food, the presence of characters, and some dialogue. Other than that, there are no similarities. Props to Mrs. Minor for finding the two most polarized scenes in the book.
I agree with Alex that Dicken's descriptions are very short and with Natalie that they are "amazingly vivid." I also noticed that his descriptions are usually only visual. Dicken's rarely ever presents a new character with a personality description, but rather a very descriptive visual description. Although his descriptions are only visual, they force you, in a way, to form an opinion of their personalities and almost judge them by their appearances. I believe this is Dicken's intent and he does it very well.
In the first passage where the convict is eating his meal, Dickens has a way to narrate how the convict is eating in a child's perspective, but yet making a perfect picture of how he is eating. By using humorous description, it shows that this is what young Pip is saying. Also, Dickens creates a dark mood to the setting in the marsh by showing how cold and desperate the convict was.
In the second passage, there is a long paragraph showing how Pip and Joe felt. A stream of conscience almost. and again using a childlike thinking, Dickens gives the reader a unique perspective of how uncomfortable they both were.
Dickens describes the convict as everything but human as he feasts like a beast. He provides the reader with tools to effortlessly visualize the situation, offering up such words as "gobbling". Before stating that the convict ate like a dog, Dickens hints at the "animalistic" fashion in which the he dines, saying that the convict was "staring distrustfully... at the mist all around us" and "stopping his jaws to listen" like a lion cub might do. It is ironic that this man who is eating in such a low-life manner will later provide Pip with his fortune and make him into a gentleman. Its also ironic that Pip feels much more at ease eating with the crazy convict than in his own home.
"I was always treated as if i had insisted on being born in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality" says Pip. This sentence beautifully gives the reader a sense of the atmosphere in Ms. Joe's house without blatantly and boringly saying: Pip was treated poorly. Dickens kicks butt at descriptions (as has already been said many times!). His cogent descriptions are the fuel that this tank of a book runs on!
Note: Interesting observation Natalie!!!
In the passage describing the convict I thought Dickens' simile comparing the man to a dog especially powerful. What I found interesting is how he set up the comparison to enhance its effect. First Dickens writes "He was gobbling mincemeat, meatbone, bread, cheese, and pork pie, all at once: staring distrustfully while he did so at the mist all round us, and often stopping - even stopping his jaws - to listen." He does not hint the simile to a dog but it is obviously stated implicitly. Then several paragraphs later, he states the simile "The man took strong sharp sudden bites, just like the dog." I thought that such organization would have been critical(when the book was printed in periodicals) in pushing the character deep into the reader's memory with such a striking description. I thought Dickens used a similar approach when profiling the other characters at the dinner: utilizes recurring characteristics to underscore the defining traits of each character
When I compare these two sections, I realize that the commonalities are actually quite few. Aside form the fact that they are both about the subject of food, the differences abound.
In the first section, I was captivated by the section "he was already handing mincemeat down his throat...somewhere in a violent hurry..." This quote shows the degree of hunger the convict was feeling, as Dickens resorted to using an animal-like description to describe the convict's actions.
Also in this section, it is evident that the convict is slightly on edge. He stops to question Pip whether anyone else was nearby. This may reflect the life that the convict has led, one of escape and isolation.
The atmosphere in this section is somewhat between happiness and despair. There is the mood of happiness shown by the convict in having food for the first time in a while, mixed with the despair that Pip feels for being in such a dark area. The diction that Dickens uses in this section is also quite unique. He tends to use animal-like descriptions for the convict the entire time. This, to me, reminds me of a dog's actions, something that Dickens shares later on when we learn of Pip's thoughts of the convicts actions.
The second section is markedly different from the first one. In this section, the mood is one that is decidedly more festive, as opposed to the more desperate one in the first section. Also, the slogan of cleanliness is Godliness is eerily reminiscent of Brave New World (Yes Natalie, I noticed this ). The syntax in this section is also different, as it uses much longer sentences as opposed to the more choppy ones in the first section.
In general, the descriptions that Dickens uses are very visual as opposed to personal. We rarely learn of a character's personality through the descriptions, but regularly learn of the visual appearance. That said, we are still unconsciously make judgments on a character's personality solely based on Dickens' descriptions. I believe that this is what he was trying to do in the novel, and he does it very effectively.
The descriptions are, as others have already stated, what catch the readers eye. Just as Nick pointed out, relating peoples physical traits to inanimate objects is a common theme. Dickens purpose for doing so allows for vivid visualizations of the characters. As well as, perhaps, a manner that a child might use to comprehend the world around him/her. On page one, Dickens does the same thing but with a little more emphasis. "My first fancies regarding what they were like were unreasonably derived from their tombstones." In chapters three and four, Pip is still very much a child and still reverts back to comparing people to objects. "Something clicked in his throat as if he had works in him like a clock."
Dickens includes a very clever and humorous statement towards the end of the first paragraph on page twenty three. Mrs. Joe's obsession with having the house spotless, strikes a resemblance to the type of person that Im sure we've all been acquainted with, and the type of person we try to avoid. The fact that we can relate to Mrs. Joe's neediness for cleanliness, while ingeniously making making it an "art," makes the situation very funny to the reader.
Something that really stuck out to me in reading these passages was the overall atmosphere as well as Pip's attitude. One would assume that Pip would be petrified to reunite with the convict. However, once they meet up and Pip gives him the food, Pip appears to be quite comfortable. Beyond that, Pip even tries to take care of him, first showing his concern that the convict may have contracted a disease, and then saying "I am glad you enjoyed it (19).
After seeing Pip at home with his sister, it seems that he is more comfortable with the convict than at his family's Christmas dinner. Pip makes several offhand comments towards his sister such as "Mrs. Joe...had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself" (23). Later in the passage he gives a less than affectionate description of Mr. Wopsle and his "Roman nose and a large shining forehead" (24). Overall the irony that Pip is more comfortable with a convict than in his own home shows Pip's desire to leave his home on the Marshes.
The settings in both passages are clearly very different from each other. But like what most have said, Pip’s descriptions seem very childlike but at the same they are very intricate, pointing out little things that a lot of people would miss when put in that situation. For example, when describing the Hubbles, Pip describe Mrs. Hubble as “a little curly sharp-edged person in sky-blue” and Mr. Hubble as “a tough high-shouldered stooping old man, of a sawdusty fragrance, with his legs extraordinarily wide apart”, he uses unordinary dictions like “sawdusty” or curly “sharp-edge”, to convey a more intricate description of these characters. And again, like what we talked about in class, Dickens just had a way with describing things that sticks to you and your senses.
I like how Hengxin points out the animalistic similes that Dickens uses in both settings. Dickens uses such similes and description for humor and connecting with the childish way Pip sees thing, I think the childish mind of connecting these animalistic similes makes such descriptions vivid, and in a way, it makes reading this book less boring.
Pip's commentary and actions remind me of Frank McCourt in Angela's Ashes. Dickens uses Pip's childlike manner to create Pip's own character, just as McCourt does with Frank in his own book. Little Frank, in the book, describes his own relative's deaths in very little detail and importance, because that's how he really feels about their deaths, at that age. This childish perspective can be seen a lot in Pip's character also.
"Pitying his desolation, and watching him.., I made bold to say, ‘I am glad you enjoy it.'"
Despite Pip's seemingly horrifying situation, he doesn't seem to think very rationally; he even pities the convict when it would seem he is in greater danger. Pip's thinking is pure and innocent as a child would think.
Dickens includes a lot of humor in his writing, but he doesn’t overdo his amusing comments. He just states the funny comment and goes on. "Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself."
Once you read the beginning of the paragraph, you mentally connect Mrs. Joe with cleanliness, but as you read on, Dickens ends the sentence so that it has the opposite effect. These bits of funnies make the describing part more fun to read then if it were actually just bland descriptions.
In the first passage, Dickens alternates between dialogue and rich imagery. The simile connecting Magwitch to a dog is very effective, connecting his feral eating habits to his savage nature. Like in the first sample, the second sample also employs a great deal of imagery and allows Dickens to construct the atmosphere. His settings and characterizations are inextricably linked to his observant gaze and the peculiar elements he chooses to expand upon. The dog is one such example and Mrs. Joad's persona around dinner time is another.
Like almost everyone else I agree that Dickens uses rich imagery to describe the scenes. As Pip watches the convict eat, Dickens' description is more of like s tiger tearing into an animal. The scene has almost animalistic characteristics in it. On page 18, Dickson describes the convict eating the pie.
"he gradually settled down upon the pie,"(18)
To me, I imagine a great beast hovering over a small helpless animal about to pounce. Even Pip describes the man as dog-like in the same passage.
Also, Pip is obviously very afraid of the convict as one would expect. He also seems afraid at the dinner table during Christmas. Pip is very quiet, much like he was with the convict. However, with the convict, Pip seems more curious than scared and at home, Pip seems more uncomfortable.
And I also saw that Natalie.
Charles Dickens' extensive use of vivid descriptions and his diction are the strongest foundations of this novel. The images he creates, whether it'd be of characters or places, make the book come alive. His descriptions of these two passages are clever ways that Dickens was able to develop his characters.
In the first passage, the way Dickens depicts the convict when he is eating is so real that it not only show the readers the physical appearance of the convict but also some deeper personality traits. One of Dickens' strongest skills in employing physical descriptions is his ability to mature his characters beyond their physical being. The convict is portrayed as a beast throughout this first passage; often the diction Dickens used were more related to animals than humans. The convict's barbaric and unsophisticated appearance is a reflection of his lowly status in society. This meeting between the convict and Pip also is used to further develop the character of Pip. He is shown as naive and childish through his lack of fear. He seems more worried about the convict's state of health than for his own safety. Pip worries that the convict may have the ague, and frets over the convict's stay in the marshes.
The second passage describes the Gargery household during Christmas dinner with guests. This passage is particularly important in developing the characters of Mrs. Joe, Mr. Wopsle, Mr. and Mrs. Hubble, and Uncle Pumblechook. Dickens uses longer sentences (often paragraphs were composed of one very long sentence) in developing this part of the novel. By his physical descriptions, Dickens was able to imply that Pip did not really enjoy the company of all of these people except for Joe. These physical descriptions, such as Uncle Pumblechook as "a large hard-breathing, middle-aged slow man, with a mouth like a fish, dull staring eyes, and sandy hair standing upright on his head" (pg. 26) show the general personalities of these characters. Obviously Pip is uncomfortable in the company of these grown ups, unlike as he is with the convict.
In the first passage, Dickens uses such strong and playful language.
He is talking about the convict as if he were a child.
He talks about hungry eyes and it's very child-like.
Children who are always to anxious and excited to skip the
dinner and eat the dessert.
The convict was so hungry that he "tried to eat the file" that Pip had given him.
That's what i think about when i read this passage.
And he always uses very dark and sad diction.
He talks about the area being cold, but i think he refers to the convicts loneliness and
possibly his "dark" past because he is a convict.
Dicken's describes his feast with such detail, comparing all of the foods and the way he eats them with other actions.
Because of the force of his actions, Dicken's seems to try to make him animalistic in some sense.
And in the second passage, the tone is completely different.
Although he is comparing a Christmas feast and a dinner is the marshes,
the tones are of course different;
but in the second one, right off from the bat,
the tone is very subtle and calm.
The diction that he uses to describe the dinner is more calm and not as "strong."
And Pip doesn't seem to have much of an opinion.
I think he was more intrigued by the convict than at the family dinner.
One of the things I noticed was that the family Christmas dinner seemed very fanciful and ceremonial compared to the simple pleasurable act of eating by Magwitch. The diction is one of the big differences. When describing the family Christmas dinner, the words used are more scholarly and complex than Magwitch eating his dinner. Magwitch's dinner seemed more real because the theme was the focus on actually eating the food. The comparison of Magwitch to a dog emphasizes his hunger and also his simple, unrefined style of eating, whereas, in the section describing the Christmas dinner, the people and the setting seemed more refined. For example, they "adjourn" to the parlor to eat "nuts and apples" which seem to be a delicacy or appetizer. The theme in the Christmas dinner section was the importance of the preparations for the occasion, and the focus was on the guests. Only one line about food was mentioned at the beginning.
About the atmosphere in these two sections, my opinion differs from some of the comments others have made. I actually thought it was interesting that the atmosphere in both settings was similar: apprehensive, tense, intent/rigid. Throughout his dinner, Magwitch is portrayed as anxious because he's afraid someone will come and arrest him again. He eats his dinner with great intensity and tension, "staring distrustfully while he [does] so at the mist all round..." (19). The Christmas dinner is also wrought with Mrs. Joe's worry that everything should go well, making all the preparations very rigid and exact. Pip is also tense about being caught and is very uncomfortable at this dinner party occasion. Anyway, that's my take on it.
All in all, Dickens humorously describes and contrasts the process of eating between a common prisoner and town folk. While making it enjoyable to read, Dickens also points out some of the fallibilities of society.
And Natalie, that's a really interesting point you made. I had marked the quote but I hadn't made that connection.
I agree with Vanessa and Megan that Dickens, rather than having Pip state his opinions of the characters, often chose to paint a picture through detailed descriptions of the characters' actions. The scene where the convict is scarfing down the meal that Pip brought him set a mysterious, sketchy, atmosphere that makes you distrust him. The way he compares Magwitch to a dog also causes you to see him as a dirty, unsophisticated character. Dickens never mentions such words but you can infer from the situation that this is how Pip must have felt about this homeless stranger.
The very long sentences that are used to construct the scene of Christmas dinner at Pip's home helps you to perceive just how busy and hectic this day must have been for Mrs. Joe. The paragraph that begins, "So we had our slices served out..." and ends "...Cleanliness is Godliness, and some people do the same by their religion" (30) just begins to show how concerned she was with impressing her guests. In contrast, Dickens mentions that Joe and Pip were to go to church FOR Mrs. Joe. The fact that this was pretty much their only duty contrasts with the busy atmosphere of Mrs. Joe hustling about the house in preparation.
-Sharon
When I reread these two passages again, I also noticed the difference in sentence structure between the two paragraphs. Dickens uses short, blunt sentences to describe the convict eating. He is described as rough and animalistic. On the other hand, the Christmas eve meal in Pip's home is a more grand and festive occasion. To contrast these two atmospheres, instead of using choppy sentences, Dickens uses long and highly descriptive sentences. Dickens' diction shows even more contrast between the two environments and their characters.
It seems that Dickens uses a lot of comparisons and similes when describing important characters and/or events. Or he'll even write "so-and-so seemed as if he thought...", and then continues the sentence with what the character could possibly be thinking or acting like based on observation. This is really helpful to the reader because it allows the reader to recall those important facets of the book when they are later mentioned or added to. For example in the paragraph about the convict eating like a dog Dickens writes:
"...and he looked sideways here and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger in every direction of somebody's coming to take the pie away."
This was a great memory aid for me because most people have seen many dogs, even people, eat this way and it creates a short visual scene in my mind.
In the second passage Dickens also uses this method of description when Joe is wearing his Sunday clothes:
"...in his holiday clothes, he was more like a scarecrow in good circumstances, than anything else."
This helps me to imagine Joe looking overstuffed and overprimped, completely out of place. Dickens also uses another way of descibing the haughty attitude of Mr. Wopsle when in church:
"...and when he gave out the psalm... he looked all round the congregation first, as much to say, "You have heard our friend overhead: oblige me with your opinion of this style!"
I believe this type of writing would convey an omnicient or unlimited narrator because the narrator is able to reflect the thinking of the characters, but this could be a far-fetched claim(anyone care to comment??).
I think these two passages especially highlight many of Charles Dickens' amazing writing abilities. But perhaps the ability of his that stood out most to me, as I read these passages, is his use of seemingly ridiculous comparisons, either through metaphor or simile, that he used as an aid in his description of events which pip watched. First, he describes how Magwitch ate, "a decided similarity between dog's way of eating, and the man's". This gives such a strong picture of a brute of a man gnawing on meat. This method of description is much stronger than if he had merely said taht the convict was eating in this way. Another comparison Dickens' makes is when he describes Pip and Joe eating, "we had our slices served out, as if we were two thousand troups on a forced march home rather than a man and a boy at home." This is another strong, and perhaps unusual, comparison that Dicken's makes. Writing like this really helps to bring the reading to live and is a testement to the Dickens' remarkable writing.
What I first noticed when comparing these two descriptive sections of the novel is the level of depth in which Dickens took his reader. While the section about the convict is rather descriptive, the paragraphs about Mr. Wopsle, Mr. Pumblechook, and Joe were more more descriptive.
The atmosphere that I get from the convict scene is more tense and rushed -- much like the way the way the convict is eating. In the christmas dinner scene, the atmosphere is very superficial and routine, much like Pumblechook's gifts of Wine and Sherry.
While the two settings of the scenes both seem uncomfortable for Pip to be in, only the scene at home feels somewhat safe. The syntax of Dickens simply makes dinner at home seem like that boring meal we all have on Thanksgiving every year.
A few semi-religious allusions are made, but they are pointed out by Pip. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness..." is a quote my grandma often enjoys pulling out and sharing with us grandchildren. Nothing works quite like a good old biblical guilt trip.
I think the most odd part of the two passages is the description of the convict eating. It seems so unhealthy and dirty. The phrase that I think best described the convict's attitude and hunger was "...he would have tried to eat it, if he had not seen my bundle..."(pg. 25). He did not care what or how. He just wanted to eat something.
Thank goodness for the little humor within these scenes though. Without it, the book would have been one large, dragged-out description.
As I took in Pip's description of the account, the one thing sticking out in my mind is the pity. Possibly a building pity designed by Dickens expressed in Pip's continual observations and conclusions concerning the horrid state of Magwitch. The pity climbs to the point where Pip sees not a man, but a maltreated mutt.
Sarcasm or cynicism, one or the other, emanates from the passage in chapter four. The tone gives off an air of an improved man looking back at a ridiculous childhood. Readers can relate to how Mrs. Joe "had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself." And laugh at the same time. Dickens has Pip, in his 'looking back on it all' position, almost mocking Mrs. Joe's "going to church vicariously." The narrator, Pip, is much more accusatory, perhaps?, preparing for Christmas dinner than the convict's dinner. Dickens, in effect, creates in his readers: hate for the innocent and pity for the guilty.
Pip and Magwitch, I suppose, have more in common than I thought. Dickens, throughout the text, advocates correctional institutions, not penitentiary. The poor are "...always treated as if ... had insisted on being born in opposition to the dictates of reason, religion, and morality..."
I definitely agree with Michelle, that Pip seemed more comfortable and relaxed eating side by side with a convict in contrast to his own family and friends! Although Magwitch and Pip are set in the extremely dark atmosphere of the swamp during the early morning, I didn’t feel like the scene had a bleak or gloomy way to it. Pip seemed quite oblivious to the world around him, concentrating on the RAVENOUS man before him and in what ways he was eating. I noticed in this first passage that as soon as Charles Dickens would tend to start describing Magwitch as such a hungry loner, he would then humor his readers and write something funny about how this character was so. For example, as soon as Pip starts to pity Magwitchs’ desolation, he soon goes on to say that Magwitch ate like a dog, going on to humorously describe that dog-likeness (pg 19). While Dickens described this scene my favorite term he used was ‘snapped’ because of how perfectly dog-like that word fitted what I had imagined Magwitch to eat like in that swamp.
As I reread this second passage after the first, one of the first things I noticed was how stiff and awkwardly perfect this meal was trying to be compared to the first. I kind of felt like Mrs. Joe was trying to create an art piece, trying to make this feast beautiful and clean. And I TOTALLY noticed the Cleanliness is next to Godliness……I wonder if Mrs. Minor planned that…. ‘A cool haze of silver paper’ This wording seems so sleek, matching how the dinner was meant to mean.
How can people write so much about characters eating?! I think that Charles Dickens meant to describe the two eating parties as the same. Really everyone is the same when it comes to eating! Its only natural to stuff your face while eating because thats what nature has told you to do. In both places I saw Pip was at great discomfort. Yeah, thats about it. Sorry about my limited Literature insight.
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