Thursday, September 4, 2014
2014 RHS 9th Grade Summer Readings
Great Expectations (A novel by Charles Dickens)
Part 1
Great Expectations begins with the story's protagonist, Philip Pirrip, better known as a nickname of his own youthful creation, "Pip", which he is known by for the majority of the story. Narrated in the first person, Pip begins by recalling his youth in a marsh country in Victorian-era United Kingdom. Quite suddenly, Pip encounters an escaped convict, who threatens the young Pip into bringing him tools to remove an iron weight chained to his leg. It is then revealed, after his returning home, with his parents deceased, Pip lives with his older sister and her husband, Joe Gargery. Pip's sister is rather oppressive to Pip (and what today may be called abusive), while Joe, a blacksmith, loves Pip like his son and tends to side with him, even if he does not stop his wife's wrath. To Pip's great guilt, he steals tools from the forge adjoining their house a takes them to the convict the following morning. Later that night, solders enlisted in His Majesty's army appear at Pip's house to have some iron handcuffs mended. Afterwards Joe, Pip, and Mr. Pumblechook, a rather annoying man who often tells lies to credit himself and supports Pis's sister's views on raising Pip, follow the soldiers into the marshes to see the escaped convicts apprehended. When the escaped convicts (of which there were two) are found and captured, the convict that Pip had encountered was found to be trying to kill the other. However , this soon passes Pip's mind. A few days later, Mr. Pumblechook returns to the Gargery household a announces that a very wealthy woman named Ms. Havisham wished for Pip to come to her home to "play" for her amusement. Pip visits the eccentric woman and her adoptive daughter, Estella, whom Pip finds beautiful, yet she is very condescending towards him. When expected to "play" for Miss Havisham, who is always dressed in faded bridal clothing, he draws a bank, and simply ends up playing cards with Estella after he was told to do so. Pip visits Miss Havisham several times, and once his service is finished, his family receives some money, and Pip is dismissed. However, after this, Pip is no longer content with his lower-class life, and expresses the desire to become a gentleman.
Soon after, Mr. Jaggers, a master lawyer who meet Pip once before when he was working for Miss Havisham, visits Pip's home with the unexpected news that Pip has been endowed with Great Expectations (such as wealth and property), from which the novel takes its name, by an unknown benefactor. Although Pip assumes this benefactor is Miss Havisham, he is forbidden to inquire as to his benefactor's identity. And so, Pip moves to London to be taught how to be a gentleman and to be otherwise educated by Mr. Matthew Pocket, who happens to be a former worker for Miss Havisham. Constantly receiving funds form his benefactor, Pip lives in his own home with his best friend, Herbert Pocket, who is the eldest son of Matthew Pocket, in a tenement in London. Later, Herbert reveals that Miss Havisham's half brother, who nourished a deep hatred for her, had worked with a man with the surname Compeyson, who was to marry Miss Havisham, but wrote a letter cancelling the wedding just as Miss Havisham was getting prepared. Thus, Miss Havisham always wore here bridal clothes from that point onward as a reminder, as well as keeping a deep hatred toward the opposite gender ever since.
Due to lack of space, I will publish the remainder of this piece in my following comment(s).
-Chancellor J. Farmer
Part 1
Great Expectations begins with the story's protagonist, Philip Pirrip, better known as a nickname of his own youthful creation, "Pip", which he is known by for the majority of the story. Narrated in the first person, Pip begins by recalling his youth in a marsh country in Victorian-era United Kingdom. Quite suddenly, Pip encounters an escaped convict, who threatens the young Pip into bringing him tools to remove an iron weight chained to his leg. It is then revealed, after his returning home, with his parents deceased, Pip lives with his older sister and her husband, Joe Gargery. Pip's sister is rather oppressive to Pip (and what today may be called abusive), while Joe, a blacksmith, loves Pip like his son and tends to side with him, even if he does not stop his wife's wrath. To Pip's great guilt, he steals tools from the forge adjoining their house a takes them to the convict the following morning. Later that night, solders enlisted in His Majesty's army appear at Pip's house to have some iron handcuffs mended. Afterwards Joe, Pip, and Mr. Pumblechook, a rather annoying man who often tells lies to credit himself and supports Pis's sister's views on raising Pip, follow the soldiers into the marshes to see the escaped convicts apprehended. When the escaped convicts (of which there were two) are found and captured, the convict that Pip had encountered was found to be trying to kill the other. However , this soon passes Pip's mind. A few days later, Mr. Pumblechook returns to the Gargery household a announces that a very wealthy woman named Ms. Havisham wished for Pip to come to her home to "play" for her amusement. Pip visits the eccentric woman and her adoptive daughter, Estella, whom Pip finds beautiful, yet she is very condescending towards him. When expected to "play" for Miss Havisham, who is always dressed in faded bridal clothing, he draws a bank, and simply ends up playing cards with Estella after he was told to do so. Pip visits Miss Havisham several times, and once his service is finished, his family receives some money, and Pip is dismissed. However, after this, Pip is no longer content with his lower-class life, and expresses the desire to become a gentleman.
Soon after, Mr. Jaggers, a master lawyer who meet Pip once before when he was working for Miss Havisham, visits Pip's home with the unexpected news that Pip has been endowed with Great Expectations (such as wealth and property), from which the novel takes its name, by an unknown benefactor. Although Pip assumes this benefactor is Miss Havisham, he is forbidden to inquire as to his benefactor's identity. And so, Pip moves to London to be taught how to be a gentleman and to be otherwise educated by Mr. Matthew Pocket, who happens to be a former worker for Miss Havisham. Constantly receiving funds form his benefactor, Pip lives in his own home with his best friend, Herbert Pocket, who is the eldest son of Matthew Pocket, in a tenement in London. Later, Herbert reveals that Miss Havisham's half brother, who nourished a deep hatred for her, had worked with a man with the surname Compeyson, who was to marry Miss Havisham, but wrote a letter cancelling the wedding just as Miss Havisham was getting prepared. Thus, Miss Havisham always wore here bridal clothes from that point onward as a reminder, as well as keeping a deep hatred toward the opposite gender ever since.
Due to lack of space, I will publish the remainder of this piece in my following comment(s).
-Chancellor J. Farmer
Great Expectations (A Novel by Charles Dickens)
Part 2
Later in the story, a man that Pip believes to be a stranger to him, appears claiming to be his formerly unknown benefactor. This man, whose name is Magwitch, but used the false name Provis, is then revealled to be the convict Pip has unwillingly assisted in his youth. He had apparently been exiled for life from the United Kingdom, and fled to the British colony in Australia. From there, Magwitch decided that if he cannot be a worthy and respected member of society, he would at lest create one. He chose his early liberator, Pip, to use the majority of the wealth he earned working in the colony to raise Pip into the Gentry. Pip, being originally resentful of his apparent benefactor, for he believed it to be Miss Havisham until that point, grows to be fond of Magwitch and worried for his safety, seeing as Magwitch broke the requirements of his exile to reveal himself. Pip, with the help of Herbert, comes up with a plan of housing not far from their home to hide Magwitch in until he can be smuggled out of the country. Now that Pip realized that his Great Expectations had been revealed and received, he is very disappointed as well as angry towards Miss Havisham for letting him believe all of those years that she was his benefactor, while obviously she knew otherwise. However, Pip and Herbert are formulating their plan to smuggle Magwitch out o the country, for if he is discovered, he will be put to death for his crimes. A few days before their escape plan is to be put into action, Pip discovers that Magwitch and a woman working for Mr. Jaggers as a sort of servant, are the true parents of the originally orphaned Estella. However, seeing no purpose in revealing her true humble parentage to the proud Estella, he does not tell her.
Later that week, Pip, Herbert, and their friend Startop begin their attempt to smuggle Magwitch out of the U.K. However, wile attempting to sail down the river Thames to board a steam boat with a destination out of the country, the police, who had found that Magwitch had returned to the U.K., captured them all. During the capture, Magwitch saw the convict he was captured with in Pip's youth (who is revealed to be Compeyson) and attempts to kill him, as he blames Compeyson for his incarceration. This attack succeeds, yet Magwitch is mortally wounded. Upon being escorted back to London, Magwitch is put on trial and is sentenced to death. On one of Pip's visits to him in his cell, however, Magwitch dies from his wounds. Later, after a period of grieving, Pip is arrested because of debts he accumulated during the time when he sill had funding. However, Joe, who Pip feels very guilty of, because of his rudeness to Joe when he still had Great Expectations, pays Pip's debts and Pip is set free. Later Pip expresses his deep apologies to Joe for his actions, and begs forgiveness. Joe, ever the loving parental figure, despite his lack of education, forgives Pip immediately.
Due to lack of space, I will post the remainder of this piece in my following comment(s)
-Chancellor J. Farmer
Part 2
Later in the story, a man that Pip believes to be a stranger to him, appears claiming to be his formerly unknown benefactor. This man, whose name is Magwitch, but used the false name Provis, is then revealled to be the convict Pip has unwillingly assisted in his youth. He had apparently been exiled for life from the United Kingdom, and fled to the British colony in Australia. From there, Magwitch decided that if he cannot be a worthy and respected member of society, he would at lest create one. He chose his early liberator, Pip, to use the majority of the wealth he earned working in the colony to raise Pip into the Gentry. Pip, being originally resentful of his apparent benefactor, for he believed it to be Miss Havisham until that point, grows to be fond of Magwitch and worried for his safety, seeing as Magwitch broke the requirements of his exile to reveal himself. Pip, with the help of Herbert, comes up with a plan of housing not far from their home to hide Magwitch in until he can be smuggled out of the country. Now that Pip realized that his Great Expectations had been revealed and received, he is very disappointed as well as angry towards Miss Havisham for letting him believe all of those years that she was his benefactor, while obviously she knew otherwise. However, Pip and Herbert are formulating their plan to smuggle Magwitch out o the country, for if he is discovered, he will be put to death for his crimes. A few days before their escape plan is to be put into action, Pip discovers that Magwitch and a woman working for Mr. Jaggers as a sort of servant, are the true parents of the originally orphaned Estella. However, seeing no purpose in revealing her true humble parentage to the proud Estella, he does not tell her.
Later that week, Pip, Herbert, and their friend Startop begin their attempt to smuggle Magwitch out of the U.K. However, wile attempting to sail down the river Thames to board a steam boat with a destination out of the country, the police, who had found that Magwitch had returned to the U.K., captured them all. During the capture, Magwitch saw the convict he was captured with in Pip's youth (who is revealed to be Compeyson) and attempts to kill him, as he blames Compeyson for his incarceration. This attack succeeds, yet Magwitch is mortally wounded. Upon being escorted back to London, Magwitch is put on trial and is sentenced to death. On one of Pip's visits to him in his cell, however, Magwitch dies from his wounds. Later, after a period of grieving, Pip is arrested because of debts he accumulated during the time when he sill had funding. However, Joe, who Pip feels very guilty of, because of his rudeness to Joe when he still had Great Expectations, pays Pip's debts and Pip is set free. Later Pip expresses his deep apologies to Joe for his actions, and begs forgiveness. Joe, ever the loving parental figure, despite his lack of education, forgives Pip immediately.
Due to lack of space, I will post the remainder of this piece in my following comment(s)
-Chancellor J. Farmer
Great Expectations (A Novel by Charles Dickens)
Part 3
Pip, now with no expectations or funds, decides to leave with Herbert and his wife to work as a clerk in a company of which Pip had secretly paid, when he still had sufficient funding, to make Herbert a partner of, as a clerk. Pip makes a living, and is happy, but never reaches the status promised by his former Great Expectations.
I would recommend this novel, but only to certain individuals within my peerage. My reasoning for this is that I found this novel to be rather dull and unexciting for many periods of reading it. Also, being first published in 1860, there are many cultural details that lack of understanding of would diminish interest. Finally, the vocabulary used by Dickens in this novel may be seen as difficult to some, and it is also rooted in British culture. For instance, many of my peers would not have heard or sought to understand the word "baronetcy", which I just happened to know, quite off of coincidence. The constant researching of words such as this one would impact the interest in this novel. For these reasons, I would only recommend Great Expectations to those among my peers who I know to have at least some background knowledge about Victorian-era Britain and to find interest and enjoyment in classic novels.
-Chancellor J. Farmer
Part 3
Pip, now with no expectations or funds, decides to leave with Herbert and his wife to work as a clerk in a company of which Pip had secretly paid, when he still had sufficient funding, to make Herbert a partner of, as a clerk. Pip makes a living, and is happy, but never reaches the status promised by his former Great Expectations.
I would recommend this novel, but only to certain individuals within my peerage. My reasoning for this is that I found this novel to be rather dull and unexciting for many periods of reading it. Also, being first published in 1860, there are many cultural details that lack of understanding of would diminish interest. Finally, the vocabulary used by Dickens in this novel may be seen as difficult to some, and it is also rooted in British culture. For instance, many of my peers would not have heard or sought to understand the word "baronetcy", which I just happened to know, quite off of coincidence. The constant researching of words such as this one would impact the interest in this novel. For these reasons, I would only recommend Great Expectations to those among my peers who I know to have at least some background knowledge about Victorian-era Britain and to find interest and enjoyment in classic novels.
-Chancellor J. Farmer
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